I absolutely adore Italian stuffed shells with meat sauce. This traditional preparation of an endlessly versatile dish is so comforting and cheesy. I make it at least once a month for my family, and I always pack it with extra meat sauce. Beef stuffed shells is a super hearty meal that comfortably serves a large crowd, or you can freeze it for easy meal prep.
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What’s in this Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat?
It’s hard to go wrong with Italian food. Pasta, cheese, and sauce are always a winning combination in my mind! These beef stuffed shells are no exception – they’re easy, delicious, and always a crowd-pleaser.
- Ground Chuck: This is my favorite kind of ground beef for meat sauce. It’s got just the right balance of fat, and it adds so much flavor.
- Onion + Garlic: Add an earthy and slightly sweet flavor to the meat sauce.
- Marinara Sauce: I like to make my own, but you can use your favorite store-bought to save time.
- Egg: Binds the cheesy filling together.
- Cheese: A mixture of small curd cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese creates a rich, creamy, and cheesy filling for our shells.
- Jumbo Shells: The perfect size for stuffing! Make sure to cook yours just to al dente according to the package. If overcooked, they may fall apart.
Variations To Try
There are so many ways to change up these beef stuffed shells. You can swap some or all of the ground beef for Italian sausage. Try adding spinach, sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, or caramelized onions to the filling for a bit more flavor. Or add some pesto to the cheese mixture!
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover stuffed shells with meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through.
How to Freeze
These stuffed beef stuffed shells can be frozen both before and after baking. Tightly wrap the pan in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. If you freeze before baking, bake directly from frozen at 350°F for about an hour (remove the plastic wrap first!). If you freeze after baking, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating as described above.
Serving Suggestions
Just like all casseroles, these beef stuffed shells can be a meal all on their own. It’s a hearty, filling, and satisfying dish! That said, I still like to serve mine with a few sides, like Homemade Garlic Bread, Caesar Salad, or Roasted Vegetables.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
When I have vegetarian guests coming over, I find it super easy to make vegetarian stuffed shells. All I do is omit the meat from the sauce. You could also swap for Impossible ground beef if you prefer.
5-Star Review
“I can’t get enough of this meal! We’ll be making this weekly. It’s that delicious! Thank you so much.” – Jen
Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 26 ounces marinara sauce store-bought or homemade(1 jar)
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 2 cups small curd cottage cheese (4% milk fat)
- 2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 20 dry jumbo pasta shells (about 7 ounces)
- Chopped fresh basil leaves optional, for garnish
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch (3-quart) baking pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
- Bring a pot of water on the stovetop to a boil. Cook the pasta shells to al dente according to the package, about 8-9 minutes. After cooking the pasta shells, drain and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.20 dry jumbo pasta shells
- In a large skillet, brown the beef on medium heat until cooked through and no pink remains, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off the rendered fat.1 pound ground chuck
- Reduce heat to medium-low. In the same skillet with the beef, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 1 clove garlic
- Reduce the heat to low and add the marinara sauce. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.26 ounces marinara sauce
- In a medium bowl, mix the egg, cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese together.1 large egg, 2 cups small curd cottage cheese, 2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Pour about three-quarters of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Stuff the shells with 1 rounded tablespoon of cheese mixture and arrange them on top of the meat sauce, open-side up. Spoon the remaining meat sauce in-between the shells but not directly on top of the shells.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the shells. Bake 5-7 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve!Chopped fresh basil leaves
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
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- Keep an eye on the pasta shells so they don’t overcook. After boiling, set them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
Nutrition Information
How to Make Stuffed Shells with Meat Step by Step
Boil the Shells: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch (3-quart) baking pan with nonstick spray; set aside. Bring a pot of water on the stovetop to a boil. Cook 20 jumbo pasta shells to al dente according to the package, about 8-9 minutes. After cooking the pasta shells, drain and place them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
Brown the Beef: In a large skillet, brown 1 pound of ground chuck on medium heat until cooked through and no pink remains, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off the rendered fat.
Sauté the Onion: Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same skillet with the beef, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add 1 diced yellow onion. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1 minced clove of garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
Add the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low and add 26 ounces (1 jar) of marinara sauce. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, mix 1 large egg, 2 cups of small curd cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese together.
Spread the Sauce: Pour about three-quarters of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Stuff the Shells: Stuff the shells with 1 rounded tablespoon each of the cheese mixture and arrange them on top of the meat sauce, open-side up. Spoon the remaining meat sauce in between the shells but not directly on top of the shells.
Bake the Casserole: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese over the shells. Bake 5-7 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh basil and serve!
These shells can turn watery due to excess moisture on the pasta or in the filling. This is why we drain the cooked shells on a baking sheet!
Make sure to use a large enough pot when boiling the shells so that they have room to move around, and don’t let them touch on the baking sheet as they cool and drain!
If your shells are hard, chances are you did not cook them for long enough. You want to make sure the shells are al dente but not undercooked. You may wish to add an extra shell to the pot to test for doneness.
The cook time is innaccurate. It states the cook time is 30 minutes. But you must simmer the sauce for 30 minutes alone before adding it to the baking dish, where the entire thing is then baked off for another 30 minutes with an addition 5-7 minutes uncovered.
If you’re looking for quick, may not be your best choice. But it is good.
Thanks for sharing, Joseph!
My 1st time and it was delicious. My daughter has had it plenty of times so she requested it. She loved this recipe as well.
Thanks for stopping by, Tai!
In your intro to the recipe you have prep time as 15 minutes and cook time as 30 min for total time of 45 minutes. Your direction say to cook the shells and hamburger which could be the 15 min. But then directions say add sauce to meat mixture and cook 30 min. Then once you fill shells and place in baking dish with meat sauce to bake for 30 min. Then add cheese and bake another 5 min. So this is closer to a 90 min total time then the 45 min you list. Please correct this so those of us trying your delicious recipes have more realistic time frame
Thank you, Sue for pointing that out!!
This was amazing! I followed the recipe exactly except I added fresh basil to the sauce and top of the casserole once baked. I also added a tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to reduce the acidity of it. Thank you for the awesome recipe!!!
Thanks, Katy!
So delicious and easy! I made my meat sauce and cheese mixture before going to the office. I cooked and cooled and stuffed my shells as well. I then placed stuffed shells in tupperware and put in refrigerator. Set meat sauce in fridge as well. When I got home it was quick and easy to reheat meats sauce and assemble shells and sauce in casserole dish. Such a nice easy prep ahead dinner. Will be repeating requests!
Great idea! Thanks, Cindy!
I can’t get enough of this meal! We’ll be making this weekly. It’s that delicious! Thank you so much.
Thank ya, Jen!
Stuffed pasta shells are my kids’ favorite dinner! So easy and they taste amazing!
AGREE!
Stuffed shells are always a hit at my house! Love how cheesy these are!
Anything with cheese is amazing. Thanks, Kristyn!
Wow! This is everything a gourmet meal should be! Can’t wait to devour this for dinner tonight!
These stuffed shells are so easy and delicious! Full of flavor, and so good!
Thanks, Courtney!!