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!
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
Equipment
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
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
Video
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 is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
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.
My family loves this dish. I do add some Italian seasoning to the mixture of cheeses just to add a little more flavor to the stuffed shells.
Great idea!
How long does this keep in the fridge?
3-5 days!
Delicious! Thank you
So happy to hear you enjoyed them!
Seems we are having pasta shortage so I had to use different pasta but it worked out well thanks
So happy to hear!
This is a delicious recipe. Made the sauce the day before…nice and thick. I just stuffed the shell with the meat sauce and sprinkled mazzorella cheese on top. I did this because I made another dish using Ricotta n spinach for filling with a Alfredo souse. Dinner was a hit😋
Thanks for sharing, Carol Ann!
Great recipe. Swapped ricotta for the cottage cheese and added Italian seasoning to the beef. But otherwise great.
Definitely modify to your liking! Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe however I would want to substitute the cottage cheese with another cheese then I will give it all five stars also cook time took about 1 hour and 20 minutes
Modify to your liking!
Want to try this but do not like cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in dishes. What can use to change this.
You can use your favorite white cheeses instead!
I add sharp cheddar cheese to mine simply because I like it
Definitely modify to your liking! Everyone’s house appliances cook differently!
The cook time on this is wildly inaccurate. Even if you take out all the prep time you’re looking at over an hour. You mention in two other review replies that you’re going to fix the time and you haven’t. We’re going to be eating late tonight.