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.

stuffed pasta shells in a casserole dish with a serving spoon

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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!

stuffed pasta shells in a blue casserole baking dish topped with melted cheese and fresh basil
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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.

close up image of pasta shells stuffed with cheese and topped with meat sauce

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

Recipe Card

Stuffed Shells Recipe with Meat

4.55 from 310 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 25 minutes
Total: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Becky Hardin
italian stuffed shells in a dish with spoon
Jumbo shells are stuffed to the brim with a cheesy filling, covered with a meat sauce, and topped with lots of cheese. Every bite is a dream!
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
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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

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
    cooked pasta shells on a baking sheet
  • 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
    ground beef in a skillet with a hand holding a wooden spoon
  • 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
    ground beef, onion, and garlic cooking in a skillet with a hand holding a wooden spoon
  • Reduce the heat to low and add the marinara sauce. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    26 ounces marinara sauce
    pouring marinara sauce into saucepan with ground beef, onions, and garlic
  • 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
    hands mixing cheese filling in a glass bowl for stuffed shells
  • Pour about three-quarters of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
    meat marinara sauce in the bottom of a 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.
    pasta shells stuffed with cheese filling on top of marinara sauce in a baking dish
  • 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.
    hands covering baking dish with aluminum foil
  • Garnish with fresh basil and serve!
    Chopped fresh basil leaves
    hand scooping a baked stuffed pasta shell out of baking pan

Video

Becky’s Tips

  • Keep an eye on the pasta shells so they don’t overcook. After boiling, set them upside down on a baking sheet to dry.
Storage: Store stuffed shells with meat in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Calories: 446kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 29gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 990mgPotassium: 595mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 777IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 303mgIron: 3mg

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.

cooked pasta shells on a baking sheet

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.

ground beef in a skillet with a hand holding a wooden spoon

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.

ground beef, onion, and garlic cooking in a skillet with a hand holding a wooden spoon

Add the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low and add 26 ounces (1 jar) of marinara sauce. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

pouring marinara sauce into saucepan with ground beef, onions, and garlic

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.

hands mixing cheese filling in a glass bowl for stuffed shells

Spread the Sauce: Pour about three-quarters of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

meat marinara sauce in the bottom of a 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.

pasta shells stuffed with cheese filling on top of marinara sauce in a baking dish

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.

hands covering baking dish with aluminum foil

Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

hand scooping a baked stuffed pasta shell out of baking pan
Why do stuffed shells get watery?

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!

How do you keep stuffed shells from sticking together?

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!

Why are my stuffed shells hard?

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.

More Stuffed Shell Recipes We Love

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin is a wife and mother living in Saint Louis Missouri. She founded The Cookie Rookie in 2012 as a creative way to share recipes. Now, she is a trusted resource for easy cooking around the world, being featured in Taste of Home, The Kitchn, ABC’s Home and Family, and more. Here at The Cookie Rookie she is the editor in chief of all recipes and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for cooking for busy families. She has since founded two additional food blogs, Easy Chicken Recipes and Easy Dessert Recipes.

4.55 from 310 votes (287 ratings without comment)
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55 Comments
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Terri cross
Terri cross
February 17, 2024 1:54 pm

Can I assemble this one day and then bake it the next? I’ll leave an updated review after I make it.3 stars

Samantha Marceau
February 19, 2024 8:25 am
Reply to  Terri cross

Absolutely, Terri!

Louetta Waters
Louetta Waters
January 28, 2024 4:44 pm

This was delicious. I’m 67 and the first time I made stuffed shells
Easy to follow directions.5 stars

Michael
Michael
October 5, 2023 9:01 pm

Grew up on something similar to this. The only modifications we made was adding sage, salt, pepper, garlic to the ground beef and since we couldn’t find any mairnara sauce we used an Italian sausage with garlic sauce from Prego. We made this in a 3x batch so roughly 62 shells in 11×17 and 9×13. This one everyone in the family couldn’t get enough of. There’s no leftovers. This is definitely becoming a meal rotation in our house.5 stars

Last edited 1 year ago by Michael
Michelle
Michelle
September 2, 2023 3:35 pm

I’m new to freezer meals… When do I freeze this? After I put it together, or after baking? If I bake it then freeze it, how long and what temperature do I reheat it? Thank you!

Samantha Marceau
September 5, 2023 9:16 am
Reply to  Michelle

You can freeze it at either point! If you freeze before baking, bake directly from frozen at 350°F for about an hour. If you freeze after baking, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes!

Joan Whitt
Joan Whitt
June 15, 2023 5:32 pm

Do I have to use an egg?

Samantha Marceau
June 16, 2023 9:00 am
Reply to  Joan Whitt

You can leave it out, but the filling won’t hold together as well!

Megan
Megan
June 11, 2023 10:40 am

How do you reheat from frozen?

Samantha Marceau
June 12, 2023 9:03 am
Reply to  Megan

Bake from frozen at 350°F for 45-60 minutes!

Shane
Shane
February 14, 2023 10:19 am

Delicious and quite easy. Lighter than many recipes of this type.5 stars

Toni
Toni
December 16, 2022 7:47 pm

This turned out so good! Everyone at work loved it. I had to use a round pasta that I cut in half and filled with cheese mixture using a frosting piping bag. It was pretty as well as delicious. Will make again and again. Thanks for sharing. 😋5 stars

DD459660-96EE-4758-B984-28A714A2FA72.jpeg
Samantha Marceau
December 19, 2022 9:01 am
Reply to  Toni

That looks delicious, Toni!

Eddie R
Eddie R
August 29, 2022 12:27 am

This looks phenomenal! I am going to make it this week for sure! Becky, I don’t want to step on your toes, but please let me share something as I GUARANTEE everyone will love it. This, as in any recipe that calls for Parmesan cheese, please please please use Parmesan Reggiano instead! I promise you you will love it and won’t ever use regular Parmesan again. This is not a “to each their own”comment, this is a FACT!! Best cheese on the planet!5 stars

Samantha Marceau
August 29, 2022 9:36 am
Reply to  Eddie R

Thanks for sharing, Eddie!

Noemi Simonelli
Noemi Simonelli
August 4, 2022 5:37 am

It turned out great. I believe the 1 pound of meat was not enough so I made it with 2. I also added Italian seasoning to it and chopped the fresh basil in the cheese mixture. All family members loved it. thank you5 stars

Samantha Marceau
August 4, 2022 9:13 am

Thanks for sharing, Noemi!