Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

Ground beef stuffed shells is an easy go to for pasta night. This homemade ground beef recipe is simple to make and one that every one will love. Seasoned ground beef in a homemade sauce served overtop pasta shells and loaded with cheese... what's not to love!

ground beef stuffed shells

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 box pasta shells
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 cups pasta sauce
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Homemade Pasta Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sm onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp red wine
  • 1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained (14.5 oz)
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Brown the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper as it is browning. Set on a plate layered with paper towels to drain any excess grease after browning.
  3. Cook the pasta shells according to the directions on the box and then strain. Layer them into a baking dish.
  4. Mix the ground beef and pasta sauce together and then cover over top the pasta shells.
  5. Add the mozzarella cheese over top the dish evenly and then cover with foil.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

  • Heat olive oil in a skillet on the stove. Sautee the onion and garlic and then add in the wine. Simmer for two minutes.
  • Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt. Simmer on low heat for five minutes.

I am always on the look out for new ground beef recipes because I know they will be easy to make and tasteful. This recipe is no exception. Kid friendly and extra filling.

This recipe is perfect to serve a long with a simple side salad to make a full course meal. You can stuff it into jumbo pasta shells or serve it as a casserole over medium size shells. No matter what you decide, you are going to think it is delicious!

stuffed beef shells

What should I serve with ground beef stuffed shells?

This classic Italian dish serves perfectly with a simple side salad and a slice of buttered bread. In my kitchen, I always have some homemade sourdough bread to go along with these sort of meals. If you haven't dove into sourdough bread making just yet, I would highly recommend it!

beef pasta recipe

How long will the leftovers keep?

You can keep these leftovers in your refrigerator for up to four days. You can rewarm them in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove top. I tend to avoid using the microwave so when I reheated my leftovers I just added a bit of butter to the skillet to keep the noodles moist.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

This is a great recipe to make ahead and to bake later. It is a simple meal that you can freeze for later. Simply brown the beef, cook the noodles, and prepare the sauce. Place it all in a foil container and then freeze until a later date. When you are ready to serve top with cheese and bake covered for a half hour.

How to serve this recipe to a large crowd?

This is the perfect recipe to serve to a large crowd because it is budget friendly and easy to double or even triple the ingredients. Just follow the same steps and up the ingredients equally. One pan will feed six to eight people.

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