Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

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Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

These cozy and comforting Ground Beef Stuffed Shells are a delicious meal the whole family will love. Packed with protein, veggies, browned beef and so much flavor--these will be a constant request. Easy to make ahead and freezer friendly!

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: stuffed shells

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

27-29 jumbo shells
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
2 c small curd cottage cheese
1 large egg lightly beaten
3 c shredded mozzarella divided
½ c grated parmesan
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1 T Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cracked pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 lb. ground sirloin
1 onion small diced
28 oz. marinana sauce
¼ c fresh basil chopped

Instructions

Thaw spinach and wring out all the excess liquid--wring it out really really well so you don't end up with watered down filling.Add the spinach to a mixing bowl with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, cottage cheese, lightly beaten egg, garlic and seasoning. Stir will to combine and set aside while you prepare the shells and meat.
Boil the water for the pasta and cook the shells until just under al dente, about 1 minute less than al dente instructions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop from cooking. Very lightly toss in olive oil and place in an even layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for best results.
While the shells cook, heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and heat. Once glistening, add the onion and sauté until they become slightly translucent.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and break into pieces. Cook until no longer pink inside, about 7-10 minutes. Drain excess grease and set aside to cool a briefly. Add half of the slightly cooled meat to the cheese and spinach stuffing mixture and stir to combine. (The other half of the meat will be added to marinara in step 6)
Preheat oven to 350°F at this time unless planning to bake at a later time.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of marinara into the bottom of a lightly sprayed 9x13 inch baking pan. Spread it so that it covers the entire bottom of the pan.
Add the remaining cooked beef and onion mixture to the rest of the marinara to make a meat sauce for topping. Stuff each cooked jumbo shell with about 2 1/2 - 3 Tablespoons of cheese and meat mixture. Place open side up in the pan lining them up in one even layer.
When all shells are stuffed, pour the marinara and meat mixture over top of the shells to cover. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella (or as much as your heart desires!) and cover with foil.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes covered or until bubbling. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and starting to become slightly golden. Sprinkle freshly chopped basil over top. Cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Make sure not to over cook your pasta shells. Cook the shells just under al dente for best results. When they bake, the marinara will cook them just slightly more so if you over boil them early on, they can turn to mush. They are also much easier to work with if you don't overcook them!

Prep this dish up to 24 hours in advance. You can prepare the entire dish before baking up to a day ahead of time. If I do this, I don't usually add the shredded cheese before baking, but if you want to deliver this to a friend to bake later or something like that, the cheese on top in the fridge will not be an issue!

Storage: To store leftover stuffed shells, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for about 3-4 days. I find the flavor the next day is even better than freshly made so it's a bonus if you have leftovers!

If you plan on eating this after that length of time, freeze the leftover pasta.

To freeze:

after baking: once you have baked the shells, allow them to cool completely. Transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container. I like to place a layer or aluminum foil or plastic wrap over top before closing the container but this is not entirely necessary.

before baking: if you want to freeze this recipe before baking, make sure the entirety of the top of shells is covered in marinara. Do not add the shredded cheese over top. Add that before baking. You can thaw and cook as directed or bake from frozen at 350°F for about 50-60 minutes, adding the shredded cheese over top in the last ten minutes.

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