Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef

An easy casserole dinner with jumbo shell pasta stuffed with perfectly seasoned ground beef, sauce, spinach, and cheese. It's warm, filling, cheesy, and oh-so comforting. Plus, it's a beautiful make-ahead dinner the whole family will love!

Course Main

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 551kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

7-8 ounces (200-225g) jumbo pasta shells (14-16 shells)
½ pound (225g) lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons (10g) garlic, minced
1 teaspoon (4g) Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon (1g) dried thyme
1 tablespoon (16g) tomato paste
1½ cups (225g) spaghetti sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 leaves fresh basil
2 cups (60g) fresh spinach loosely packed
½ cup (60g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ cup (50g) parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons (8g) fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400℉ (205℃). Cook pasta shells according to the instructions on the package.
While the shells are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the ground beef until evenly browned, 2-3 minutes.
Add the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, tomato paste, ½ cup of spaghetti sauce (reserving the rest), salt, and pepper to taste. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, and add the fresh basil and spinach. Cook until wilted.
When the shells and the meat sauce are ready, place the shells face up into a large baking dish. Stuff 1½ tablespoons of meat mixture into the opening of each shell.
Spoon the reserved spaghetti sauce on top.
Mix the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan and sprinkle it on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheeses melt and start to brown.
Remove from heat and let the stuffed shells rest for about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve hot.

Notes

This recipe yields about 16 shells for servings of 3-4 shells per person.
You can replace ground beef with ground turkey, pork, or chicken.
To refrigerate, assemble in a casserole and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then, come dinner time, pop it in the oven and bake as directed.
To freeze these stuffed shells, assemble and place them in a casserole dish and cover them with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the shells to remove as much air as possible. Cover it again with an aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw frozen stuffed shells in the fridge overnight. Remove the foil and plastic wrap and bake at 350°F (180℃) for 40-50 minutes. If you're afraid the cheese will burn, cover it with foil for the first 30 minutes.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition