Stuffed Shells with Meat (2024)

Stuffed Shells with Meat – easy casserole dinner made with jumbo pasta shells, seasoned ground beef and sauce, spinach, and cheeses. It’s warm, filling, cheesy and very comforting. Plus it’s also a wonderful make-ahead dinner that the whole family would love!

I couldn’t stress enough how our family loves ANYTHING pasta! But this stuffed pasta shells recipe is just on another level. Extra tasty and comforting!

Everything in this dish is a people-pleaser! I love how I get to taste the pasta and when you dig deeper, you also get to enjoy the melting double cheeses, spaghetti sauce, some spinach and finally the seasoned ground meat. Uggh! Writing this just makes me hungry!

What are Stuffed Shells?

Stuffed shell pasta is an Italian-inspired dish that mainly features a variety of pasta called Conchiglie (pronounced as con-KEEL-yay) or popularly known as shells or seashells. The smaller shape of this kind of pasta is called conchigliette while the jumbo ones are conchiglioni.

They are commonly used in pasta salads and those with heavy meat sauces. And they’re quite versatile too with the fillings.

Ingredients for Stuffed Shells with Meat

Although it isn’t the usual dump and bake kind of dinner – something we all could consider easy – it’s still right there on the easy weeknight dinner category. I can promise though that browning the meat is worth the few extra minutes! And if you can brown the meat, then surely you can assemble them.

Here’s what you need for this stuffed shells recipe. For a complete and detailed recipe, please refer to the recipe box below.

• jumbo pasta shells
• lean ground beef (may replace with ground turkey, pork or chicken)
• onions and garlic
• Italian seasoning (see my HOMEMADE Italian Seasoning)
• dried thyme
• tomato paste
• spaghetti sauce
• fresh basil leaves
• fresh spinach
• mozzarella and parmesan
• fresh parsley

Other Common Stuffed Shells Ideas

Beef and ricotta are somehow considered to be the classic stuffed shells filling. However, you can pretty much play around with it, depending on who are you serving this to. To give you a little bit of inspiration, here are other fillings that you can try.

• Turkey stuffed shells (replace ground beef with ground turkey and add mushrooms if you like)
• Pizza stuffed shells (use mini pepperoni, sausage, olives, peppers, and mushrooms instead)
• Vegetable stuffed shells (with roasted vegetables like bell pepper, zucchini, pepper, and spinach)
• Tuna stuffed shells (tuna, celery, mayo, shredded carrots, and peppers; great for summer picnics and luncheon)

How to Make Stuffed Shells with Meat Ahead of Time?

Aside from its versatility, what I also love about this Beef Stuffed Shells recipe is that it can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve. What I usually do is assemble them ahead in a casserole and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then come dinner time, I just pop it in the oven and bake as directed. Easy peasy dinner for busy weeknights! 😉

Can You Freeze Stuffed Shells?

Alternatively, you can also freeze them for a far more advanced make-ahead dish. And who doesn’t love freezer-friendly meals? If you’re a busy mom like me, I’m sure you will love this just as much as I do.

To freeze these stuffed shells, assemble and place them in a casserole dish and cover with a plastic wrap – pressing the wrap against the shells to remove as much air as possible. And after that, cover it again with an aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

How to Cook Frozen Stuffed Shells?

When ready to bake, you may thaw it first in the fridge overnight or bake the frozen stuffed shells casserole (remove the plastic wrap and keep the foil) at 350°F for 40 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the cheese on top.

What Goes with Stuffed Shells?

Just like all casseroles, this dish is already a meal on its own. But I’d like to say that you can always, (and always) serve it with another carb (heck yes!) like this Homemade Garlic Bread, Garlic Knots Bread or these Easy Dinner Rolls. To make you feel a little less guilty, you may swap those carbs with Caesar Salad or Wedge Salad.

More Cheesy Pasta Recipes

Can’t get enough of cheesy pasta nights? I’ve got loads of them for you to choose from- perfect for weeknight dinner or when entertaining!

• Baked Ziti
• Easy Lasagna
• Ground Beef Casserole
• Chicken Spaghetti
• Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
• Chili Mac and Cheese

How To Make Stuffed Shells with Meat

Preheat oven to 400℉. Cook pasta shells according to instructions on the package. While the shells are cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and saute until evenly browned about 2-3 minutes. Add in the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, thyme, tomato paste, ½ cup of spaghetti sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.

Saute for 2-3 minutes more, then add basil leaves, spinach and cook until wilted.

When the shells and the meat sauce are done, place shells face up into a large casserole dish, place 1 ½ tablespoon of meat into the opening of each shell. Then spoon spaghetti sauce on top. Sprinkle a combination of mozzarella and parmesan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until cheese melts and starts to slightly brown. Garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve warm.