Easy Stuffed Shells (+Video)
These Stuffed Shells are a classic family-favorite meal! A creamy filling topped with a homemade meat sauce and lots of gooey cheese!
AN EASY BAKED STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE
I have been making this recipe for stuffed shells for over 25 years. It is my go-to meal that I know everyone will love. It’s easy to make. The only time-consuming part is stuffing the individual shells. But I promise it’s worth it!
TIPS FOR MAKING STUFFED SHELLS:
- You can use cottage cheese or ricotta cheese. I like the creaminess of cottage cheese but I know a lot of people are averse to it.
- Instead of making the sauce with tomato paste, hot water, oregano and beef bouillon – you can substitute with a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.
- Serve with a delicious Italian Salad and some Warm Garlic Bread!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- jumbo pasta shells – a few are bound to tear when you stuff them – it’s ok
- ground beef – or ground Italian sausage works great with this
- onion – if you don’t like onion just leave it out, this also goes delicious with green peppers if you want to add those in
- garlic – you can use fresh or the jarred stuff but I love to use fresh where I can
- tomato paste – instead of tomato paste (along with the hot water and bouillon cubes), you can use a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- hot water
- bouillon cubes
- dried oregano – fresh oregano can be used – about a Tablespoon or so
- small curd cottage cheese – ricotta or mascarpone cheese can be substituted, what I love about cottage cheese is it isn’t as dry as ricotta and keeps this super creamy
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- large egg – the egg is a binder, it helps hold the filling together as it cooks
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED SHELLS:
Prepare jumbo shells per package directions. Drain thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Cook beef, onion and garlic in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is brown and crumbled. Drain excess grease.
Stir in water, tomato paste, beef bouillon cubes and oregano. Stir and allow to simmer while preparing the shells.
In a medium bowl, stir together cottage cheese, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese and egg.
Now begin stuffing the cooked shells. About a tablespoon of the cheese mixture will fit into each one.
You should be able to fit about 24 into your 9×13 baking dish. You may have to put some in there horizontally.
Pour sauce mixture on top of shells.
Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle remaining cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve with garlic bread and your favorite salad!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: October 2011
Updated & republished: September 2020
Easy Stuffed Shells (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 package of jumbo pasta shells
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounce can tomato paste
- 2 cups hot water
- 3 beef bouillon cubes
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 16 ounce container small curd cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese divided use
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- dried parsley, optional
Instructions
- Prepare jumbo shells per package directions. Drain thoroughly.
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Cook beef, onion and garlic in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook until beef is brown and crumbled. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in water, tomato paste, beef bouillon cubes and oregano.
- Stir and allow to simmer while preparing the shells.
- In a medium bowl, stir together cottage or ricotta cheese, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese and egg.
- Begin stuffing cooked shells. About a tablespoon of the cheese mixture will fit into each one.
- Place shells into a 9×13-inch baking dish You should be able to fit about 24 into the dish.
- Pour sauce mixture on top of shells. Cover with aluminum foil
- Bake for about 40-45.
- Uncover and sprinkle remaining cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Sprinkle with dried parsley.
- Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Instead of tomato paste and hot water, you can use your favorite spaghetti sauce and skip the use of the beef bouillon.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Hi Jan, just click on one of the blue buttons above that says "Save Recipe" and it will add it to your Ziplist recipe box. 🙂
Does anyone know how many people this will serve? My husband is in the fire department here in our town, and I am scheduled to cook dinner for them this Wednesday. I would like to make this, I'm just wondering if I need to double or triple this recipe. Thank you for any input!
I would say this serves 4 adults (assuming they eat 3 shells a piece). Hope that helps!
I thought the cottage cheese was a strange ingredient too but OMG, I was SO wrong. Like the other reader said – this is the ONLY way I will make it now!! Your recipes are awesome…love this site. Thanks!
So sweet! Thank you so very much!
You know, I have made many – many stuffed shell recipes, and this is the first with cottage cheese. I know Italians will tell you only Ricotta but let me tell you – the cottage cheese adds moisture and is better than any ricotta recipe I have tried. This is the ONLY way I will make it now! I've gone all out before with recipes taking an hour to prepare. This one, took only 15 minutes of prep time, and is THE single best recipe for stuffed shells I've made. Thank you for sharing!!!
I am making this tonight for company, don't know if I will need to double it. I will also make the Lazy cookie bars for dessert with ice cream. I made the Ambrosia with my grandaughter (9) last night she is starting to want to help cook in the kitchen. I go to this site all the time the recipes– have simple ingredients that you can have on hand. Thanks for all the recipes!
Hi Kim! Thank you so very much. That really means so much to hear! Love hearing about kids in the kitchen!! This recipe comfortably serves 4 adults (assuming they eat 3 shells a piece). Hope that helps!
I make this a lot but i add Spanish rice to the meat. It's yummy!
Made this tonight- we LOVED it!
Made it all up and stuck it in the fridge while we went to the gym. Threw it in the oven while I showered after getting back- worked out perfectly! Thanks for a DELICIOUS recipe!
I love your blog! I am visual so your picture of ingredients are sweet! Thank you for taking the time to do that to help people like me!
Mmm I love stuffed shells like this. You should try taco stuffed shells. You just make taco meat and put cream cheese in it and top it with salsa and shredded cheese, if you like that kind of stuff. It is great!<3
Stephanie – that sounds great! So happy to have you here!
This looks great! I'm new to your blog from Pinterest (Oreo Poke Cake – am baking the yellow cake mix/chocolate pudding version right now and will put some Heath bits on top with maybe some Vanilla flavored Cool Whip just 'cuz). 🙂 Anyway, I think I'm going to make this up today, put it in a pan in the fridge and bake it tomorrow night or freeze it for later this week! YUM!
I love these! The more cheese, the better 🙂
http://wishesanddishes.blogspot.com/
This was SO good! And the sauce was so simple. Everyone complimented me on dinner tonight – thank you!
I LOVE stuffed shells. My boyfriend is the same way – he doesn't like spaghetti or any types of pasta like that, but you incorporate tons of cheese and he is game!
haha, thanks for sharing!
Looks delicious! I'd love it if you'd link this recipe up at A Little Nosh!
We love stuffed shells, but I've never made them – ever! So I made this to your recipe and hubby went nuts for it! Thank you!!
Oh yea baby..I love this so much, and I do make mine almost the same..Loveeee it!!!
Oh, these are a family favorite! Thanks Brandie!
Mmmmmm look at all of that CHEESE! I love it! I have never made stuffed shells before. They look so good!
I made this to your recipe and we loved it! No changes needed! 🙂
I love stuffed shells. All the flavors of lasagna in a little single shell. All the cheese has to help cover up the pasta taste for your hubby!
This looks so good! It's been so long since I made stuffed shells, I'll have to whip some up!
Comfort food at its finest that's what this is! Pass the plate please!
Brandie, this looks fantastic, going to have to try this soon!!!
One of my favorites!! I loved stuffed shells…one of my comfort foods!