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Cheesy Ground Beef Stuffed Shells with Cream Sauce

Close-up of baked Cheesy Ground Beef Stuffed Shells with cream sauce and melted mozzarella topping.
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This recipe guides you through making jumbo pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef and cheese, baked in a rich, homemade cream sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (12 ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk, warmed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Pinch of white pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  2. Cook the jumbo shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain them well and set them aside to cool slightly.
  3. While the pasta cooks, prepare the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until the beef is browned and the onion is soft. Drain off any excess grease.
  4. Stir the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper into the beef mixture. Remove from heat.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine the cooked beef mixture, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Mix until everything is well combined.
  6. Prepare the cream sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly to form a roux.
  7. Gradually whisk in the warm milk until the sauce is smooth. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  8. Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the nutmeg, white pepper, and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
  9. Spread about 1 cup of the cream sauce evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
  10. Carefully stuff each cooked shell with the ground beef and cheese mixture. Arrange the filled shells in a single layer in the baking dish over the sauce.
  11. Pour the remaining cream sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.
  12. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top.
  13. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese topping is melted and lightly golden brown. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For a richer sauce, substitute half-and-half for some of the milk.
  • You can substitute ground turkey or ground sausage for the ground beef if desired.
  • If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a splash more milk while heating it on the stove.

Nutrition

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