Meat Stuffed Shells Recipes

MEAT STUFFED JUMBO SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Cool in single layer on foil or wax paper.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown meat; drain.
• In large bowl, stir together meat, eggs, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese (if desired), onion, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons meat filling.
• Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
• Place filled shells in prepared baking dish; cover with remaining sauce.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain. , Spread about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , Fill shells with beef mix; place in pan. Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink.

THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
• Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

EASY BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture., Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and spaghetti sauce; pour over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer.

STUFFED PASTA SHELLS FOR MEAT-LOVERS

Steps:

• Brown ground beef and drain. Return to pan.Saute onions and garlic in pan with cooked meat for approximately 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Boil salted water to cook the pasta shells according to package al dente style. Strain and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix ricotta, parmasan, and 2/3 package of shredded mozzarella. Add italian seasoning, garlic pepper, eggs and milk and mix thoroughly. Mix in meat and spinach.
• In a large baking dish, pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan lightly. Fill each shell with large rounded tablespoons of meat and cheese mixture, and place in pan. Be sure to closely place the shells together so they don't get hard while baking.
• *If there are too many shells for one pan, make a secong and store tightly covered in freezer until later use.
• Pour remaining sauce evenly over all of the shells. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes. Take foil off pan, and bake additional 10 minutes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet; place drained pasta on baking sheet to cool.
• Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet. Cook and crumble sausage until it has lost its pink color and begins to brown. Remove from heat; drain off grease.
• Stir half of the shredded cheese and the Italian seasoning into the browned sausage. Spoon mixture into the pasta shells (1 to 2 tablespoons per shell). Arrange stuffed shells in prepared baking dish. Pour marinara sauce evenly over the shells. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake until browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of Italian seasoning, if desired.

SIMPLE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add beef. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked. Stir in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook uncovered about 20 minutes until liquid is reduced.
• Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta shells as directed on box, using minimum cook time. Rinse with cold water to cool; drain.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, the egg and 2 tablespoons basil.
• Spoon about 2 cups meat sauce into baking dish. Using small spoon, carefully fill each pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture (do not overfill). Invert shells and place on sauce in baking dish. Spoon remaining meat sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Bake uncovered about 30 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. Garnish with additional basil.