Recipe of the day: Stuffed shells with meat

Mhhm, now what can you make for dinner tonight that is meaty and crispy?

If you are looking for a dish that satisfies those cravings, let me introduce you to our irresistible recipe for crispy stuffed shells with a delectable meaty twist.

Picture golden-baked pasta shells generously filled with seasoned meat, topped with a tantalising crispy layer that adds that extra crunch.

If you try out this recipe, it is surely bound to become your new favourite.

How to make a stuffed shells with meat

Ingredients

• 1 box jumbo pasta shells
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 – 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the filling

• 1 – 425g container ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups shredded Italian cheese, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Spray a 23x33cm dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook pasta shells according to box directions. Drain water and place shells on a wire rack, so they do not stick together.
3. Cook the ground beef with the onion and peppers until done. Drain any grease.
4. Stir the garlic and marinara sauce into the meat mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup sauce in bottom of prepared dish.
5. Stir together the ricotta, parmesan, 2 cups shredded cheese, egg, basil, and salt and pepper.
6. Fill 24 cooked pasta shells with the cheese mixture. Place filled shells on top of the sauce in the dish.
7. Spoon the remaining meat sauce around the filled shells. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes, remove foil, and broil 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

NOW READ: Recipe of the day: Tomato rice

Stuffed shells with meat

If you are unsure about what to prepare for dinner tonight, you need not search any longer than our recipe for meat-filled stuffed shells.

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• Author: Jocelyn
• Prep Time: 25 Minutes
• Cook Time: 27 Minutes
• Total Time: 52 Minutes
• Yield: 24 Shells 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Instant pot
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 box jumbo pasta shells
• 1 pound ground beef
• ½ cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 – 680g jar marinara sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the filling

• 1 – 425g container ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups shredded Italian cheese, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Spray a 23x33cm dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook pasta shells according to box directions. Drain water and place shells on a wire rack, so they do not stick together.
3. Cook the ground beef with the onion and peppers until done. Drain any grease.
4. Stir the garlic and marinara sauce into the meat mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup sauce in bottom of prepared dish.
5. 5.Stir together the ricotta, parmesan, 2 cups shredded cheese, egg, basil, and salt and pepper.
6. 6.Fill 24 cooked pasta shells with the cheese mixture. Place filled shells on top of the sauce in the dish.
7. Spoon the remaining meat sauce around the filled shells. Top with the remaining shredded cheese and cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes, remove foil, and broil 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

Cook the shells to al dente. When you boil the shells, under cook them by 2 minutes because they will continue to cook later.

Change up the cheese. Feel free to use cottage cheese that has been drained in place of the ricotta and shredded mozzarella instead of Italian cheese.

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Use a different meat. To avoid using red meat, use an equal amount of ground turkey, ground chicken, or Italian sausage.

Add more veggies. Try adding spinach to the sauce. Let it wilt before spooning into the pan.

Freezer Friendly. This recipe serves 8 people, so divide the shells into 2 – 162cm pans. Bake one for dinner now and freeze one for later.

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Vegetarian Meal – Leave out the meat and increase the veggies in the sauce.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 517 Kcal
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 1063mg
• Fat: 33g
• Saturated Fat: 16g
• Unsaturated Fat: 13g
• Trans Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 17g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 37g
• Cholesterol: 143mg