Description
Hearty and comforting beef stuffed shells packed with savory ground beef and mozzarella cheese, baked in a homemade marinara sauce. This cheesy beefy baked casserole is a family-friendly dinner that’s delicious and satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 box (12 oz) jumbo shell pasta
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 block (16 oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook jumbo shells in boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef and diced onion over medium-high heat until beef is browned and onions are softened.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Drain excess grease.
- Add Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the beef mixture. Stir well.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook for 5-8 minutes, allowing flavors to blend. Reduce heat if splattering.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in the prepared casserole dish.
- Fill each cooked shell with the beef mixture and about 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Arrange filled shells in a single layer over the sauce in the casserole dish.
- Pour remaining meat mixture and sauce over the shells.
- Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve warm, optionally garnished with parmesan cheese and/or chopped parsley.
Notes
- For the onion, use yellow or sweet onion for milder flavor, or white onion for a zestier taste.
- Fresh garlic is recommended, but jarred chopped garlic or garlic paste can be substituted.
- Shredding mozzarella cheese from a block provides the best creamy melt compared to pre-shredded cheese.
- You can substitute ground turkey, chicken, pork, or Italian sausage for the ground beef, or use a mix.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 719 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 1477 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 60 g
- Cholesterol: 153 mg
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