Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef and Mushrooms

Stuffed Shells give me comfort. What’s not to love about pasta filled with ricotta cheese, ground beef and mushrooms and then covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese? Is your mouth watering yet? My family loves these stuffed shells for dinner. You can either make them and eat right away, or I often make them the day before and bake when I get home from work for a no fuss weeknight meal. We like it served with Italian bread or garlic knots, along with a vegetable like roasted broccoli or sautéed kale. TIP for getting shells not to stick together: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the water while boiling the shells. This prevents the shells from sticking to each other while cooking and after you drain them.

Save Money on Ground Beef

I came up with these stuffed shells in an attempt to use less ground beef for both cost and wanting to generally eat less meat. Cost – Ground beef is expensive. By using only half a pound of ground beef we’re making that ground beef stretch longer for multiple meals. Use the other half to make potato ground beef casserole! Mushrooms rule – seriously, they’re stacked with nutrition and they make an amazing meat replacement. When you finely mince them up, they blend right into the ground beef. My husband (a meat and potatoes Ohio boy) was shocked by how good these stuffed shells were with my tricky ways. Even though we’re using a whole pack of mushrooms, they don’t taste super mushroomy (new word I invented). Even people who don’t love mushrooms can’t taste it. This is a recipe for everybody!

Ingredients:

What are the best types of mushrooms for this recipe?

I recommend white button or crimini mushrooms for stuffed shells.  They both have a simple flavor that won’t overpower the other ingredients.

How to Make Stuffed Shells

Cook shells in a large pot of salted water. Drain and set aside. Note: We are cooking the shells a little less time than the box says because we are going to bake them. This prevents them from going too soft once baked. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add mushrooms with ground beef and keep cooking until mushrooms are soft. The mushrooms will release liquid while cooking, so drain off any extra liquid or fat. Add ricotta, eggs, minced garlic and oregano into the skillet and mix to fully combine. Grab a 9×13 baking dish and add 1 cup of marinara sauce to coat the bottom. Using a spoon, add about 2 teaspoons of the beef/mushroom/ricotta mixture into each shell.
Fill shells until all the mixture is gone. This will make about 35-40 shells, close to a full box. Pour remaining marinara sauce on top of the shells. Now sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Bake until cheese melts and lightly browns. Serve and enjoy these delicious stuffed shells!

How to Store Leftovers and Reheat

Leftover stuffed shells will last 3-4 days in an airtight container stored in the refrigerator. When ready to reheat you can bake covered with aluminum foil at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until heated, or throw in the microwave until warmed up.

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