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Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

Creamy spinach and cheese stuffed jumbo shells topped with a savory beef-marinara and melted mozzarella.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 27 servings

Ingredients

  • 27-29 jumbo pasta shells
  • 10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
  • 2 cup small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 3 cup shredded mozzarella divided (1 1/2 cups for filling, 1 1/2 cups for topping)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 3-4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1 lb ground sirloin
  • 1 onion small, diced
  • 28 oz marinara sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

Instructions

  • Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze out all excess liquid until very dry; set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl combine the drained spinach, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, cottage cheese, beaten egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and cracked pepper; stir until well combined and set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the jumbo pasta shells until just under al dente (about 1 minute less than package directions). Drain, rinse with cool water to stop cooking, toss very lightly with olive oil, and spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Sauté the diced onion until translucent, about 3–4 minutes.
  • Add the ground sirloin to the skillet, break it up, and cook until no longer pink, about 7–10 minutes. Drain any excess grease and let the meat cool slightly.
  • Stir half of the cooked meat into the spinach-cheese mixture until combined; reserve the other half of the meat for the marinara sauce.
  • Pour 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce into the bottom of a lightly sprayed 9×13-inch baking dish and spread evenly.
  • Mix the remaining cooked meat with the rest of the marinara to make a meat-topped sauce.
  • Stuff each cooled jumbo shell with about 2 1/2–3 tablespoons of the cheese-and-meat filling and place them open-side up in the prepared baking pan in a single layer.
  • Pour the remaining marinara-meat sauce evenly over the stuffed shells, then sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella. Cover the dish with foil.
  • Bake covered for 25–30 minutes until bubbly, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
  • Remove from the oven, sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, and let rest 5–10 minutes before serving.

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Large Skillet
  • 9x13 inch Baking Dish
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Baking Sheet
  • Parchment Paper
  • spatula or spoon

Notes

  • To freeze after baking, cool completely before transferring to an airtight, freezer‑safe container.
  • If freezing before baking, cover shells completely with marinara but do not add the shredded cheese on top.
  • When baking from frozen, bake at 350°F for about 50–60 minutes and add shredded cheese in the last 10 minutes.
  • Press excess liquid from the spinach to avoid a watery filling.