Cheesy Beef and Shells
An easy, cheesy skillet dinner with seasoned ground beef and pasta shells in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 872kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef I like ground sirloin
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt I use Diamond Crystal
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes just a pinch, more or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 (15-oz.) can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, room temp
- 2 cups grated extra sharp/sharp cheddar cheese
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a generous few pinches of salt and cook pasta shells according to package instructions, about 11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and brown, stir and crumble about 4 or 5 minutes. Add onion to the beef and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, dry mustard, crushed red pepper, salt and Worcestershire and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle with flour, stir to incorporate and cook off the flour taste, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the beef broth and crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until slightly reduced and starting to thicken, about 7 or 8 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta shells to the skillet, stir in heavy cream and sour cream and heat through, about 2 minutes. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Add the grated cheese and stir to combine and melt, about 2 more minutes.
- Serve immediately, or let rest 5 minutes or so off heat to thicken more. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Depending on appetites, this skillet dinner will serve 4 to 6 people.
- I highly recommend Better Than Bouillon to make the beef stock called for in this recipe, comes in a jar, just follow the directions.
- Can use regular crushed tomatoes or sauce, instead of fire roasted.
- Grating the cheese yourself is best, it will melt better. You'll grate about ¾ of an 8-ounce block of cheddar cheese to yield about 2 cups.
- The cheesy beef and shells will thicken upon sitting for several minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 872kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 863mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1079IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 490mg | Iron: 4mg