The next time you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner, make this one-pot creamy beef and shells.
Between the chewy pasta, flavorful ground beef, and creamy sauce, it’s one comforting dish.
And since it's so mild, it's perfect for picky eaters, too!
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Creamy Beef and Shells
Creamy beef and shells is an easy pasta dish that calls for simple, affordable ingredients.
It’s a hearty blend of ground beef, pasta shells, cheddar cheese, heavy cream, and tomato sauce.
Made in one large skillet, it's ready before you know it!
It sort of reminds me of Hamburger Helper. Except even better because you make it from scratch.
Ready to get cooking? Great! Let's take a quick look at what you'll need.
Ingredients
What I love about this ground beef pasta recipe is that it’s budget-friendly. It calls for mostly pantry staples and just a few fresh ingredients.
So head to the kitchen and grab the following:
- Pasta Shells – This shape is the best for trapping all that meaty, cheesy, creamy goodness.
- Olive Oil – For sautéing.
- Ground Beef – Rich and meaty, it's the star of this dish. For less fat, use lean ground beef.
- Onion and Garlic – Yellow onions are the most versatile, but sweet onions add a complementary flavor. Be sure to use fresh garlic.
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper enhance all the savory flavors.
- Flour and Beef Broth – This is the base of the sauce. Flour thickens the tasty broth so it coats the pasta just right.
- Heavy Cream and Canned Tomato Sauce – Together, they create a creamy yet slightly tangy sauce I know you'll love.
- Cheddar Cheese – Use freshly grated cheddar cheese, so it melts into gooey goodness. Sharp, medium, or mild – take your pick.
- Fresh Parsley – The final touch! Parsley adds freshness to this rich dish and a nice pop of color.
How to Make Creamy Beef and Shells
Forget the fuss! Keep dinner quick and easy with this kid-approved pasta recipe.
Here are the steps:
1. Brown the beef for about 5-7 minutes in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Drain the excess fat.
2. Add the aromatics, seasonings, and flour. Cook until the onions are tender, then sprinkle the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the broth and pasta. Slowly stir in the beef broth and tomato sauce, stirring constantly. Then, bring the liquid to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the pasta is tender.
4. Add the cream and cheese. When the pasta is cooked, stir in the heavy cream. Then, add the cheese in small handfuls, mixing until it melts. Or, sprinkle it on top, cover, and leave for 2-3 minutes to melt.
5. Serve and enjoy! Add parsley for garnish, and dig in!
Recipe Tips and Variations
Want the best creamy beef and shells? Just follow these tips and variations:
- Make it extra creamy. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese. It’s rich, cheesy, and even more delish.
- Try other pasta shapes. Out of pasta shells? I say, use what you’ve got, such as penne, rigatoni, or bowtie.
- Grate block cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains starches preventing it from melting readily. So I recommend shredding the cheese yourself.
- Use ground Italian sausage. For a richer flavor, try ground Italian sausage instead of beef – or a mix of the two.
- Substitute milk. If you don't have heavy cream, use milk instead. To make up for the thinner consistency, add an extra 1/2 tablespoon of flour.
- Add a little spice. A pinch of red pepper chili flakes will complement the dish well. Plus, it adds just the right amount of spice. For more heat, add a dash or two of hot sauce.
- Make it a meal. Serve this cozy dish with fresh garlic bread, a side salad, or both!
How to Store Leftovers
I love leftover creamy beef and shells! It’s great for a quick meal, especially on chilly nights.
Just follow these tips for storing and reheating:
To Store: Store cold leftover pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: Transfer the cold leftovers to a freezer-friendly airtight container. Divide into single servings, if desired. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw frozen pasta in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pot on low heat until warm. Add 1-2 tablespoons of broth or cream if needed.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes
Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
Easy Ground Beef Taco Salad
Porcupine Meatballs
Creamy Beef and Shells
The next time you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner, make this one-pot creamy beef and shells. It's heart, budget-friendly, and super comforting.
4
servings10
minutes30
minutes525
kcalIngredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
8 ounces medium pasta shells, uncooked
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat (optional).
- Add the diced onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Then, stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, mustard powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the beef mixture, stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Gradually add the beef broth, followed by the tomato sauce, stirring continuously. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Add the pasta, stir well, then add the lid and reduce the heat to medium. Let simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking.
- When the pasta is cooked, add the heavy cream and stir. Top the dish with the cheese, cover with a lid, and leave to melt for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir the cheese into the dish and serve with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make it extra creamy. Add 1-2 tablespoons of cream cheese. It’s rich, cheesy, and even more delish.
- Use ground Italian sausage. For a richer flavor, try ground Italian sausage instead of beef – or a mix of the two.
52 Comments
Would love to try this but I can’t print it
Delicious made it for my boyfriend and me. He had seconds
Followed recipe to the T
Looks delicious. I really enjoy your recipes.
Love your one pot recipes
I love this recipe it was so good. Directions easy. This is a good site to go to to .ake wonderful delicious meals.
I don’t do beef, so I used ground turkey for this recipe. I substituted the beef broth with chicken broth. It turned out great.
I love scrolling through your recipes. Thank you for sharing!
This was tasty and my husband and son liked it, but mine was VERY soupy also! We had to eat it in bowls. I followed the recipe to the “T”, including adding the cream cheese. Since my family liked it, I won’t junk it, but I will definitely cook the pasta separately and add it instead of cooking it with the rest. Also I will cut down on the amount of pasta, about 1/4-1/3 a 1 lb box instead of 1/2. Probably use only 8 oz tomato sauce too. This recipe cries out for biscuits or cornbread alongside. I have a delicious cornbread recipe that will be perfect with it!
I enjoy reading the recipes but absolutely HATE that they are not named and instead numbers are used. Why don’t you publish the name of the recipe instead of a number?
My family and I absolutely love this recipe! It is now one of our favorites, and I make it often! It’s easy to make, so tasty and creamy! And I usually have all the ingredients in my pantry! Thanks so much for providing such a simple and delicious recipe!
can i prepare this in a crockpot
Very good
I look forward to these recipes. They are usually so simple with pantry staple ingredients. I share them with my daughter who loves to cook.
Very tasty! My sort of picky granddaughter, unprovoked, said ‘grandma this is really good’! Now that’s a compliment. I only changed a few things; did not use onions (family preference, not mine), used dried garlic, used home canned Italian seasoned tomato sauce and I used wide noodles instead of shells. I made it a couple of hours ahead of time and added the cream and cheese just before serving. Taste was terrific but the noodles got too soft. Had I used shells or elbow pasta I don’t think it would have been so soft. Everyone liked it anyway, but I won’t use wide noodles again, and I will make it again!
I love all these recipes
I make a lot of them
This recipe is good and easy
My family loved it
Thank you
it was amazing. I did add garlic and it was perfect.
I made this tonight with a few substitutions based on what I had on hand – followed the milk substitution, used elbow pasta, white cheddar and smoked paprika. It was creamy and great, and the family loved it! Next time I’ll be sure to use regular paprika though.
Thanks for sharing!
I made this for supper tonight with green beans and a garden salad with yeast rolls. Oh my this beefy pasta is heavenly delicious. It will be a regular around here. Thank you for the great recipe!
I love this one, too, Geri.
Soooooo good. Reminds me of boxed meals my mom used to make but even better because it’s made with fresh ingredients. <3
Disappointing. Mine was very soupy, like chili, even though I increased the amount of flour. It’s also bland. If I make it again, I’ll decrease the liquid a bit and double the amount of herbs.
I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t work for you, Joan!
You might want to consider adding cream cheese (mentioned in the “tips and variations” section). I ALWAYS add cream cheese when I make it, and I’ve never had a problem with it being soupy. And I add extra herbs to everything I cook, so I totally feel you on that one. 🙂
Could I use ground turkey, and still use beef broth? Thank you,
Hi, Tammy.
So, traditionally, you pair ground turkey with chicken or vegetable broth. They’re more complementary to its flavor than beef broth.
However! That being said, I’m not a HUGE FAN of ground turkey because I don’t think it has ENOUGH flavor. So, using beef broth might actually offset that lack of flavor and make it taste better. So yes, I think it would be fine.