Description
This Creamy Beef and Shells recipe is a quick and comforting weeknight pasta dish featuring ground beef, cheddar cheese, pasta shells, and a luscious cream sauce. Perfect for family dinners or meal prep, it’s a hearty, cheesy meal everyone will love. Great alternative to Hamburger Helper or creamy skillet pasta ideas.
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
8 ounces pasta shells
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned. Drain excess grease.
3. Add diced onion and cook until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Stir in tomato paste until beef is well coated.
5. Pour in beef broth, bring to simmer, then stir in heavy cream and let cook a few minutes to thicken.
6. Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add cooked pasta shells, stirring to coat them evenly in the sauce. Serve warm.
Notes
Creamy beef and shells tastes even better the next day as leftovers.
Use freshly grated cheddar for the smoothest melting texture.
You can swap heavy cream for half-and-half, but it won’t be as rich.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 540mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 115mg