Stuffed Shells with Sausage

5 from 12 votes

These cheesy Stuffed Shells with Sausage are made easy with a few shortcuts. The rich sausage filling is packed into jumbo pasta shells, smothered in sauce, and topped with plenty of melted cheese.

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Sausage Stuffed Shells, Stuffed Shells with Sausage

Servings: adult servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $19.63

Equipment

9 x 13-inch ceramic baking pan or glass, 9 x 13-inch
Large pan

Ingredients

Cooking spray
24 jumbo pasta shells uncooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce I love Rao’s or Classico’s Tomato Basil
1 (7.5-ounce) container chive and green onion cream cheese soft, spreadable
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
Fresh parsley optional
Fresh basil optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Spray a 9x13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup (245g) marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Salt the water once it’s boiling (I add 1 teaspoon fine sea salt to every 4 cups water). Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package directions for al dente, boiling 1 minute less than the package says. I recommend boiling a few extra in case some break. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add onion and stir 3–5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Move veggies to the side of the pan and add ground beef, Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Stir and break up the meat. Cook until browned, then remove from heat (drain any grease if needed) and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix cream cheese spread, 1 and 1/2 cups of the Italian cheese, Parmesan, and egg. Mix until combined. Add cooked beef/sausage mixture and stir to combine. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into each shell (see note 1).
Place stuffed shells on the sauce in prepared pan, then pour remaining sauce over top, covering the shells completely. Bake 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Italian cheese and cook 10 more minutes.
Remove and top with fresh parsley and basil if desired.

Notes

Note 1: To stuff shells easily, add the cheese and sausage mixture to a gallon-sized resealable plastic bag. Press the cheese mixture to one side of the bag and, using scissors, cut off a 1-inch opening in the corner. Squeeze the cheese mixture into each shell and gently press the mixture down to fill the shells.

Storage: Instead of freezing the baked dish, freeze the shells without sauce, right before baking. Fill all boiled shells with the cheese and sausage mixture and place on a large sheet pan. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and foil; allow to freeze completely. Once frozen, transfer to large freezer bags. Remove air and return to freezer. You can freeze stuffed shells for up to 3 months.

Make ahead: These stuffed shells with sausage can be made up to a day in advance and baked when you're ready. Bake for 30 minutes, covered with foil, then uncover the shells and finish baking according to the recipe directions.

Nutrition