Shells Recipe ⋇ Cheeseburger Stuffed Shells

This recipe was given to me by my sister-in-law and it became an instant hit in my family and with friends. It's a slight twist on the classic stuffed shells recipe, using canned tomatoes and Cheddar cheese sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) box jumbo pasta shells
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (32 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (16 ounce) jar double Cheddar pasta sauce (such as Ragu®)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic; cook and stir until browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Combine ground beef mixture, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stuff each pasta shell with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture.
5. Mix pasta sauce with water together in a bowl.
6. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of a large baking pan. Top with 1/2 of the tomatoes. Arrange stuffed shells on top. Pour remaining sauce and tomatoes over the shells. Cover with aluminum foil.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 40 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle 2 tablespoons Cheddar cheese on top. Continue baking until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

• calories429
• carbohydrateContent37.5 g
• cholesterolContent90.6 mg
• fatContent18.1 g
• fiberContent2.7 g
• proteinContent28.2 g
• saturatedFatContent9.4 g
• sodiumContent708.1 mg
• sugarContent5.3 g