Go Back

Cheese Stuffed Shells

Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • 1 baking dish

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage
  • 3/4 pound ground beef
  • 18 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons Olivelle PizzaOlio infused olive oil
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes I like Cento brand for this recipe
  • 1 tablespoon Cavenders Greek Seasoning
  • 20 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 15 ounce container Ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups 5 cheese Italian shredded cheese Kraft brand
  • 6 slices provolone cheese Tillamook brand
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • In a large frying pan, cook and brown Italian sausage and ground beef. Remove from heat and drain off fat.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Fill large saucepan with water, about 3/4 full. Add salt. Bring water to a boil on the stove.
  • Add shells to boiling water, reduce to medium high heat and boil shells for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain water off of shells.
  • Place frying pan with sausage and ground beef back on stove, medium heat. Add PizzaOlio olive oil, stir. Add onions and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent (about 1 -2 minutes). Add crushed tomatoes and stir.
  • Add Cavenders Greek Seasoning and basil to sausage mixture. Stir. Cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg.
  • Place pasta shells in baking dish. Use a large spoon to put ricotta in shells.
  • Sprinkle Italian shredded cheese over shells. Top with slices of provolone cheese.
  • Top cheese with 3 cups of the sausage/ground beef mixture. Spread evenly over cheese.
  • Pour cream carefully over the sausage/ground beef mixture. Let the cream seep into the shells, using a spoon to smooth cream over the top.
  • Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Place baking dish on a baking sheet with sides (to catch any drips if casserole bubbles over in the oven), Bake for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 30 more minutes.