Creamy Beef and Shells
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A quick/easy ground beef recipe, this is a pasta dish that will be on your dinner table all week long! So creamy and so comforting!
I cannot even begin to tell you how much of this pasta I ate on probably 13 different occasions.
Well, first, I should tell you that no plating of any kind was involved here.
Nope. This is clearly a straight-out-of-the-skillet type dinner. Just grab your fork and dig right in.
All that cream sauce. All that pasta, just collecting that creaminess. And the perfectly crumbled ground beef, again, soaking up every last drop of that creamy, heavenly goodness.
Ugh, I can’t even talk about this anymore because now I need to make this for dinner. Again. For the 14th time.
DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF?
Not at all! Ground pork or ground turkey can be used instead of ground beef.
IS THIS FREEZER-FRIENDLY?
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop.
WHAT IS TOMATO SAUCE? IS IT THE SAME AS PASSATA?
Tomato sauce, in the US, is tomato puree typically cooked down for a thick, smooth consistency with a relatively sweet flavor. Passata is simply uncooked tomato purée. You can use passata in place of tomato sauce, but it is not a completely equal substitute.
Creamy Beef and Shells
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, about 1 1/2 cups
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Set aside.
- Add onion to the skillet, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in beef stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in pasta, beef and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cheese until melted, about 2 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was so delicious! I made it as stated in the recipe only substituted half and half for the cream. This will become a regular dinner!
This has become a regular staple in our dinner rotation! It pleases everyone–which is a true feat with 3 kids! 🙂 It always surprises me with the depth of flavor for what looks like a simple meal. I always serve with a salad, and sometimes garlic bread! Thank you for this easy, tasty recipe!
I used venison instead of beef. Think next time I’d use more shells than just 8 oz. Sauce was runny…but more flour and shells would help that.
Would you consider adding a slide bar with the recipe increasing in incremental serving sizes, i.e. 10, 14, 20 people? Other websites have this feature and I find it very handy. Thanks!
So this sauce was excellent but a bit runny. I am thinking less beef broth…..thought?
So delicious, will make it many more times , thanks
Delicious
This is so delicious and I make it as a “one pot meal.” I brown the beef and onions together, then add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Then I add the beef stock (I used broth), tomato sauce, heavy cream, Italian seasoning (1 Tbsp), garlic powder, salt and pepper. I brought that to a boil then added the pasta and covered with a lid and stirred 2-3 times until the pasta was done (about 15 minutes). I removed the pan from the heat and stirred in the cheese until melted! I like to minimize the amount of dishes I have to do! 🙂
This recipe is s delicious!! I substitute ground beef for ground chicken and use chicken stock instead. My entire family loves it!!
Yummy! Kid approved. Definitely a good weeknight dinner.
This is in our regular dinner rotation! I love yummy, fast meals like this. Making it in my cast iron skillet just adds another depth of flavor. Yum!
I made creamy beef and shells tonight and it took about 30 minutes. I liked that it was creamy. This recipe is really good! Very creamy and very tasty. I will make again
I just made this. I substituted Tagliatelle for shells. It what I already had. I also substituted cream cheese for the heavy cream. It turned just fine no change in texture. Also added Cheddar as recipe indicates.
I will make it again !
My partner and I have MANY saved recipes from your website that are all a part of our regular rotation. We love this one for a simple comfort meal! We’ve had it with several different shapes of pasta and all of them were great. Usually use rotini.
The only adjustment I make is to mix in the shredded cheese into the sauce mixture before adding the pasta and beef back in to prevent lumping and over mixing the pasta.
I made this tonight (May 22, 2023) and it was quite tasty. I can’t have straight tomato sauce so the cream toned the tomato sauce to more like a rose sauce. I think I would add a bit more italian seasoning but other than that I would keep it as it is. As I made it just for my husband and myself we have leftovers for another supper.
Fantastic! Damn delicious is right! I did make just 3 minor but meaningful alterations. I used a full box of pasta to make it go farther, feeding 6 you know. I added a tsp. of worcestershire. I add it to just about every beef recipe, just gives it that extra something. And lastly added about 2 inches of a block of velveeta to make it extra creamy. I know I got a winner when the wife says “make sure you keep that recipe.” So, so good!
Forgot to add the stars to the original review, so here they are! 5 STARS!
This is one of my families favorite recipes!! Absolutely perfect! It’s creamy, rich, comfy, and satisfying!
This was a hit! I did use 16 oz. pasta so I added an extra can of stock and about 1/2-3/4 cup extra heavy cream. I also added extra shredded cheese at the end to thicken it up! It was delicious!
So Good! I will make this again.
Delicious! My picky-eating husband even said it was GOOD. Thank you!
I change it a tad bit but one of my favorite recipes.
Pretty solid recipe. Would definitely make it again.
It will work out fine. I’ve done it, half & half and all. Adjust broth/ boullion to the amount of jarred marinara so it’s not too much liquid ( 24 oz jar of marinara to about a cup of boullion).
This was delicious. Comfort food at its best! My family loved it.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. I followed the recipe as directed. Certainly will make it again.Dolores
Tomato sauce as in ketchup or do you mean pasta sauce / passata.
Tomato sauce is different from ketchup and pasta sauce. You’ll find it at the market next to canned tomatoes. It’s just tomato sauce
LOVED IT. Two things: I found at while it was pretty juicy upon first serving (almost too much), when I refrigerated the leftovers, they absorbed all the extra liquid…
Also, as I cooked it, I thought, this is like a regular bolognese sauce. So next time, being lazy, I will skip those middle steps and add the beef stock, cream (half and half), and cheese to my jarred marinara sauce before folding in the precooked ground beef and shells.
Will post here if it works!
Can you make this with 1 lb pasta & 1 lb ground beef and still keep the same liquid & cheese portions?
I would increase the liquids and spices to make sure it isn’t dry. The sauce is the good part!
This looks so amazing and I know my fam woukd love. But, we have lactose intolerance at our house.
Anyone make this lactose free and have it come out delish? If so, please share. Thanks!!
Often I sub full fat coconut milk for heavy cream or half and half in recipes.
I would sub d/free “cheese’ shreds or eliminate. Hope this is helpful
I have not made as yet this recipe, but will be soon. Sounds SOOOO good!! I am lactose intolerant and use dairy free or lactose free products for many of my recipes, and have never had a complaint yet. Milk, whipping cream, cheese, butter, homemade cream soups the choices are endless. Try plant based products these are great replacements also.
Yes, I make this completely vegan and use a scoop of plant based cream cheese along with some cheddar style shreds. It turns out fantastic and reminds me of the hamburger helper I used to eat as a kid. But better.
I have to say that every single recipe I’ve tried from your email has been a great success.
Thanks for sharing them all with me. My family and friends think I have become a chef.
Thanks again.
Has anyone tried this using the method from the One Pot Ziti recipe of adding the dry pasta into the sauce with extra water and making this as a 1 pot meal? Looks amazing and will be making soon!
What an amazing and delicious dish! Our family loves this, thank you for another amazing recipe!
Family loved it! Made it just as directed except used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar because that’s what I had! Yum will make again.
Can this be frozen for later?
I make this from time to time and my family loves it.
Remarkably delicious…for the beef stock I used leftover juice from our Italian beef a few nights before so I only used 1tsp. of Italian seasoning. I also added a tsp. of worcestershire sauce. I also subbed the cream for half and half because that’s what I had, and used monterrey jack cheese. It was delicious!
Did you sub the extra sharp for Monterey or did you add? Hubs and I love this recipe but feel like it’s flat like it’s missing some flavor.
I’ve made this before for myself and it was amazing! But my partner is allergic to tomatoes so I was wondering if anyone knew an easy work around?
If he likes roasted red peppers, make roasted red pepper sauce and use that instead. Or maybe use Alfredo sauce instead of the tomato paste and sauce.
YUM-MYYY. Made as directed (kinda) I substituted chicken broth , used an extra 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning, garlic & onion powder added. Mixed my pasta (I used what I had ) for 8oz or so. lol
Added flour to the ground beef to cook for a minute or two and then proceeded to follow directions .
Hubby and my daughter loved it. Went back for seconds. You can definitely change this up to your liking. Add corn , hot sauce, used ground Turkey, ground chicken, so many options.
Bottom line: it was “Damn Delicious “
Thank you!
Very tasty! I doubled the recipe but otherwise followed it and there’s no need to change a thing! I was afraid it’d be too saucy but love the generous sauce-to-pasta ratio. The flavors were extremely cheesy and beefy (it didn’t even seem like there was tomato sauce in the dish).
This was also very easy and quick to whip up, so I can see this being a weeknight dinner.
Can this be increased and put in a slow cooker
I like to make the recipe as written the first time I try it. This was so good an easy to make! We really enjoyed it just the way it is! Not sure that I would change a thing!! Thank you for sharing!!
This was sooo delicious.
Can you tell me what tomato sauce is? Is it the same as passata?
Tomato Passata is pureed, strained tomatoes usually sold in bottles. It’s 100% tomato, no additives or flavourings, but sometimes contains added salt. It’s uniform and smooth unlike crushed or chopped tomatoes, and makes gorgeously thick tomato-based sauces. It’s known as Tomato Puree in the US. So, not exactly the same as tomato sauce, which is thinner, but you could thin it out with more liquid, like extra broth, to about half as thick.
Could we just double the beef broth and heavy cream if I want to use 16 oz box of noodles?? Or just double beef broth…? Thanks!
Delicious!!
Very delicious
Excellent quick, easy recipe!! Can’t wait to try it Sunday for football dinner!!!
This recipe was really good. I always read reviews before I make the recipe to see what “complaints”are consistent. I added some Worcestershire sauce, peas, and parmesan. I did not have tomato sauce so I used stewed tomatoes instead. Overall I really enjoyed this recipe. Definitely a keeper.
This was fairly good and easy to make. Added cream cheese at the end. There wasn’t too much flavor and would be nice with more spices.
A family favorite, thank you! I now make it with ground Italian sausage instead of beef reduce the amount of Italian seasoning called for), and I don’t remove the meat when making roux; just mix the flour in with browned meat, onions and garlic and cook a couple minutes before adding liquids. SO YUMMY and EASY!
Just want you to know that I have been subscribed to your blog for YEARS and I turned this recipe vegetarian by swapping out the beef stock for veggie and the ground beef with Beyond Ground. It is my go-to crowd pleaser for all of my vegetarian friends and I just want to say a big fat THANK YOU! most of my saved recipes are from your blog 😀
Very easy and very good. Husband had seconds and thirds!
DELICIOUS! The depth of flavor. I used left over Vermont Cheddar cheese, some left over Colby and some cream cheese. I don’t think it matters the cheese as long as it’s freshly grated. It was super easy. But I would say in the recipe to save the drippings from the hamburger to sauté the onions etc. And then add the flour. That maybe what they meant but wasn’t clear.
Can you use regular milk instead of heavy cream?
You can make heavy cream just by adding unsalted melted butter to your milk 🙂
Love this recipe. I have made it with beef and Turkey but always sub chicken broth as we aren’t a fan of beef broth flavor. To keep it lower carb, we double the meat portion and cut back on pasta. Delicious.
Wow! This recipe is a keeper! I modified by adding red pepper flakes to spice it up and changed the shells for bucatini. It was a family hit and I will make it again and again! Thanks!
yo i made this so many times and man it just fills my belly real good, so tasty, fun and easy to make, u can sorta control the consistency if u freestyle a bit which is really cool, but yo. i love this pasta man
I was craving something creamy, beefy, and cheesy with pasta, and this recipe definitely satisfied my craving!! I had to make a few substitutions based on what I had on hand – I used chicken broth instead of beef stock and half n half instead of heavy cream. I also added a can of drained corn at the end. Delicious!!
This was overall pretty easy to put together and was just so yummy!!!
I’ve been making this for a few years, but I found a nice way to switch it up. I use taco seasoning instead of Italian for a delish taco pasta! Top with green onions, cheddar and tomato. So good!!!
I live with 4 picky children. They and us adults love this recipe. Perfect as is.
We did and a can of rotel once, that was great for the adults but loss the kids lol.
Substitute ground beef for ground chicken and also used chicken broth instead of beef and WOOOOOOW!!! This is mouth watering good and my husband asks for this dish once a week. Absolutely D E L I C I O U S!!
It’s a keeper! Took longer for me to prepare than posted; however, it was easy and even the picky eater liked it.
So easy and tasty. I highly recommend this dish. Hubby really enjoyed this dish and had two servings! I had to make a couple of adjustments for the items I had on hand. I used regular milk, sweet sausage and rotini noodles. The basic recipe rocks, well done.
This IS DAMN DELICIOUS. Last night making this only had French onion soup, no beef stock-Boo.. what a great mistake. 4qt pan, 5 c left over. Sooo delicious. Thank you!!
Yes this was damn delicious and so easy! I added a grated courgette for extra vege, and used a mixture of normal cream and sour cream because I didn’t have heavy cream, so yummy and creamy! The kids demolished their whole plate!
Delicious!! I didn’t have beef broth so I subbed chicken bone broth, and used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar which was what I had on hand. Read the comments about seasoning so added a little extra salt and Italian seasoning. This was so delicious!!
I’m not exactly sure how I happened upon this recipe. I remember thinking when I first read it, “Gee, that sounds like a homemade hamburger helper recipe!” I though I’d give it a whirl and am delighted I did because its DAMN DELICIOUS! I make it about once a month now. In fact, I’ll be making it this weekend. I don’t change a thing about it! It’s perfect as is served with fresh steamed broccoli alongside.
I absolutely love this dish and have made It so many times!
Can I freeze this dish?
Super impressed with this recipe. It is a heavier meal but we have 6 in our family, it sticks with you, fairly easy AND everyone loves it! I actually doubled the noodles and 1.5 the sauce part, felt like it was too dry since I doubled the noodles and once I doubled the sauce, that was too much, I had to tweak this for our sized family or I would have just stuck with the exact measurements. I also do not like dried Italian seasoning, it falls so flat on flavor, I used fresh basil and oregano, I do this for every recipe that calls for Italian seasoning, just remember basil goes bad fast so try to use it up that week. This is so good the next day as well, I am not a leftover girl but can reheat this easily, flavors are even better! Thanks for the recipe!
Was looking for some different dinner recipes and this pasta dish was delicious! Would definitely make it again!!
EVERYONE in the house loved this one! It was better the next day! Next time I will probably cook the noodles like 1-2 min less to absorb more sauce.
This is a good, basic recipe. I think it would be really good with taco seasonings in place of the Italian seasoning.
I have been craving some delicious pasta and ground beef meal, today I decided to look for a recipe, found yours and oh my!! So delicious, creamy, flavorful, my boyfriend and I wanted to lick the spoon! I will definitively save as one of my favorites, we already said we’re making it next time is cold here in Florida, and I guarantee you we will make it before that as well.
I used a plant-based meat in this and omitted the flour, but kept everything the same otherwise. It turned out great! Will definitely try with ground beef next time. Just wanted to let others know that it works with plant-based meat as well.
I’ve made this many times. Everyone loves it! It’s good with chicken stock too.
My kids devoured this! I doubled the recipe, thankfully and it was even better the next day.
Easy but this NEEDS salt and/or seasonings.
Will definitely make again!
I am wanting to make this for supper tonight it’s my first time making it I have all my ingredients but I only have heavy whipping cream can I use that?
Heavy cream is heavy whipping cream.
I tried the recipe last night after I could not think of anything to cook. The recipe was phenomenal. Such a quick dish to make and it was too good!
It was fantastic, the whole family loved it!
Hands down one of my favorite and go to dishes!! I really had my doubts at first.. this easy wonderful dish even got my picky eater to love it.
So much flavour and super easy to make.
With a houseful it’s hard to satisfy everyone but this was well received. I added spinach & mushrooms and topped with cheese & cilantro
Made recipe with a few changes and it was absolutely Delicious. My son who is a very picky eater loves this dish! I added or used the following
7 cloves of minced garlic
Used an excellent quality Pasta Sauce with simple ingredients, Italian tomatoes, onions, eevo, carrots, garlic, sea salt,basil, oregano, black pepper
I added 1/2 teaspoon sweet basil, oregano, marjoram, cilantro, thyme, a few crushed up rosemary leaves and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
I used organic beef bone broth.
I used organic half and half since it was all I had.
Used Parmesan cheese over each individual dish instead of added extra cheeses.
Your rating your own recipe.
This is not even close to the original recipe.
Start your own recipe blog…your recipe sounds terrible!
What is the point in being mean? Maybe this comment isn’t for you but I find these types of comments super helpful – sometimes we don’t have a few ingredients on hand. She spiced it up. Added her touch. Sounds great!
I guess your parents never told you if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it.. jeez
This is the best 1 pan meal I’ve made in a long time! Super easy prep, clean up and storage of left overs. I’m curious if anyone knows the caloric intake?
Hey Antonia, I just made this recipe today and added to My Fitness Pal as I count calories, I doubled the recipe and with my ingredients (great value cheese, tomatoe sauce, pasta, heavy cream, flour, beef broth), Kirkland olive oil, 88/12 ground beef, it came to about 680calories per serving. Which is A LOT, but I believe it was worth it as it was so delicious.
this meal is incredible and soooo easy. for a man who loves 1 pan cooking, minimal effort and few ingredients and little clean up this is the one. got brownie points on this one too from my wife. ultimate comfort food
I made this and loved it! I used homemade canned spaghetti sauce in place of tomato sauce, I also omitted the seasonings, except garlic. It is creamy, I will definitely make again. I also didn’t add noodles, I served it separately. In my opinion when noodles are added to the sauce, it tends to get dried out! I will definitely make again
Well, holy #%$&!
That was amazing. My kids loved it. My daughter who only wants boxed Mac n Cheese (I mean, who doesn’t?) loved it. She said it’s the best pasta she’s ever had.
I added a few drops of Louisiana Hot Sauce to my bowl. It was fantastic!
Hi I made this recipe many times. What other type of cheese can I use for this recipe to spice it up? Can I use medium sharp cheddar cheese?
please make your own cheese decisions….save yourself while you still can.
I love this recipe, thanks so much! I’ve made it twice now and I’m very happy with it. The only changes I made were yellow onion instead of sweet, spaghetti sauce (marinara or tomato/basil) instead of plain tomato sauce, and I added some basil and oregano. This recipe is on my regular rotation now.
My 13 year old’s favorite meal. I printed out the recipe and she makes it herself.
This has become one of our favorites. Super easy to make. Only switch I make is using light cream instead of heavy cream since I usually have light cream on hand for coffee. Made it tonight. On the stove now and I can’t wait for dinner.
Damn Delicious. Made the recipe without changing a thing. My husband loved it. It was tasty and with French bread, a real winner. This has been added to my rotation.
Tried this dish for the first time tonight and oh my gosh it’s so delicious!! I will be adding it to my recipe book for future dinners!
I made this with chickpea shells, almond milk instead of heavy cream and mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar. kept everything the same. It was a huge hit with my family. My kids ate it so fast…and wow the next day left overs were amazing
This was a big hit in our house tonight, especially with our toddler. Super easy to put together and very tasty. It was a heallthier twist on Hamburger Helper, thanks!
This recipe is so good! Bonus that it is easy to make too. My 11yr old enjoyed helping in the making of this dish. My hubby took 1 bite and gave me a thumbs up (he’s usually pretty hesitant to try new recipes I prepare haha) and said it is FIRE!!! Even my 1yr old loved it! I did substitute shells for penne pasta because I didn’t have enough shells. Other than that, I followed the recipe. Delicious! Thank you!
this is exactly what I needed! The creaminess mixed with the seasoning results in brilliant taste. I made this for me and my parents as I know they’re quite tired after work and they really enjoyed it :))) so much so that my dad ended up eating the leftovers not long after
We love this recipe! I’ve made it dozens of times now and it’s a meal that all the kids will actually eat. That’s a huge win in our house.
This turned out AWESOME! I did add spinach as a few people mentioned, but otherwise the recipe was easy to follow. Thank you for sharing. I’ll definitely be making this one again soon. 🙂
Very yummy. I’ve made it a few times. Quick week night dinner.
Very delicious. I will definitely make this again. Adding to my list of comfort foods. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve made this dish 3 times till know. I’M IN LOVE WITH THIS CREAMY PASTA.A 10/10 for me ♥️
Wow it was delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream so i did milk instead, and went with chicken stock because i didn’t have beef. Was absolutely DELICIOUS! My family loved it adult and kid friendly!
I have an IP in our camper. Do you happen to know how to convert this to an IP recipe?
Wanted to add that next time, I may add some spinach. Or swiss chard for some greens, as another rater mentioned. Also I browned the beef and onion and my added mushrooms all together…just my thing.
Umm. Yes. As I suspected. TREMENDOUS. I used tomato paste and added 2 parts beef broth to one part paste, mixed up. Added some flour from a shaker I use just to make sure it thickened up, which it did. Added mushrooms with the onions. Point is this is an incredibly versatile recipe…just keep an eye on it The sauce WILL thicken. I made 1/4 of this as I am single, but even seemed like enough for two. No matter. Quite incredible. Thank you!
Made this and its was so delicious! My husband who isnt a big pasta guy loved it.
Personally I thought it was better before I put the cream in! (Both excellent though). I’ll be making again tomorrow night without the cream and see which we prefer!
With or without the cream it was indulgent and tasty!
This is really good, but swapping out the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning is also damn delicious. It’s a great, easy weeknight meal. Super simple to make, but also super tasty. (re-commented because I forgot to give this any stars the first time. Sorry!)
Did you use teaspoon measurement of taco seasoning or whole packet with the beef?
This WAS damn delicious! I just made it for lunch and it’s so good! The only adjustment I made was add more Italian seasoning.
I’ll definitely be making it again.
You said it. Damn Delicious! My husband loves it.
My family loved this! I added 1/2 jar of marinara because I wanted a bit more color & flavor. Next time I will use marinara to substitute tomato sauce. Use freshly grated cheddar, never the pre shredded. It melts so dreamy in the cream. The sauce is thick & velvety. I ate way too much garlic bread because it’s so good dipped in the sauce!
One of our family favorites!
The whole family loved it!
So delicious! Probably going to make it again!!!!
So good
I plan to make this for dinner tonight… Anyone’s thoughts on using alfredo sauce instead of the heavy cream??? Might be yummy? LOL
That’s basically how Olive Garden makes their ziti!
Added a lot of different spices (Rosemary, basil, oregano, extra garlic and instead of cheddar cheese I used shredded Parmesan cheese). Huge hit!! Will be making again.
Can you make this in the crock pot?
This was pretty good. I’ll definitely make it again. But, depending on your palate, it may be a little too “robust” as-is. To tone down the flavor, you may want to use only 1 tsp of italian seasoning, and swap the extra sharp cheddar for a sharp cheddar instead.
Delicious! No cream on hand, so used 2% milk that I had. Even with that, it was a hit with my husband and myself!
I prepared as directed.I would give this 3 out of 5 stars. It seems pretty average to me. A little on the bland side, but I can see why it would appeal to families with children. I was surprised at the quantity. The recipe said 4 servings. There was WAY more than 4. I filled a 9×13 pan with it. Even though I let mine reduce, it seemed to have more liquid than it should. Not really an issue for me as I prepared it ahead the night before and will reheat on the day of serving. The pasta will absorb some of that.
I was disappointed because of all the rave reviews, I thought it would be better than it was.
Good base recipe. I followed it for the most part. Added the heavy cream to the beef stock and tomato sauce before the beef and noodles. Also used more cheese than necessary and doubled the amount of noodles. Didn’t double the amount for the sauce, came out great! Didn’t add as much Italian seasoning, but I also threw in some paprika, rosemary, tyme and literally a quick dash of ginger. It wasn’t overpowering adding the other seasonings. I couldn’t tell you how much of what because I didn’t use measurements, went by the smell.
I made this a little different didn’t have heavy cream used sour cream instead and mushroom pasta sauce very good
Delicious, creamy, love it. Followed recipe as shown.
Very tasty for a week night meal.
I had set out to make this today thinking it was a one pot meal. However, once I read the full instructions, realized it was not. But I did it anyway. Once I had all the other ingredients cooked and ready I added the broth and tomato sauce to them and just added about a can of water. You can pretty much eyeball it to see if you need to add extra water or broth during cooking by tasting the pasta and checking your desired sauce level. Mine was still quite saucy at the end so next time I may try without adding extra water to see if it helps. I think I would use less Italian seasoning and add garlic, onion powder. Maybe paprika. I also added crushed chili flakes. I found the Italian seasoning to be a bit overpowering. Also added some Parmesan along with the cheddar. I love these recipes so I can tweak it how I like!
Just love making this for my family. They love it n its so easy to make. Always a goto for dinner.
I substitute in plain Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream …on point ,
much better and I used 1/2 cup of Parmeason mix topping baked it at 350°F for 45min..yummy
How much greek yogurt did you use?
Do I add the flour to the Hamburg mixture
I added the flour to the hamburger, to prevent adding it to sauce. It can clump, if added to sauce as is, I would make a flour slurry, which is equal parts flour and water to thicken any sauce without lumps! I’ve learned this as a young adult. I hope my comment helps! I’ve also added it to melted butter to thicken gravys, to make them richer!!
I loved it I made it for dinner. Room mate is picky but have 2 servings. Thank you
This was a big hit with my family. It was so tasty and easy to make! It’s so hearty and I have been sharing the recipe with close family and friends! Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
I was surprised at how bland this turned out to be considering the type & amount of of ingredients. I may try this again but I will definitely be adding more spices to kick up the flavor.
Just made it! Me and my family love it
My kids and I enjoy this plate of this yummy foods
A meal always in my rotation. So delicious. Almost like a healthier hamburger helper. Definite crowd pleaser.
This is such a delicious and comforting meal. Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious! I like that I could easily add extra veggies into the mix if I wanted to and that most of the ingredients I almost always have on hand. I will certainly be making this again! Thank you!
A hit in our family! I’ve made it at least 6/7 times already. I cook 1 lb of pasta and cook at least 2 minutes less than al dente. I sub onion powder + garlic powder for onions bc of picky kids 😉 and use full 8 oz of shredded cheese. Damn delicious, indeed!!
Would love nutritional info so I don’t have to calculate it!
This is a free recipe, i think you can take 5 minutes to calculate the carbs/fats/calories, etc.
Ally sounds hangry.
Can you substitute sour cream for the heavy cream? I can find everything else in my cupboards and fridge most of the time, but I don’t buy heavy cream unless I am making mashed potatoes. (try potatoes cooked in cream in the slow cooker and for special occasions you will never go back to boiling in water). Anyway, back to my question – sour cream instead of heavy cream. What do you think?
I have made this with sour cream instead of heavy cream, and it makes an excellent substitution! I used about 3 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream (just attempting to match the color in the photos/video). The only qualifier would be that it does make for a thicker sauce, as you’re not really getting the liquid content that you would with cream, so if you like a thinner sauce I would add slightly more broth (maybe 1/4 – 1/2 cup) during the simmering stage to loosen up the end result. But the tangy flavor certainly compliments the tomato sauce and brightens up the dish.
It was an amazing dish, we didn’t have an onion for yours so I did a rou with 2 and 2 tablespoons of flour and olive oil. Also I used venison instead of ground beef.
You make a roux with olive oil? I’ve only ever made it with margarine. This does look like the kind of recipe that I would use; I’m incredibly frugal with 4 boys to feed (not including my husband).
You can use any fat to make a roux (bacon fat, sausage, olive oil, butter).
To answer your other question about sour cream, I think it might work. Another option would be to use evaporated milk since it’s shelf-stable, if you don’t want to use regular milk or half and half.
Easy to make . I’d use a little more than a pound of beef next time and I added a half teaspoon of paprika. It was delicious and my family loved it. Will absolutely put this in my recipe box!
The first time I made this (with GF pasta and corn starch instead of flour) my family saw it and complained- but then there were no leftovers! It’s a hit and a go-to for us when we need a quick, easy dinner. Once I accidentally used a can of diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce and it turns out we prefer it that wat. We also add a little more garlic and seasoning (and extra cheese, because why not) but overall this is one of our faves!
Just made this and it’s delicious! I followed the recipe to a “T” and while it was a little more soupy than I prefer, I simmered it until some of the liquid disappeared. I’ll definitely make it again!
Can I use red wine instead of beef broth for this recipe?
Totally delicious! Thank you for this great recipe. Will definitely make this again! I tripled the onion because I had some lying around, and added some butter and a tablespoon of sugar. Awesome recipe!
I followed the recipe without changing anything and it turned out great!
My picky 8 year old son ate a bowl and asked for seconds..he Steven scraped the plate with a spoon lol! It was delicious and I’ll definitely be adding it into my weekly food choices.
Thank you!
You are now my go-to site for recipes. Thank you. Rarely do I follow recipes to the letter and you have convinced me I should do.
Amazing, everything. Lockdown saviour.
Try this one! I used chicken breast instead of thighs. Everything else to a T.
FANTASTIC. A friend turned me on to this site, and I’ve been happy with every recipe I’ve tried so far.
https://damndelicious.net/2014/11/22/chicken-sun-dried-tomato-cream-sauce/
This was delish!! The only changes I made- I added sour cream, as I didn’t have any cream, and some chili peppers. It was loved by our whole family. In fact- I’m eating the leftovers right now for breakfast- and there wasn’t much left. This is a great family meal. Thank you for posting it!
Hi I am 12 and i made this it was so good i will definitely be making it again
This was okay. It was too bland for the adults and a little too “complex” for our picky eater. If we make it again, I would double the spices and add some red pepper flakes in with the garlic.
I have made this several times for my family, it is a big hit! Definitely comfort food. For us it is important to get the ratio of meat and pasta correct, so I have to be careful not to be heavy handed with the pasta. Also, the last time I made it I put about 8 ounces of finely chopped mushrooms in with the ground beef, after I drained/rinsed the ground beef, and no one suspected anything! I will definitely be doing that again!
This definitely looks like it would taste delicious, but I found it to be just… meh. I had a suspicion that 2 cloves of garlic and some Italian seasoning wouldn’t give this much flavor, but I decided to try it anyway. I should’ve followed my gut.
If I try this again, here is what I will most likely do:
1.) Omit the tomato sauce and use tomato paste instead.
2.) Sub sour cream in for the heavy cream.
3.) Use taco seasoning and smoked paprika instead of the Italian seasoning.
I am not saying that this recipe is bad. I personally just think it needs a little more oomph. But that’s the nice thing about this recipe; you can easily alter it!
My great grandmother has been making this since they were young. Called it Macaroni and tomatoes. I can tell you the correct recipe that has always left hundreds around us left with the savory taste that you cant let go of.
Super easy to make with simple ingredients. I used chicken broth instead of beef broth. I followed the recipe exactly and mine did not come out soupy at all and perfectly creamy. I would definitely make this again. To the people that had theirs come out soupy, I think it has to do more with your cooking not the recipe (sorry not sorry). Just make sure to reduce it and you will be good! Also I recommend a salad with it to add some lightness to the dish.
Forking Delicious! I used large elbow noodles because it’s what I had. It’s like an adult version of hamburger helper and I mean that with love. Site saved, can’t wait to try more of your recipes, thanks.
This recipe is very easy to follow and will now be in my regular rotation. It was creamy and delicious. I added a table spoon of red wine to the sauce
My 9 year old actually asks me to make this meal on a regular basis. We all love it. Nice depth of flavor and so easy to make too.
Love this! I’m going to mix some greens and mushrooms in next time, but it’s perfect as is.
This looks delicious, I’m saving this for those nights I don’t know what to make for dinner!
I made this with beyond meat (vegetarian dish), no sodium beef broth and no sodium tomato sauce…wow!! So delicious! This will be part of a rotation!
I made this recipe and it was delicious. I will definitely make again.
Absolutely delicious
Absolutely delicious and super easy!
Yummo! I didnt have beef broth so I had to use chicken broth. I didnt have heavy cream so I used Ricotta. And I only had 1/2 of the cheddar cheese on hand. Gee…I didnt even have Italian seasoning so I threw in dried oregano, thyme, parsly, and crushed red pepper. This “as close as I could get” concoction still came out delish! Can wait to try again and follow the recipe exactly!
Excellent recipe. Everyone enjoyed it. Will definitely do it again.
If I needed 8 servings, should I double all ingredients? Even the oil and flour?
Just made this and it was super easy and tasty. Will definitely make again.
Excellent. Super easy. Will definately make again.
Very yummy. Made it last night.
i don’t know if i was hungry or it was just that good or both – but HOLY!!!! used white sharp cheddar and garlic salt at the end, since i thought it needed a bit more flavor. but perhaps it’s because i used a 90/10 ground beef. i want friends/fam to try what i made to see if what i made turned out as delicious, and it certainly makes enough. yes a little soupy but no problem with that, and can’t wait to try the melding flavors of the next next. i think shells are important to encompass the sauce too.
Really delicious. Highly recommend. Even my super picky 7 yo enjoyed this. ❤️
I used this as a guideline, I didn’t have beef broth so I used chicken. I minced five garlic cloves and doubled on the Italian spice (hint – sautee garlic, onion, and Italian spices with the ground beef). I didn’t have heavy cream so I just used a half a cup of cereal cream – I used Parmasean and Cheddar … I hope this helps you people, children will love this recipe. Thank for sharing 🙂
A hit with my family, especially with the finicky preschoolers. Easy to make and a nice depth of flavor in the creamy sauce from the beef stock. This will be a dinner favorite!
I’ve made this 5 or 6 times now. It’s a saved recipe I go to frequently….we all LOVE it.
I too am big on Lotsa favour so I add extra spices, like oregano, basil, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, a touch of flaked chili’s for some heat and of course extra pink Himalayan salt and pepper, as my organic pasta sauce isn’t super flavorful and my beef stock is low sodium. With all that said…. It always comes out like bang busters! So damn delicious!
DELICIOUS! My picky 17yr old loved, LOVED IT! Easy to make as well.
Great Sunday afternoon comfort food – homemade hamburger helper ;). I would recommend using more seasoning (but my store bought, canned tomato sauce could have also been bland). I used about 1.5 teaspoon of corn starch to thicken up the sauce. Otherwise, followed the recipe exact and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing.
I absolutely love this dish!! I had to improvise a little. Substituting Beef broth for Chicken (I was out of beef), I had to make my own heavy whipping cream. My family loved it!
This is a great change up on comfort food. Will definitely put in rotation. Thank you.
This is one of the best meals we have had from Damn Delicious And it is Damn good!
This thing is delicious and deserves ALLLLL it’s good praise. Thank you so much for putting this recipe out there. It’s a staple at our house now being made at least twice a month. I’ve also made it for several friends and it’s a hit! An easy hit to boot.
I had to use chicken broth instead and i only had one can of 8oz tomatoe sauce but it still came out super yummy !!
Delicious! I used 1/2 cup of cream vs. 3/4 cup and it was great! This recipe is a crowd pleaser for sure!
I made my pasta with ground turkey and added fresh parsley and fresh basil it turned so good my kids loved
Ohheemmmmmgeee!! Soooo soo good!! Such a versatile recipe. My fiancé loooves this! Every mouthful, he said “mmmmmmmm!”
I’ll definitely be making this again!
This was a great base recipe! It was thick and creamy, with good flavor after a few additions. I added garlic and onion powder, a bit of steak and chop seasoning, along with extra italian seasoning. In addition, I used evaporated milk instead of cream and pasta sauce instead of plain tomato sauce. Overall, a solid family meal that is easily adaptable to your family’s taste and preferences.
Excellent. We didn’t have cream so blended 1/4 c raw cashews and enough water to hit the 3/4 c mark. We also used ground caribou and doubled the noodles plus added veg.
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
I made this tonight, and I can’t believe how amazing it is! I had some ground beef to use, and didn’t know what to do with it. I was browsing recipes for quick meals and came across this. I used 1.5 pounds of beef and a whole box of bow tie pasta. I used a whole onion and 3 cloves of sliced garlic. Instead of Italian seasoning I used quite a bit of Tony sacharez seasoning and used Spaghetti sauce instead of plain tomato sauce. I added 1/2 a cup of parmasan Cheese too. And it was OUT OF THIS WORLD DELICIOUS! Thank you SOOOO much for sharing this!
We all love it . VERY GOOD!!!
Omg SO delicious!! First time with making it tonight and I must say my 20 month old even devoured it!
After reading many reviews before attempting this, I used a whole sweet onion instead of half, also I used 2 tsp of italian seasoning instead of just 1 1/2 tsp. I added garlic powder and onion powder to the meat, and again when I mixed in garlic and seasoning to the onion. I taste-tested before adding any salt or pepper, which I found it tasted amazing as is so I didn’t add any of those, it wasnt necessary.
I didn’t think it was too runny, and whatever excess liquid that there was in the bowl we used warm French bread to soak up so, nothing was wasted!! Amazing meal that I will definitely be making again!!
Omg delish! I added Tony’s creole & pepper flakes to spice it up. Thank you!
This recipe is delicious, the family raved about it and have been begging me to make it again ever since I made it. So I’m making it again tonight even though it hasn’t been a week since the last time. Thanks!
Very good, hearty meal. It was a thinner consistency than I like but other than that it was delicious. Highly recommend for an easy meal.
I thought this was great! I used an entire onion as well as three cloves of garlic and didn’t have any canned tomato sauce so just used pasta sauce and still turned out great! Tastes even better after it sits for a bit. Every single person in my family liked it and that’s saying a lot because I have two very picky kiddos! Thank you for this 😉
A bit TOO creamy, and the beef wasnt fully cooked, also, too much cheese taste
The beef wasn’t fully cooked…. that would be your fault.
Seriously, you’re going to rate a recipe lower because you don’t know how to cook your meat until it’s done?
Best reply ever Dee Dee. For real.
right!!! and also saying it’s too creamy but it’s literally called creamy beef and shells lol!
Chill out ppl! Life is hard enough right now. Really?! Nothing better to do than crush a persons spirit in a cooking comment? What about Kindness?
Jennifer, Jennifer calm down you’re gonna hurt yourself.
Troll much
This meal is bomb. So rich, so delicious. It’s like homemade Hamburger Helper!!!
I made this for my family and roommates a couple weeks ago, and they absolutely loved it. I’ve made some other things in the past, but this (as easy as it is) is the closest to a “from scratch” type meal ive done. I usually use boxed meals and put my spin on them or what have you. This was super easy to make and came out much better than i even expected. I seasoned to my own taste, limiting it to the seasonings provided was a bit bland for my taste. I added seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and oregano, in no specific measurements. even with the garlic and onion within the dish i felt like it needed that extra push. Fantastic recipe though! I’m going to make it again tonight!
I made this today and it was absolutely delish…just as the reviews said it was easy to make. I had mozzarella cheese on hand so I used that, but in the future will use the cheddar. I have leftover tortellini and will try it with that. I will certainly make it again in the future! This is a keeper recipe. I am not the greatest cook so I was proud how good it came out. People try it!!!
Made this tonight and was quite impressed!!
Literally googled, “what can I make for dinner with ground beef” and this recipe was first. We thought it wasn’t going to make a lot so we decided to double the recipe. Let’s just say, we have dinners for the next week and a half, but I don’t think I will get sick of this.
I will say, do add more garlic and italian seasoning than the recipe states. When we plated, or bowled, it was a bit runny. It is kind of like a homemade hamburger helper but I highly recommend it. We added some parsley on top and sprinkled some meat rub for added flavor.
This makes a LOT! Is it freezable? Thank you.
I haven’t made it yet but can tell its a keeper! I have same question; can I freeze it, of course I can, but should I Not add the pasta? I cook for elder family & want something gramma can easily pull from freezer if I cant be there. Your thoughts & Thank You for sharing your work!!
I’m no expert, but I would say you can freeze it. I freeze pasta dishes all the time. Just make sure it’s tightly sealed when you freeze it.
Good, but use more garlic. Way more.
So good! I used fat free half and half and it came out great. Even through in a few splashes on skim milk. Still thick and creamy.
Also added 4 extra garlic cloves because you measure that will your heart
Might try it with sausage next time to try to replicate a pasta dish I had before. I thought the cheddar cheese was odd but it gave it the same flavor I have been missing.
And lastly I tasted the red sauce before adding the cream etc and it was really good! I would use that as a marinara sauce for sure!
All five kids, ranging from 19-14, loved this recipe. The only thing I changed was to add red pepper flakes. I call it a win.
I have made this at least a dozen times! My husband has even asked for it! Great recipe!
There’s better things I know that you can do with ground beef. This is pretty much a basic hamburger helper recipe. (Hamburger helper from scratch making it a lot harder than just buying the box)
That being said it’s an easy recipe and there’s not many ways to mess it up. It was good
So so good. Doubled the recipe. Very filling and the entire family approves!
No Review but was wondering what kind of tomato sauce to use?! A plain one or what?!
Thank you so much for your help and time!!
Excellent-I used the left over at jus I had in the fridge (I’m from Chicago we always have extra au jus what can I say!) I served with homemade ricotta gnocchi and this was to die for! I didn’t stir in the cheddar due to the cheese in the gnocchi but sprinkled a handful on top. Mmmmmmm….
This recipe is DELICIOUS! My family loved it, and it had such a great flavor. I used low sodium beef broth, and when you use that along with the cheese, there is typically plenty of salt. Just monitor the flavor as you put the ingredients together at the end so you know whether or not to add any additional Kosher salt. I added SOME Kosher salt, and it was slightly on the salty side (although not bad, and still very tasty). But a wonderful dish and I will ABSOLUTELY make it again!
I made this for dinner tonight and thought it was great! Easy to make and used ingredients I already had on hand. I used Better than Bouillon for the beef stock (always my fave) and cut the cream in half since I’m sensitive to dairy. It turned out awesome!
I made this with chicken stock, rotini noodles, and ground beef, it was really good! Would recommend this recipe except add more seasonings than suggested.
Is delicious but we added sour cream instead of heavy cream and we think you should too
Made this with a few changes and it was a hit! Great recipe since I always have these items in the house! So, here is what I did. I decreased the beef stock to 1 1/2 cups and instead of tomato sauce I used a 19 oz can of Progressi Tomato Basil soup. I added only the beef stock after the flour and let that mixture thicken first. Then I added the tomato soup and let it thicken again. I used italian blend shredded cheese instead of cheddar and I also added a handful of chopped fresh basil! It was great. It is extremely rich but well worth it! This one is a keeper!
I made this and it was so simple and very tasty. Thanks for sharing!
This was tasty! I wanted leftovers, so I increased the pasta to 12 oz., added 1 Tbsp extra flour and 1 cup extra broth. It worked great!
It was pretty thin right off the stove, but continued to thicken as it cooled and was perfect after about 10min.
Based on callouts that it was bland, I doubled the Italian seasoning and added a little salt at the end. Easy mods and a great recipe.
Made this tonight and my fiance loved it. Jazzed it up with extra seasonings and will definitely make it again. Thanks for this.
Tasty. Much better than hamburger helper box dinners.
my mom loves it & evreone in our family
Pretty easy to make but not very thick and low on flavor. Very “one note”. I will make it again but will add a little more onions, bell pepper, and spices.
Excellent easy to prepare meal. Kids as well as adults love it. We have nicknamed is Adult Hamburger Helper.
My family loved this dish,
This dish is so good. There’s just a few different steps And it’s worth it. It kinda reminds me of a homemade hamburger helper.
Delicious! I added in some sausage and It was a hit. Next time I’d prob go for a different cheese (maybe Parm) but it was super good.
I needed a quick/easy meal for three of us. This was so easy and delicious! First time I ever used this website for recipes and I can’t wait to cook more.
Did everything per instructions and came out kinda soupy not as thick as it looks, and taste kind of gritty. It’s ok but I wouldn’t try again.
Probably didn’t add enough flour
You probably added the liquids too fast. You have to pour in increments and allow to thicken each time you add some
Turned out really good, but the cheese was not on the ingredient list so I took a guess and did ok. What cheese do you use?
My husband I Really enjoyed this! It was super easy!! I happen to have green peppers and put them with the onions while cooking.
Very good and EASY!! This was a great recipe because it used stuff I had in my cabinet (except I had to use ziti noodles and ground turkey). I did almond milk mixed with olive oil instead of heavy cream because I am dairy free. My family loved it, especially with the cheese (which I didn’t put on mine).
Really Really Good!
We used minced steak meat that we had in the freezer and it worked great.
There is only a single bowl left, and I know it was hidden in the fridge by my husband so he can have for lunch.
This has become a staple in our house! The tomato base with the beef stock flavor is heavenly!! Love love love it!
This is delicious!! Made it for my family n they requested I make it again this weekend. Easy to make but made my own modifications
I’m going to make this tonight. Has anyone tried using Jimmy Dean sausage instead of hamburger meat? How did it turn out?
I’m 17 years old and this was very easy for me and my parents and sister loved it. If I can do it, so can you 🙂
This was fairly easy and was good. I would make it again.
This IS the BEST recipe!!!! I LOVE it. My 85 yr old father who swears he dies not like pasta or pasta dishes LOVED it. My husband and picky Mother in law loved it. I cannot thank you enough.
It was easy , quick amd DELICIOUS!!! I didnt have heavy cream , so i had to use half n half, and i added velveeta and baby bel cheese( with some sharp cheddar) ,because that’s what i had!
I just finished cooking this quick and simple meal and not only did it smell good but the taste was lip smacking good lol..I only had milk and I added left over bacon and to complete the meal I added homemade drop biscuits and salad, thanks for this bowl of comfort goodness…
A winner with my family! My husband went back for seconds!
This was delicious! ❤️ Does anyone know how many servings this makes and what the calorie count per serving is?
Made it today! Fantastic!!
I made this tonight with a spinach, strawberry and feta salad. Delicious! I used a whole box of pasta and 1.5 lbs ground beef, otherwise no substitutions. We have plenty of leftovers for lunches this week, which is great while homeschooling!
I’ve made this four times now. This isn’t the type of meat that i typically eat – I’m not a big noodle or casserole person… but this is delicious and easy to make! I use part pepper jack and part sharp cheddar and I also add a little cayenne or red pepper flakes.
Amazing! Added mushroom and spinach, substituted the cheddar cheese for 1/2 a cup of mozzarella and it was phenomenal. Will definitely be making this again!
Love this pasta! So good! Has anyone tried to freeze this?
This was alright for dinner tonight. I followed the recipe exactly. I liked it…my 3 kids..not so much.
This recipe is so delicious. But when it says stock its really calling for 2 cups of beef broth. I made the mistake of.picking up stock and it made it extremely salty and I had to add water to dilute the stock.
Delish !! My 13 and 17 year old boys loved it! I used 2 lbs. of chop meat and 1lb of shells since they are hungry growing boys but I kept the rest the same although I needed a covid substitution for heavy cream so i used 3/4 brick of cream cheese. It came out so creamy.
It was so very good!! I used a can of diced tomato’s also in place of the tomato paste. It was very flavorful. I followed the rest of the recipe to a T. So good! It did not turn out soupy at all. I will make this again for sure. Thank you for the recipe!
So good the next day. First night it was soupy (I’m not the best cook) but second day it heats up perfectly. Thanks so much for this recipe. FYI didn’t have shells so used elbows.
Was way to soupy. The roux needs more fat.
I will make it again.
Made this today but substituted a can of diced tomatos instead of tomato sauce and it turned out great!!!
Definitely will make again as the family enjoyed it and it was very easy to make. Also used macaroni noodles as that was all i had on hand.
Super easy and came out PERFECT! I didn’t have heavy cream so I used half and half and about 2tbsp of butter. Sat well at low heat with me stirring occasionally while I waited for my fiancé to get home.
Made this today and it came out delicious! Everyone in the family loved it and said it was very flavorful. I added red chili flakes and topped with parmesan cheese. Very easy to make
Loved this recipe so much! I literally cannot wait to eat it again and so easy to make!!
I really enjoyed this recipe. I halved the recipe for my family of 4. We all enjoyed it, and I myself am very picky. Would make this again.
I made this recipe but I added some sun dried tomatoes, liquid smoke, about 6 garlic cloves, red crushed pepper, and used chickpea noodles. It was amazing and will be making again soon. Thank you for posting!
I made this 2 nights ago because I had all the ingredients and it ended up being my husband’s favorite meal in like forever!!
Delicious. Making it as gain as a meal to drop off to a family.
This is SO forgiving! I used what I had on hand (half & half and chicken broth) and it’s so good! We needed comfort food today and this hit the spot.
When you say this is damn delicious, you’re not lying! Made it for dinner last night using what I had: macaroni instead of shells, about 1/2lb of ground beef and milk instead of heavy cream. I also added canned chickpeas. Even though I goofed and forgot to add the cheese at the end this was freakin’ amazing! And so easy. What could be better. Because I used milk, I added some cornstarch and simmered about at least 15 minutes at the end right before serving and the sauce really thickened up. Can’t wait for leftovers tonight!
The entire family really enjoyed this dinner but felt it had too many onions. It reminded them of Hamburger Helper but way better and less sodium. Thank you for the recipe.
Family loved it! Everyone ate at least 2 helpings!
Under quarantine, so used mozzarella since that’s what was on hand. Very tasty. My sister made the same meal tonight and it was nice to know that even though miles apart, we had dinner together.
Amazing taste! So much better than the box stuff. I will definitely make this again.
I used a local cajun cheddar and also used ziti instead of shells- what I had in the fridge.
Turned out excellent, I also added more garlic than it called for, I may double the meat next time, otherwise the recipe is spot on.
Everything on your site lives up to its name! This was in deed, Damn Delicious! My 1 yr old and my very very picky 4 yr old loved it! Thanks!!
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious. It reminds me of a homemade more gourmet style of the old school hamburger helper. My kids loved it and so did I. Plenty of food for a family. I will make this again.
made this for my daughter and her family, EVERYONE loved it, thats amazing with 5 kids! My daughter just called and asked me to fined that recipe ASAP! Definitely will be making this again….
Made this a couple weeks ago. It was delicious, and made enough to freeze for another meal. I worried about freezing, as some recipes that contain noodles don’t freeze well, however this recipe did just fine in the freezer. Tastes as good as it did the first time around!
Very simple dish to prepare. Taste factor for me was just ok. If I’m using that much cheese in a dish I’d like there taste factor to be amazing. I didn’t want to use cheddar; I felt it would be too overpowering so I subbed with Italian cheese and ended up with a wet Ziti tasting dish. I have to say the family really enjoyed it, but they don’t know 1 1/2cups cheese and 3/4 cup of cream went into it. Thanks tho.
Fabulous, this was my first attempt at Pasta. Recipe was spot on. Cant wait to try the leftovers.
Taste was fine, but way too much beef broth. I would add like 1/2-3/4 cup, it was basically a soup with 2 cups.
Did you reduce the sauce enough? That would be key.
It was, indeed, delicious. Although, it turned out quite soupy. I will definitely reduce the amount of liquid next time, or double the pasta. It is also delicious even without the cream and cheese, I’ll probably omit one of those next time as well.
Delicious! Very satisfying! Made with farfalle pasta and mild cheddar cheese because that was what I had. I also added 4oz of finely chopped mushrooms to the ground beef to add a little more “meat”. My family was none the wiser. Next time I’ll probably add the pasta last so that I can make myself my own pasta alternative dish. Thanks for a great recipe! It was exactly what I was looking for.
My boyfriend wanted Hamburger Helper, which I don’t eat, so i found this and it’s a hit with both of us! I added some cayenne pepper to it for an extra kick.
I made this today. Sautéed hamb, onion and garlic in my cast iron skillet with Italian seasonings. Added broth ( used 1 cup)and tomato sauce 8oz. Let simmer for 20-30 min. Didn’t have heavy cream so substituted 2/3 cups soy milk mixed with 1/3 c veg oil. Added flower to milk,oil mixture. Added to pan to thicken up mixture. Thickened up very well. Added pasta. I had rotini. And cheese. Very good. Will make again.
Made this tonight and tripled the recipe. I followed the liquid ratios as posted, but I did have to substitute some items due to the current shopping situation. Not sure why others are having too much liquid at the end. Perhaps they’re not reducing it long enough? I did have to reduce the liquid longer than the recommended time. I used whole milk instead of heavy cream, a swiss/gruyere blend instead of cheddar and a chunk of cream cheese to add some more fat/creaminess since I didn’t have heavy cream on hand. Recipe came out perfect despite the substitutes and I look forward to trying it again following the original recipe. Don’t be afraid to use what you have on hand, you really can’t go wrong with this.
Going to make this tonight. Can you make ahead and reheat or would that make the pasta mushy?
Yes, you can refrigerate and have leftovers. Was a bit soupy the first night (day before yesterday), but just right today.
Did you use tomato sauce, like the recipe says? Am thinking it’s a mistake and meant to be tomato soup, instead of sauce.
I made this tonight and honestly, I was a bit skeptical. I didn’t know how the beef broth, tomato sauce, cream and cheese would combine. But wow, was I wrong. This will be on our weekly rotation. So good!
This was absolutely amazing. Followed the recipe to a T (minus I didn’t have shells, used elbows) and it turned out great. It was a huge hit in the house. My kid even ate every last bite. Will definitely make again!
Made this recipe tonight – super tasty!!! Unfortunately there was way too much sauce! I wonder if I using the whole box of pasta it wouldn’t be so saucy (I followed the recipe/instructions to a T). Any suggestions? Definitely worth trying again with a few adjustments; hubby approved!
I had the same issue and realized it was because the roux didn’t come together properly from just adding the flour to the onion mixture. So I started a new roux in in the pasta pot with just some butter and flour and slowly whisked in the sauce and it thickened right up at that point! It worked out for the best anyways because that pot was bigger to mix in the beef and pasta. Turned out delicious!
Did you allow the sauce to reduce and thicken?
This is a delicious meal that the whole family will love! I am making it for the second time tonight and my family can not wait! Thank you for the recipe.
Pasta tasted good but there was way too much liquid in the pot. Not sure why since I followed all of the measurements?
Otherwise, flavour was good. If I were to make this again, I would use half of the tomato sauce and broth. Tasted like a creamy lasagna.
We didn’t have enough Cheddar so we did half cheddar half mozzarella and we doubled the recipe. It turned out kind of runny but thickened up after we started eating it we probably didn’t have it simmer long enough.
This looks really good and I want to make it, but I’m missing stock and heavy cream. What substitutions do you reccomend?
Beef brother or vegetable broth for the heavy cream try half and half instead or even whole milk
I like easy …. and this was easy! Just spiced it up a little with some sprinkle dried crushed red pepper flakes and doubled the garlic. I tend to like my food a spicy. Creamy is dreamy!!
I am not a chef. In fact I’m no where near being a chef. I am on my first year of college and have never cooked a meal by myself before. I made this tonight for my grandma who is very picky and usually only eats food that she cooks. I told her dinner was done and she came into the kitchen and tasted it and….SHE LOVED IT!! this recipe has made my grandma proud of me and I can’t thank you enough!
I put part pasta sauce part jalapeno/tomato sauce. Also did half parmesan/medium cheddar..all I had.. .OMG !! Never hesitate to tweak a recipe explore Mon Amie!
It’s a great recipe . I added a bit more flour and a little corn start haha as I prefer a thicker sauce . I ran out of cheddar so I used a mixed blend and it worked just fine ! I accidentally put too much oregano in mine …but other than that it was great
I made this not too long ago and added everything in together, instead of separate pans etc and I used jelly like beef stock cubes, this dinner was absolutely delicious and my whole family went for seconds. My boyfriend is begging me to make it again.
I had to make a few substitutions and it turned out great. I used Premio Italian sausage with the casing removed instead of the ground beef, cento marinara sauce in place of tomato sauce, I added sun dried tomatoes and omitted the cheddar cheese. This is a restaurant quality meal!
Could I make it without tomato sauce?
This was SO delicious and a lifesaver as I’m quickly running out of meal ideas while we’re quarantined! My whole family gobbled it up and my teenage son even thanked me for making it! Trust me, that is some high praise I had to make the following substitutions due to only being able to use what we had on hand, but it was super tasty nonetheless:
-used elbows instead of shells
-used chicken stock but added 1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce with it
-used 1/3 of a block of cream cheese plus 1/4 cup 2% milk instead of the heavy cream
Thank you for a fantastic recipe that I can add to the short list of meals my entire family loves!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT! I’m going to have to make the exact substitutions you made!
Thank you for this! I’m going to try these subs as well!
Bravo! Nice change from meatloaf, meatballs, burgers. Our new go to recipe for ground beef.
This was so good! Had to sub colby/monterey blend for the cheddar since I didn’t have any on hand and it was delicious! Will definitely make this again. So glad I found this recipe, it’s perfect for when you’re in the mood for some good comfort food. Thanks!
All 3 of my kids loved this (ages 5,4,2)! I just added a generous splash of half and half since I didn’t have cream. Otherwise, I made it exactly as written. I will definitely make this again. Thank you for the great recipe!
This is Damn Delicious! I followed the recipe to the T, except I used 12 oz of farfalle pasta (the whole box). It was great! I even got my 13.75 yr old son to eat something other than chicken cordon bleu!! 2 servings for him! Very good. I will recommend to others as well. All ingredients on hand, too. Simple. Thank you.
So good! The sauce was so tasty and had more substance than regular tomato sauce but was not as heavy as an Alfredo sauce. I used rigatoni noodles which was great because all that goodness was inside the tube of every bite. (:
Tastes great, quick enough to whip up and goes well with cheap pink moscato Overall its a good meal and will definitely have to add it to my go to recipes
I added a little creole seasoning. It was delicious. My family definitely wants it again.
I had everything on hand, and the kids loved it. It always makes me happy when they go for seconds.
I just made this tonight. I didn’t even use all of the tomato sauce it called for and the tomato sauce is very overpowering. My husband will be disappointed, and I’m sure he’ll make a comment about why don’t I stick with what I know. It looked so delicious. I’m glad a lot of people found success in the dish. I’m sure it really is great.
Your husband sounds lovely….
^^lol
Lol!!
Couldn’t help but feel the same way.. lol. If my hubs said something like that after trying my best to make a different meal, I’d throw it at him
Has anyone ever tried using marinara instead of tomatoes? Curious as to how that would turn out.
I used Cento marinara sauce and it turned out great.
Looks wonderful. Can’t wait to make.
Anxious to read comments for their variations.
We have a freezer full of ground beef (I’m talking 30 pounds lol) so I wanted to find some easy ground beef recipes to use it up. I came across this and decided to try it because my hubby loves beef and shells. This was a big hit for him, he went back for seconds!!! Will definitely keep these ingredients on hand so I can make it again in the future. Thanks!
Amazing! I used butter and milk as a substitute for the heavy cream and garlic salt instead of fresh garlic. I was out of shell pasta so I used egg noodles. I stressed a bit for no reason. This dish fed my family of six twice! We absolutely loved it! I will be making this again and again.
I only have mild cheddar cheese and mozzarella, which would be a better substitute for the sharp cheddar?
i would go with the mild cheddar….i have subbed mozzarella for cheddar in the past, & it doesnt add much flavor, unless you add some grated cheese to it
Deliciously Creamy & Filling!
Made this tonight, though I seen your recipe 2 days ago.. Drove to the supermarket for two required ingredients: Heavy Cream and Tomato Sauce.
Easy to prepare and make…. Served with Grilled Brussels Sprouts.
Definitely would cook again!! But for now, I’m going to enjoy for the next few days (did I mention this meal is Plentiful).
Thanks for sharing your Recipe!
This was real crowd pleaser! My family loved this meal! 4 Kids from 7 down to 18 months raved about it and my husband wanted seconds! I substituted buttermilk for the cream bc I didnt have any and it was great.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Kids loved it! Very easy and economical especially being stuck in the house! I basically quadrupled the recipe as there are 5 in our family and we love leftovers. The only changes made is that I used half&half and added frozen corn 🙂 Very good!
Also, I didn’t take the ground beef out of the pan when making the sauce. Most ground beef is made of tough meat and I find it tastes really chewy sometimes, so lately I have been simmering it for a minimum of 30 mins in all my recipes – taco meat, sauces, etc and It has made a huge difference in the flavor and texture! I brought the beef and sauce to a boil, reduced heat and simmered for 30 min and added the cheese at the end. So good! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Made this last night! It’s currently 11:32 am and to say I can’t wait to heat up my leftovers for lunch would be an understatement. I added paprika, 1/2 green pepper and mushrooms, subbed chicken broth and fusilli brown rice noodles. Omg. So good. I also omitted the cream because I didn’t have it, so I planned on using A bit of cream cheese, but found once I added the cheese (I didn’t measure – I feel like I used a lot lol) that it was creamy enough. My boyfriend took a bite and said, “this is good” lol. I cook mostly healthy, whole real foods and he said it reminded him of hamburger helper but in a totally yummy way. And strangely, that is what I was craving when I found this recipe.
It reminded our family of hamburger helper but yummy and homemade. Everyone went in for seconds in our family of 6! I doubled the recipe.
The whole family enjoyed this!!
So good!!!
I made this allergy friendly by subbing in gluten free noodles, nutritional yeast for the cheese, and canned coconut cream for the heavy cream. And instead of thickening the sauce with flour, I simply added extra broth to the pan and cooked the noodles in the broth mixture, which also thickened the sauce. It turned out amazing!
So good! I used an Italian cheese blend and rigatoni instead of shells:)
Made it last night!! Super yummy and creamy!! Definitely making this again.
This meal was just ok. I must say that the recipe is poorly written which is why some people may end up with a runny meal. No where on the recipe does it tell you to take the meat out of the pan and then, work on your sauce. Also, it doesn’t tell you when to put the cheese in. Unless you watch the video, there is no way you will be able to follow the recipe.
Hi Frances!
So the recipe indicates to set the meat aside in step 2:
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat. Set aside.
The recipe indicates to add the cheese in step 6:
6. Stir in pasta, beef and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in cheese until melted, about 2 minutes.
I find it very helpful to read through a recipe at least twice prior to cooking. 🙂
This is yummy! Looked a little like “hamburger helper” at first, but tastes like high-end Italian! I added a half cup of chopped green olives, which gives it a little extra tang. It was a big hit with my family! Thank you! 🙂
This is something my whole family enjoys. I make it quite often!
I make this all time and we live it! But with cornonavirus spreading we are looking to save anywhere we can. So is this dish freezer friendly if we hav leftovers? Anybody have experience freezing it? If so how long does it last in freezer.
Thanks for any responses you have.
Anything like this will freeze fine, especially with a thick sauce that will keep things covered and prevent freezer burn. No worries. I had Turkey Soup that was 2.5 years old yesterday, just to see, and it was fine!
I’m wondering how to adapt this recipe for baking in the oven? I think it sounds delicious, but want to take a casserole over to a new Mom…
This was fabulous! Thanks for sharing!!
Great pasta dish, I added some courgettes to it and works really well. Do you know the nutritional value to this meal mainly the protein and calorie?
I made it for the family and they loved it.
My family enjoyed this. I made it as written, except (lol) I used half and half and put in almost a pound of shells because there was plenty of sauce. I also stirred in a bunch of baby spinach at the end, which I really enjoyed. The sauce had a wonderful creaminess and I thought all of the flavors balanced nicely. I was going to use pre-shredded cheddar but another reviewer commented that the extra-sharp cheddar made a difference so I grated some and used that. Yum!
I’ll have to add spinach next time. Sounds yummy.
Super tasty! Thick, creamy, flavourful sauce! (I don’t get how some reviewers had soupy sauce–let it simmer to thicken!)
I had some leftover herb-y pizza sauce and subbed that for the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning.
Next time I would maybe use half beef and half vegetable stock..it was a little too beefy for me but was quite yummy and will definitely make this again!
This was so good, comfort food. And I agree an adult hamburger helper. I used fusilli pasta, milk instead of cream and added steamed broccoli to the mixture. It was great.
Five stars but be warned: once they taste it, your family will demand that you add it to the dinner rotation (but let’s be fair, once you taste it you’ll agree with them). Velveeta can substitute for the cheddar in a pinch and maintains creaminess when warm, but it solidifies more and doesn’t save nearly as well as the original recipe.
Damn Delicious!! I made this in a pinch tonigt & the family gobbled it up. Yum! And SO VERY FILLING!
Made this tonight, added a half pound of baby bella mushrooms, a bag of organic sugar snap peas, and omitted the tomato sauce and paprika….you can do this recipe a million ways..but the basic recipe is brilliant, easy, and delicious.
Had this for dinner tonight. It was so delicious. The only change, I added zucchini. Any chance to get a little extra serving of veggies is a good thing!
I will try this, but I like my food SPICY!!! So I will add a lot!
Delicious! I simmered the sauce with the beef (made it thicker) used 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream, and an entire box of pasta. Added crushed red pepper & shredded parmesan cheese on top and it was perfect. Kids went back for seconds.
This was definitely a wonderful creamy dish! I added some Sriracha sauce, because I like the taste of spicy foods, and a few sliced cremini mushrooms (which I always add when cooking a pasta dish) for a little more texture. Very easy to make …
We also added sriracha because we did half mozzarella and couldn’t get much flavor
It was okay, was expecting a different taste, the tomato definitely over powered the cheese. Should have made my own substitutions but seeing as this was my first time making it, I didn’t. Recommend if you’re looking for something easy and quick.
At first thought, I was like, great, another hamburger helper type recipe. But when I made it but added my own touches of fresh white sharp cheddar and bourbon cheese. Very good and my wife who is always the Hell’s Kitchen chef was impressed.
Used only 1.5 cups of beef broth, completely disregarded the cream (didn’t have any and i wanted it thicker), added 650 MLS of pasta sauce instead of 450, used an extra pound of beef and didnt break it up too much, and used mozza cheese instead of cheddar.
I cook lots and my dad likes it all but this recipe?? He grabbed seconds AND told me to write the recipe down so he could use it. Mom almost grabbed seconds but was ultimately too full; it’s filling! We’ve been doing meal prep (making double and freezing half) and this will definitely be one for the freezer!
5/5 Total Win.
My dad suggested that bacon would be pretty good in it…I agree!
I was skeptical about making this because I thought the flavors wouldn’t work well together, boy was I WRONG! This dish is soooo good, the whole family went back for seconds! If you’re unsure about making this like I was, go ahead and do it you won’t regret it ! I didn’t change anything to the recipe.
EXCELLENT!! Made it exactly as written and would not change a thing!!
Great, versatile base recipe. I used Banza chickpea shell pasta, reduced the broth by about 1/4 cup, increased the cream to about a cup, and omitted the meat entirely but wilted some fresh spinach in at the end. Will make this again and again!
Made this tonight! I did make a substitution of the shells with cheese tortellini, opted out of the cheddar cheese and added parmesan instead! I love the Italian flavor, so I probably tripled the seasoning. Overall, great quick and easy dinner with a side salad!
Amazing recipe and we really enjoyed it! This is my typical recipe but with cream, cheese, and beef broth added. It added such wonderful flavor I wouldn’t have thought to put myself. One thing I messed up on was cooking the beef fully with the onions along with sauce and beef broth, which definitely overcooked the beef. After all the cheese added, the beef actually came out really good even though it was overcooked. Note that I made sure the beef was in pretty small pieces. Will make again!
Made this last night. Yummmmy! I didn’t have tomato sauce so I read up on how to make some up. Used a Can of tomato paste, equal parts Hot pasta water, dash of red wine, splash of olive oil, Paprika, oregano, Marjoram and salt and pepper (just a small amount of each). Came out pretty dang good! Also, someone mentioned using the pasta water for the beef bouillon (mixed with Better than Bouillon) and I thought that was such a great idea. Added more flavor to the bouillon. If applicable, I’m going to start using pasta water more often for other parts of a recipe, why throw it all out? This really was good and satisfied all the hungry guys in the house – was told it was “good grub”.
Excellent dinner! I added a can of diced tomatoes for myself. Would have been perfect without it, though.
Delish!! Easy & fast weeknight meal
I made this tonight. Stuck to the recipe. The only thing I changed was I added 1 cup of heavy cream instead of 3/4s.
It was delicious and my family all really loved it.
I have made this a number of times at this point and it’s truly heavenly! Definitely a crave worthy dish!
Great mid week meal that can easily be doubled to keep In the freezer for future. Next time I make I will likely cut down in the flour as it make mine a bit too thick.
This was such an amazing recipe. I forgot to add the beef broth but it still came out really good. I did add salt when I was done b/c it is a bit bland.
This dish is delicious. It is easy to make and is the adult version of macaroni and cheese
So, so good! And my hubby can’t stop raving about the sauce! Made it just as written and it is definitely a keeper… make sure to serve some bread or rolls on the side so that you can enjoy every last bit!
This dish is delicious. It is easy to make and is the adult version of macaroni and cheese….with a few more tasty ingredients!
Delicious!
This was delicious, found the recipe on Pintrest and was not sure if it would be too plain. Especially after reading the reviews. But I needed a recipe to use up some cheese, and I had most of the ingredients. It was really good, but next time I may spice it up since I like some heat in my food and more veggies. I did have a few substitutions because it’s what I had in my cabinet. I used sloppy joe sauce since I did not have tomato sauce (will do this again!), sharp cheddar cheese, a little more garlic because everything is better with more garlic, I did not have beef broth so I used vegetable stock, and I topped it with fresh parsley at the end. Based on some of the other reviews, just make sure you follow the recipe and take the time to thicken the sauce before adding the beef, heavy cream, and pasta back in. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
I stirred in a little creole seasoning into mine. It was delicious. I’ll try the sloppy joe mix as well
I would not have changed anything, but didn’t have shells. Substituted egg noodles, but otherwise followed exactly. Everyone loved it, great recipe that we will come back to. Thanks for sharing!
I tweaked the recipe a little by substituting ground turkey for the ground beef and added a 1/2 lb of maple flavored sausage and the family loved it!!! Even with 2 kiddos whom are picky eaters. BTW, this coming from a guy who only cooks three things well, and tried cooking this for the first time. LOL! Thank you so much for posting this!
Great recipe! I added potatoes and petite diced tomatoes and a bit less beef broth. Yummy yummy!
Truly delicious! I didn’t have beef stock so used chicken stock and a splash of red wine. I also used a blend of shredded cheddar and shredded mozzarella and used penne pasta since that’s what I had on hand. Otherwise followed recipe exactly. Will definitely make again! Thanks!
This was absolutely delicious! I am allergic to beef, so I used ground turkey and chicken broth and my whole family really enjoyed it!
Delicious! I added more garlic and cheese, and it was really good-definitely a hit with my family!
Pretty bland. Really runny, might be better to use a 1/4 lb more meat & a whole box of the shells. It’s like cheeseburger soup.
Fantastic and easy to make, people saying its soupy are likely not allowing the sauce to properly thicken. I would also suggest adding some red pepper flakes and serving with pecorino romano.
This was sooo yummy! The kids wanted leftovers in their lunchboxes the next day. Another new family favorite recipe thanks to Damn Delicious. Thank you!
Delicious! This is a basic weeknight meal but the flavor elevates it to the next level. My picky 5 year old and super picky 3 year old both loved it! The only change I made to the recipe was I used half and half instead of heavy cream and I wouldn’t change a thing!
SO YUMMY! DO YOU HAVE THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR SLOW COOKER?
Pasta…. one of my favourite dish almost a day in week i try pasta . i definitely try this this weekend . by the way cheesy pasta is awesome… share that recipe next
Thanks for sharing guys
Thank you for this recipe! My whole family enjoyed it including my picky toddler boys!
It’s pretty good, I doubled it for my family cuz I will be gone a lot over the next few days. I used a can of tomato sauce and a partial jar of spaghetti sauce. I will make again for sure.
I made it and thought it was delicious. Hubby liked it and so did my 10 month old. Thanks for the recipe!
Loved this! However, I used rigatoni noodles instead, and I skipped the onion as I have a strong dislike for those nasty smelling things! But it was so creamy and such good flavor!
Very good! Will definitely make again.
This is a new family favourite for sure! For others who are trying to puzzle out the sauce-to-pasta ratio, as I was, know that you can absolutely make the full package of pasta shells (16 oz) and still have PLENTY of yummy sauce! No need to double the sauce recipe. Also, it always takes me longer than 3-5 minutes to brown ground beef, but other than that the total prep/cook time is pretty accurate. Our baby loved this recipe, too(:
I agree! Definitely make the whole package 16oz of pasta. You will have plenty of sauce. Very tasty!
I’ve made this before as written and it is yummy! But I’m wondering, could you use Italian sausage instead of the ground beef? Would the flavors mesh well with that? Thanks for feedback from anyone who has tried!
Absolutely! That sounds amazing, Kay!
My husband usually does the cooking but he spent all day working on my car so my inexperienced cooking self whupped this up. So good and our 18 month old devoured it. Thanks for the recipe!!
This was awesome, we put a little fennel seed ,but made it exactly to your recipe. Just perfect.
Thanks for sharing!!
Would it turn out just as good using 2% rather than heavy cream! As always your recipes are so yummy!!
Heavy cream would be truly best but you can certainly substitute 2% milk. 🙂
This turned out really good. I didn’t have beef stock so I used 3 cups of beef gravy. I didnt have tomato sauce so I used diced tomatoes. I didn’t need to add any salt.
Total comfort food! YUM! Thank you for this recipe, we had a snowy and cold day today so I took some time to whip this up. It is so tasty, warm and inviting. I used dehydrated herbs from my garden to make Italian seasoning and had to substitute chicken stock for beef. I am waiting for my husband to come home from work because he will love this. I just can’t stay out of it! This recipe is a keeper and will give us some extra meals for the week. Thanks for the love Chungah!
This was a good comfort food meal. You probably have nearly everything on hand. I used milk vs. cream. Three generations all liked it.Hubby wanted it with a thicker looking sauce. That was because I used diced tomatoes vs. tomato sauce. ( all I had)
Good flavor. Makes a lot.
This pasta is heavenly and worth gathering up the ingredients to make. If you want you can substitute the garlic and onion for garlic and onion powders, but THANK YOU, author of the recipe, it was Damn Delicious
Because Italian seasoning is a powerful flavor I wouldn’t use as much as they say, 1 1\2 teaspoons is way to much we thought it took over all the other flavors you should have been tasting..but definitely gonna try it again with less Italian seasoning.
Omg I will never buy boxed hamburger helper again! This was great! I didn’t have beef broth so I substituted chicken broth and used some beef bullion. Delish!!!
This was really yummy! I substituted the pasta to Braille gluten free pasta and added about 1/4 block of cream cheese and that did it! It was creamy but not too rich!
This is amazing! Can I freeze it?
Absolutely!
I thought this recipe was easy, tasty and works great as a
quick weekday meal. I seasoned the ground beef;
added minced garlic, fresh basil, oregano and cooked all
together. Also added mushrooms. Followed rest of
recipe as stated.
Soooo good. I made mine gluten free using GF fussilli pasta and corn starch instead of flour. I also added spinach and some fresh diced tomatoes from the garden. I was meal prepping, so I only got a small bite, and now I can’t wait to eat it tomorrow!
So I decided to make a twist off of this. I checked my refrigerator and found I didn’t have any onions. So I went to my garden and got 1 sweet pepper, one jalapeño, and one large tomato. Where your recipe called for onions I put 2 peppers. And when combining all ingredients I added chopped tomatoes. It was a bit spicy so I diluted with sour cream . I was so impressed. Thank you for this recipe!
We love this, its a weeknight favorite. I add a little Sicilian seasonings to the beef when sauteing. I have also omitted the flour completely, and instead added about a teaspoon of yellow mustard towards the end. It sounds crazy but it gives the dish a unique flavor.
I have been looking for something that would be like a homemade spaghettios with meatballs for my picky son. This was it!!! Thanks you so much.
This was so easy to make!! I would add some extra some kind of seasoning to the ground beef, but other than that it was good. It’ reminds me of hamburger helper except much creamer and better!!!
Made this recipe Sunday evening with garlic toast and a cesar salad! The
This was excellent! Easy to make and came out perfectly. I use beef base when a recipe calls for broth or stock. Right before the shells were done cooking, I ladled 2 cups of the pasta water into a measuring cup with the beef base. When I added the stock and tomato sauce and cooked it a few minutes, it thickened up perfectly. I also used the whole 1lb box of pasta because I knew it would all go (we don’t have any leftovers!) and the entire 8oz block of cheddar cheese I grated. My family, and I, all thought it had great flavor, was really creamy, and agreed this would be a dish we would all want to have again. Excellent recipe! *****
Hi Julie,
Did you omit the flour since the sauce thickened up so nicely after adding the pasta water to the beef base? Or did you still ad the flour?
Thanks!
Amazing. Delicious. Worth the effort. My marathon running boyfriend who only eats one plate at dinner had 3 helpings. 10/10 would make again. I absolutely love the sauce. Added a bit of cayenne for kick. Thank you so much for a new family favorite!
My family and I loved this! We almost fought over the leftovers lmao. I didn’t find it runny or bland at all! I used Better Than Bouillon (beef flavour), made sure to drain the beef, used Clubhouse Italiano seasoning, and the tomato sauce I bought had some salt and spices in it (it was Heinz brand I think). I also made sure to simmer the sauce for the full 8 minutes. Definitely going to make again!!
Oh, I also doubled the garlic because I love garlic and almost always increase the quantity when following a recipe.
Really, really good. I had to use Colby Jack cheese because that’s all I had but I think the xtra sharp cheddar would have been way better. I hate washing pans so I made it all in one. Left the burger in the pan, added the onion, garlic, seasoning then mixed flour in after onion was translucent. Added broth and tomato sauce then uncooked pasta. Cooked till pasta was to my liking then added the cream and cheese at the end. Really, really good!!
My whole family really loved this dish!! I made it exactly as written. Thanks so much!
I assume all the great reviews were left by a loyal audience who judge recipes after reading -before cooking. The taste is alright and leaves a lot to be desired. I spiced it up quite a bit. Unfortunately, I followed the recipe and it is unbelievable soupy. Way too much liquid. We ate it in a bowl with crackers because we were hungry. Would I cook it again? No!
Hi Bridget! There are over 100 reviews here based on readers who really cooked the recipe with amazing results. But I’m sorry to hear this recipe wasn’t for you!
Yep! It was awesome. Not soupy at all
Rude much?
If you don’t have beef broth what can you use instead?
You can try to substitute chicken broth. 🙂
Pretty good. I saw a comment shutting down claims that it’s nothing like hamburger helper, but I have to disagree. Don’t get me wrong it was very good and all the kids are it.
But in my opinion it was 100% a homemade hamburger helper. If you like boxed hamburger helper (I don’t) then you will definitely prefer this homemade version.
Hope this doesn’t come across negative, like I said it was good, and I don’t like hamburger helper, but I liked this. It won’t be a frequent meal but definitely on the list for an every now and then meal. (Same for any red sauce/spaghetti type meal for us)
I was out of beef stock so I went for lemon grass stock !
Replaced cream with coconut milk
Tastes like Thai food
Yep, those two substitutions would definitely make it taste like Thai food.
I absolutely love this recipe. Before i “review” any recipe, I always cook it exactly as its written and if its not good I try again. That said it came out perfect the 1st time and since then I have made it multiple times and switched out different combos of protein and veg. Besides beef, you can substitute ground chicken and chicken stock and I used 15 ounces of homemade “cream of chicken” instead of the tomato sauce and then added steamed broccoli. Excellent recipe
Yum. Yum. Yum. This turned out great, and made enough for lunches. Winner winner beef dinner lol
Made this tonight for the first time. I think it would have been great as written, but I changed it up a tiny bit. I mixed the stock, tomato sauce and seasoning as directed but went a little heavy on the Italian seasoning. I also whisked in 2 teaspoons of sugar to this mixture. I used wide egg noodles for the pasta, a little more than 8 oz. I also just cooked the pasta in with the onions and sauce. When the pasta was done, added the beef back and added the creme. Let it thicken a little, killed the fire and stirred in the sharp cheddar. I also added 2 pinches of red pepper flake while the creme was thickening. It was pretty damned good. Comforting. The kid in both of us loved it.
Great recipe! I made it gluten free and dairy free. I exchanged milk with almond milk and used almond flour with a bit of starch to thicken it. It turned out great! Family loved it!
This was really good! The only thing I may do different next time would be to use a low sodium or no sodium beef broth. (Side note it could have just been the brand of broth I had that made it a little too salty).
I made this and thought the sauce needed something more. So as others have said, add some of your own seasoning to flavor it up. Definitely the crushed red pepper flakes on top was great. I definitely would make again. This was comfort food all the way.
Pretty simple recipe, not a fan though. Maybe I thought I liked Italian seasoning, and ended up not liking it? Lol. To me it taste like a spaghetti.. but was quite easy to make
I really love this dish. I’m shocked by one of the comments that likens it to Hamburger Helper as I think it’s fantastic! I use extra sharp cheddar and to me that comes through with a perfect tang.
Made this tonight, SO GOOD! I made 3 changes, one on accident. I used elbow noodles instead of shells. And left out onions as I don’t like. And I somehow missed the “set aside beef” part so simmered the sauce and beef for the 6-8 minutes. Oops! But I would do it again in a heartbeat. I wonder if more people did it this way, if their sauce would be thicker? Because mine was SUPER thick. This dish had amazing flavor, I could taste the garlic and italian seasoning. Rich, easy to make and comforting. Thanks!
Delicious! I added some mushrooms and cut down the beef stock as suggested by other readers. I also sautéed the onion first then added the beef and mushroom and seasoned as I cooked. I was lazy so I let the beef simmered in the stock and tomato sauce. It was easy and yummy!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make!
I followed the directions exactly, creamy and succulent
The only change I would make next time would be adding
4-8 ounces of sliced mushrooms.
This recipe is…damn delicious! My husband and I really enjoyed it. We will definitely make it again. The sauce was a little thin but I will play with it a little next time, maybe add more meat. I saw a lot of reviews saying this was bland. I always add extra seasoning to recipes. I thought it was always implied that you season to your personal tastes. Don’t be afraid to add extra seasoning! It turned out really flavorful for me.
To all the comments that states it was bland and/or watery – I added some crushed red pepper, about a half teaspoon, about a teaspoon of the sauce in a can of chipotle in adobo, cut out the flour completely and added a spoonful of tomato paste as my thickener. Added the depth of flavor many of you may have been missing and wasn’t too spicy. If you don’t like spice omit the pepper flakes. This is a more healthy version of hamburger helper!
I made it just as directed and it was a success with my picky eaters. My child was already cringing at the sight of it and then changed his mind after trying it! Score for mom!
It was good but the effort was not worth the outcome. It tasted very similar to a Hamburger Helped for triple the effort.
I’m not entirely sure if I can make it any easier than this recipe, Mackenzie! But thanks for giving it a try! 🙂
I agree with one of the other posters. It was okay. Definitely missing something, very bland. I was hoping the garlic would ad to the flavor a little more than it did.
Delicious even my pickiest eater loved it…Thanks!
Was very good! Hubby loved it. Definitely will make this more often!
I made this tonight exactly like the recipe and it was delicious!! I’ll most definitely be making this again.
I’m feeling absolutely drained today and my dad is coming over for dinner.
Yeah I was gonna make steak, but I’m just not feeling up to it so I sort through my go-to recipes… AH HA! This is an easy meal that everyone loves and I always come back to as a comfort food. Thanks again for this gem!
Easy to make, family loved it!
Made this for dinner the night before last and had it for two meals yesterday! I left out the onion and added a can of fire roasted tomatoes. It’s a great base recipe. You could add almost anything to it. I’m planning to make it again without the meat and adding some corn, black beans and salsa.
I loved this recipe! I can’t wait to make it again & experiment with different cheese & protein options. The only modification I made was adding a small shake of red pepper flakes to my bowl — the heat just adds a little something.
So good! Can the sauce be frozen and reheated at a later date or not the best idea since it has heavy cream in it?
I have frozen and reheated with no issues at all! 🙂
It looks delicious. I will be trying it soon. I dont have any tomatoe sauce. Do you think Rotel will work?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Im going to make it again when my kids are gone and puree a couple cans of rotel to use in place of the tomato sauce and I’m pretty positive it will be amazing lol.
It is good. Thanks for the recipe.
Hello! Just wanted to clarify…is it 6oz of cheese or 1 1/2 cups? That would be 12oz. Thanks! Looks delish
Angela, the recipe calls for 6 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, about 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces yields roughly 1 cup shredded cheese). Hope that helps!
does it have to have all purpose flour ? or can i do it without
I recommend using the all-purpose flour for the best results possible, Christina. 🙂
Delish….thank you, served with salad and garlic bread….will definitely make again ☺️ Used velvetta and Half and half.
I’ve made this before but I remember it as being ok. I made it tonight and really loved it. I may not have had all the right ingredients the first time. I like it even more without the cheese. Thickened perfect and the flavor was just delish. Thanks, Chungah!
We love it, Genny! Thanks for sharing with us! 🙂
I made this last night and WOW! This is fantastic..creamy..cheesey goodness lol…I added sauteed garlic spinach too it to make me feel better lol
My kids are it. Enough said lol
Can you make this without the beef broth? I don’t have it on hand
Absolutely, Dee! You can substitute chicken broth if you have that handy. 🙂
Delicious
I tried this tonight. A few ingredients I didn’t have on hand. I replaced the tomatoe sauce with tomato paste & added a little bit more broth (1/2 – 3/4 cup). Also, I didn’t have heavy cream so I used whole milk and added about a Tbsp more flour. Still turned out amazing!
Definite keeper. Found it to be a bit runny, and got a little nervous but after it sat for a few minutes it thickened up (I made double batch! So there’s plenty of leftovers.)
Soooo delicious and extra creamy which normally I can never do!! Thanks for the easy recipe, my fiancé loved it as well. We had leftovers even tho I halved the recipe (not complaining!!!) and I added some extra veggies the second night for a little different meal. Delicious both times! Will definitely make again
Made this tonight and it was amazing! The whole family kept commenting how delicious it was. I will definitely be adding this into our rotation of meals. Thank you for a quick, damn delicious meal that even my pickiest eater ate!
It was very good and disappeared quickly. I tweaked it by going with equal parts beef broth and red wine.
I liked the dish, but it was a little to eatery and kind of bland. Any suggestions on how to make it more flavorful?
I meant to type watery not eatery.
You can increase the seasonings to your liking, Kylie.
You can cook your pasta at less time and let it cook the rest of the way in the actual sauce which will soak up the sauce more and possibly make it less watery. Hope that helps.
So happy I found this recipe!! It is delicious!! My family loved it, and it’s hard to please everyone. I agree, it was damn delicious!! I used only oregano, and it was still good. It was super fast and easy, and those recipes are the best for busy lives. I will be subscribing and look forward to more great recipes!
Too much sauce to pasta ratio. Recommend at least 12 oz. Used lots of garlic and italian seasoning. Great flavor!
So easy, soooo delicious
Great Recipe! I’ve made this pasta dish many times. I’ve “tweaked” it a bit by adding more beef and less pasta…to satisfy my hungry men. In its original form or adjusted…it’s delicious and reheats well too!
Adjusted the seasoning, amazing…
Tried it. It tastes amazing❤️
In an ealier review, someone mentioned draining the cooked meat well.
As long as I am browning burger meat alone to add into a dish, I always put it in a colander and run very hot water over it to get rid of excess fat, and then allow the water to drain well.
It tasted really bland. It was too watery with tomato taste. I really wanted to like this dish but unfortunately will not be making again.
I’m sorry this one didn’t work out for you, Mia! 🙁
The Creamy beef and shells recipe came out amazing!! My husband loved it! He loves hamburger helper and this was the comfort of that but without the stomach ache after! My picky kids loved it too! New rotation meal! Thanks so much!! Your recipes are Always a hit!
Absolutely delicious and super easy to make! A great weeknight dinner for our family meal planning rotation! Plus it makes a lot and my hubby has a pretty big appetite so having something that I know will feed him enough to satisfy is a huge bonus! Thank you for another great recipe! ❤️ This has been my favorite blog for the past 6 years and I’m always recommending friends to come check it out! Appreciate all that you and your team do!
Husband approved!! Highest rating there is!!
Love that! 🙂
Can u use heavy whipping cream
Yes, absolutely. 🙂
I was a little hesitant to make this because I wasn’t sure if my family would like it, but I happened to have all of the ingredients at home and I was looking for a quick and easy dinner recipe. Well, it came together quickly and easily…and my family loved it!! Made the recipe just as directed and didn’t change a thing. It was a filling, easy meal that I will make again…thanks!
My family really enjoyed this!
What is the can of (tomato sauce?) Is it Ketchup? or tomato (paste)? or just sauce like (Passata)? Which is like a can of tomatoes in a puree.
Canned tomato sauce is a cooked purée of unseasoned tomatoes.
This was fast and easy to make. My husband and I loved the flavor so I will definitely be making this again.
Could you use taco sauce for substitute for tomato sauce? Plus it is very yummy!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Although i love your dishes and i make alot of them as other reviewer’s said it was bland. Made it exactly as directed. Let me see what my guys says when he eats it. Maybe more spices and maybe a different cheese?? Not sure yet will make it again but i will tweak it. But thank you for your amazing dishes this is the only one that i feel i must tweak.
This was a huge hit in our picky eater house. I substituted Colby jack cheese and it was delicious. Thank you for the recipe!
Such an easy recipe but so so good. Perfect on cold nights when all you want is some comfort food too.. Hubby commented on how delicious it was. He had seconds and so did my son. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Does anyone have the nutrition facts per serving ?
Why not just read the labels of the ingredients and find out?
This was “damn delicious “! My entire family loved it and asked me to make it again soon. I had fat free half & half on hand and used that instead of heavy cream and it was fantastic. I also plated mine over baby spinach with just a few noodles and loved it just as much( well almost 😉
Thank you for a great recipe!
Second time in 2 weeks that I’ve made this, so delicious! The first time I followed the recipe, the second time I added the oil after browning the hamburger before the onions! So awesome!
Excellent idea
SOOOO delicious!! Made this for my mom for Mother’s Day yesterday. It was a BIG hit with everyone. So creamy and cheesy and flavorful. My husband insists we put this in our meal rotation — I agree. The ONLY thing I did different (after reading some of the reviews) was to reduce slightly the amount of beef stock. The consistency was perfect. What else can I say buy YUM!
I want to make this tonight, but my daughter is dairy free! Do you think almond milk or canned coconut milk would work? Would a vegan cream cheese or cheddar substitute work? Thank you!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Made the recipe as listed – except for the heavy cream as I didn’t have any. I added mik and sour cream instead. Definitely makes more than 4 servings. It was easy and tasty. Thanks for sharing.
A big hit even in 90 degree weather! I want to try this again with a blend of cheeses since my husband is a cheese addict! I don’t think it turned out watery but then I did reduce the beef stock before I added the tomato sauce and then reduced them together. I will be making this again for sure!
What can I use instead of Italian seasoning as I don’t have it
Zita, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon each of basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano for each teaspoon of Italian seasoning called for in a recipe.
I don’t have heavy cream, only milk. Will this work or should I try to add some sour cream?
I would add the sour cream as you go, if needed, simply for texture reasons. But as always, please use your best judgement when making substitutions and modifications.
This is so freaking good!! I’m slightly embarrassed by how much I pigged out on this! 😀 I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect! I made it a few weeks ago and I’m going to make it again tonight! Also, it’d be great if you could get the calorie/nutrition info on this at some point! 🙂
There’s absolutely no shame in digging into this one!
Nutritional information is provided only for select recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps, Soo-Jung!
Anyone else ever just get a craving for Hamburger Helper? My husband does! And this recipe is a winner in our book. Made it exactly as written and it was delicious. Total comfort food. Loved it.
First of all, I want to say that I love your blog and have yet to try a recipe that’s disappointed! This was no exception.
I always like to follow a recipe to the “T” the first time that I make it, and I loved it just the way it was! My daughter just got her second helping, so that definitely means this dish will be on at least a monthly rotation.
Thank you for posting this! It’s easy, cheesy, and budget-friendly!!!
I made this recipe exactly as writen and it was delicious!
Made it for my family last weekend – it was the perfect serving size and I even had just enough to take to work the next day as a lunch snack! Creamy, cheesy, and satisfying – this is what any hamburger helper wishes it could be! I’ll be keeping this recipe on-hand for sure.
I followed the recipe exactly, except for the addition of some crushed red pepper to taste. Omg this is so freaking good. Like hamburger helper, only so much better. And it makes a LOT. It’s really rich and filling, so it’s going to take a good while to finish the pot. But a big bowl of caesar salad and a scoop of this…. Heaven.
What should I make for a side dish? What kind of veggie? Salad? I am trying this tonight.
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
This was a great recipe! Easy and delicious-so comforting! I added red pepper flakes to give it a bit of a kick!
It was delicious I just added more cheese and will add more onions next time but I love onions.
I made this yesterday, when my dinner guests said they were going to be late I put it in the oven with extra cheese on top, and it baked up into an awesome casserole. Everyone enjoyed it! Made per ingredients and added worcestershire and cayenne for extra seasoning. No leftovers! Thank you for your recipes, you make this newbie cook feel like I’m cheffin it!
Great idea. Thanks for sharing.
Loved it used 1/2 & 1/2 instead of cream and added half a can of sliced black olives. Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow night. Thanks
I lovE this recipe! I add a bit of cayenne for heat cause my family likes to sweat a bit
I have made this recipe 3 times and love it, about to make it for the 4th time this week. It is a hearty meal that my fiance and I both love. Super filling and goes a LONG way! When both of us eat (he is a good eater), I still have plenty left over for myself to eat maybe another 2-3 times. I make this for myself and eat it basically all week (college student here!). It’s even better heated up as leftovers. Super creamy. A tip I have is to make sure to drain your meat well or get a leaner cut. If you don’t want to spend more on leaner meat then just drain it well to get all the fat out. Otherwise sometimes it can be a touch greasy, but taste is still great. I personally leave out the diced onion and garlic when I make this and have never tried it with it. I do however use garlic powder, italian seasoning, and a touch of Lawry’s salt and some pepper in the meat to taste. I also put the garlic salt, italian seasoning, and a dash of pepper in the sauce. So good. Have considered adding spinach leaves but haven’t tried yet. Tried this recipe with penne pasta which was fine but shells are best. Definitely season your meat well and it gives a more robust flavor. This recipe dirties lots of pots and pans to make but is worth it. One recommendation- the instructions are not clear in steps 3, 4, and 5 what you are adding the stuff to. The meat is set aside so what are you supposed to “add” the onions and stuff to? Winging it for myself, I put the beef stock, tomato sauce, and flour all together in a bowl and whisk to prevent clumps. Then I put it on the stove in a pan and add seasonings. Then I pour the reduced sauce over the pasta that has been drained and put in a big pot. I then add in the heavy cream, meat, and shredded cheese last. In case anyone else was confused when making this.
This is more delicious than anticipated and easy to prepare. Tastes even better the next day if something that is already delicious could be better!
Its delicious!!! Way better than hamburger helper!!!
We used bison instead of cow!!!
So easy, so delicious! I’m a vegetarian but the rest of my family is not. I used gardein meatless grounds instead of beef. Normally I would do that in mine and cook theirs with beef but tonight I’m tired of cooking multiple meals so everyone’s getting meatless grounds. Hahaha! I added baby Bella mushrooms sliced and a can of diced tomatoes. Perfect way to get more veggies into one pot! Serving ours with a spring mix salad. Thanks for the recipe I love it!
Can I double the recipe. I have a big family.
Sure!
This was good but I highly recommend only using 1 quarter cup of heavy cream. 3 quarters is way too much. I used the 3 quarter amount and will be sure to use way less next time. I also added about a cup of chopped spinach at the end. Other then that the kids liked it and I would make it again. It’s an easy quick weeknight dinner.
I am allergic to tomato but am dying to try this. Any suggestions on substituting the tomato?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
I gave it just a bit of thought, and I came up with using half the amount of ground beef, and add Longanzia or Chorizo to it.???
I made this for dinner last night and my wife and I thought it was delicious!. Thinking of trying this with either crumbled hot and/or sweet sausage next time for a twist. What do you think?
Sounds amazing, Ryan!
This was AMAZING! My 5 year old is decidedly the pickiest eater on the planet and I think she pretends not to like things just to stubborn and not hurt her record for hating everything. Usually she just takes a few bites and I have to pry it out of her that she liked it. This time she actually said she liked it! Huge success. And my husband was gushing.
I made the dish mostly as is. I had to use 1/2 sharp 1/2 medium cheddar since it’s what I had. I decided to add cream cheese because another reviewer suggested it and who doesn’t like cream cheese. That would’ve been it, but if I leave my husband alone with an unfinished dish that has cheese he manages to find a way to add more cheese. He put in about 4 oz’s of velvetta. With a 5 year old we always have some in the house.
I’m curious if anyone found a way to maybe add broccoli to the dish? I’m always trying to find a way to sneak in a veggie.
This recipe is a total keeper!
This was SUCH a hit-wow! Since I didn’t have extra sharp cheese, I added 2-3 ounces of cream cheese instead. Although I’m sure extra-sharp cheese would’ve been great, everyone LOVED the cream cheese flavor in it! It made it even more creamy! My parents are quite picky and this recipe was raved over 🙂 I printed it out to add to my recipe box! Thank you for sharing it!
Good. One cup is 8oz so 6oz of cheese is not 1.5 cups.
Janelle, it is generally accepted that 4 ounces yields about 1 cup shredded cheese so 6 ounces is roughly 1.5 cups.
Can I use ground turkey besides ground beef??
Yes, absolutely!
I am making this tonight for the first time, I only have a can of Italian diced tomatoes, which I thought I might put in the blender, can I use this instead of tomato sauce?.
Sure, that should totally work! 🙂
Can you substitute the tomato sauc for salsa???
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Haven’t made this yet. I like planning my meals, so my question is, do you have any suggestions for side dishes? I believe I could eat an entire bowl of this on it’s own, but I would like to have a side dish.
My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
In the recipe you need to be more specific, at least in my opinion. When you said drain the ground beef and set aside I thought you meant set aside the grease. Then in the next step you go on to say add the onion. Which also gave no indication that this was supposed to be done in a separate skillet. It wasn’t until I got to the “whisk in flour” step and I’m trying to whisk flour into ground beef that I noticed I had messed up. Which I know I should have read through the entire recipe before cooking but I was in a hurry and had a thousand things going on and 2 kids on my thighs. I managed to save the recipe and it looks great. Were about to sit down and dig in. Hopefully I didn’t screw it up too badly.
Shannon, I’m sorry you had such difficulty with this recipe. Did you watch the instructional video? It should visually help you understand your confusions with this recipe. I also find it very helpful to read through a recipe in its entirety at least twice from start to finish before cooking.
I did the same thing, but it still turned out great
Agreed as noted in my review this recipe is not clear about what you are supposed to “add” the onion to and should be edited for clarity. Still love the recipe but please consider that it could be made clearer.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe so much, Madison! It’s truly one of my faves!
The onion is added to the skillet (once the beef is set aside) and is now noted in the recipe for further clarification. 🙂
I did make 2 changes…instead of stock I added more tomato sauce (why take the time to reduce the sauce?). As well, I substituted the cream for 4oz of cream cheese(wish I needed to use up)…turned out amazing!! Will be making this again!
How long can i refrigerate this pasta ?
Will the sauce contents separate if i freeze and reheat it in the microwave
What a great idea! But as I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty. Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with. Hope that helps, Minoshka!
If you don’t boil your cream, (milk) it should be okay. The separation we get when we reheat leftover mac cheese, or alfredo sauce in the microwave??? That? That comes from over heating the milk in your white sauces. If you do not let it boil, and take the extra few minutes to thicken it SLOWLY, it won’t separate, and turn into clumps of cottage cheese with melted butter when you reheat it.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! I didn’t have pasta shells so I used penne and only had mild cheddar cheese. Also sprinkled some grated Parmesan on it and garnished with fresh parsley. Delish! Definitely a keeper!
Love this dish. Making it again tonight but unfortunately our cream went bad so we will try sour cream. Fingers crossed! Anyone else tried this?
Do you have this recipe for an Instant Pot?
Not at this time.
Omgoodness help! I am in the middle of making this now and i did everything according to recipe except i added the pasta to the sauce uncooked thinking it needed to cook IN the sauce! Do you if this will work or will i need to continuously add water! Ugh!
Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that! You will definitely need to add water for the pasta to cook through. Hope you were able to salvage the dish!
OH MY GOD!! This is so good. It’s delicious. I just finished cooking this and I cannot wait for my hubby to come home and taste this delicious recipe. ❤️
THIS IS SO SO GOOD <3
We’re happy to hear it!
Can I use whole milk instead of cream and reduce it down? I am out of heavy cream.
Sure!
This was a really easy recipe to cook up, and that is coming from a busy mom who hates making new recipes! Kids loved it. Only change I made was ground turkey instead of beef, and maybe not enough cheese. Lol. Still delicious.
Delicious! Used ground turkey instead of ground beef otherwise no other changes. My 16 year old son loved it and ate such huge portions that I was afraid there wouldn’t be enough left for my husband (worked late). I love your recipes Chungah!
That’s great! We’re happy to hear that your family enjoyed it!
I made this tonight and even my two year old nephew, who is a picky eater, ate two bowls! Whoop whoop! I did add red chili flakes but this is such a great recipe! My family loved it. My best friend called it gourmet hamburger helper lol
Very good, quick dinner!
Made this for my family and they loved it. I only had chicken broth & white cheddar but it was still so delicious. And it came together so quickly. Thank you for this one!
We love hearing that! Thanks, Vanessa!
Absolutely amazing. So creamy and delicious. Followed the recipe exactly as is! Will be adding to my dinner rotation 🙂
Made this 3 times. This casserole is AWESOME!!! In my opinion in needs absolutely no “tweaking”.
This was very good, I am going to make with chicken today, should be fine…
Wow! I am really not a big fan of meat sauce- that being said, it’s a family favorite so on occasion I feel obliged to make it. I am beyond excited to say that it is AMAZING! This is the second time using beef stock in a meat sauce (lasagna), and it is divine. I added goat cheese for the hell of it as well.. thanks again, I can now look forward to pasta night!
I was a little Leary about this but my family really enjoyed it. It was easy to make that is what I like. I didn’t have beef stock and I used beef broth which was just as good. I definitely will make this again
The recipe says it makes 4 servings what is a serving size
Tammie, you would have to divide the full amount by 4 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
This is one of our favorite recipes that we can’t get enough of! We made this for Valentines dinner as we didn’t want to go a restaurant. It is so easy to make and tasted so good! My husband claims the leftovers taste better the next day lol
We cannot get enough of this dish. We’ve been making it once a week. My wife renamed it “homemade Italian Hamburger Helper”
Haha perfect title! 🙂
Yum, yum and yum again! So easy to make and so delicious to eat. =)
This was amazing. It was quick and easy. I was actually surprised by how good it is. It’s a heavy, comfort-food type meal, but not TOO heavy. I love your recipes so much! My recipe book is FILLED with them. Keep being amazing!
That was really delicious! Thank you for the recipe. I may try to add spinach next time. There’s enough extra sauce to make it wilt and incorporate.
Made this tonight and we loved it! It was delicious while being a super quick and easy recipe.
I actually used an entire 16 oz of shells without really doubling anything else in the recipe (just upped the heavy cream to 1 cup). While it was certainly less “saucy” than what is shown in the pictures, it was still really yummy! Definitely a keeper for the regular rotation. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Family absolutely loves this meal! So easy to make and I added some kielbasa cause my boys love it!
Hi what kind of tomato sauce? Is it ketchup or as in condensed tomato soup
Canned tomato sauce is a cooked purée of unseasoned tomatoes.
This is yummy but there is couple things about it.
I feel like the Italian seasoning is a bit overwhelming so you could lessen the amount if you don’t love Italian seasoning, and the second thing I thing the extra sharp cheese is a bit much but you could definitely do regular sharp and be just fine or even regular cheddar. All a matter of preference. But it is basically like made from scratch hamburger helper and tastes much better than the box stuff. definitely a great quick easy meal for a week night.I will probably make this again with a few adjustments.
Hi! Quick question- could you cook the beef along with the onion, garlic and Italian seasoning? Or does the beef absorb some flavor from the sauce later on? I am big on making sure the beef has flavor!
I am so excited to try this dish though!!
You can certainly try to cook the ground beef with the onion, garlic and Italian seasoning but if it is all set aside, the sauce will not absorb any of these flavors. If the beef is not set aside, you run the risk of overcooking it. Hope that helps, Christy!
5 stars. Wife doesn’t eat pasta or tomato. She’s on her third bowl. She suggested garlic bread to go with it. I used venison, added 1/4 too much heavy cream, had to simmer down. Thanks for keeper.
It LOOKS delicious, SMELLS delicious, but no flavor at all. I believe if I would have seasoned my meat like I normally do before hand it would of been perfect. Still ate it, and will totally cook again, just going to add more spice.
Tasty, Delicious! My entire family loved this dish. I will definitely be making this again!
Delicious! The whole family loved this easy to make pasta. The only difference I made was I added not by measurement garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the meat prior to browning for added flavor. I also added 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. I finished off with a little more salt and pepper. This will definitely be made again! Thank you
Does anyone know the calorie content? I apologize for leaving this on your post, but I haven’t made it to be able to write a review. Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was delicious! It fed my family of 4 perfectly. Reminds me of a cross between hamburger helper and a tomato cream sauce dish. I added fresh parsley at the end, and my kids opted to add sliced olives in with it. Very good!
My kids loved this! I will definitely be putting this in the dinner rotation.
So good my husband and I loved it. There is only a tiny bit left I feel I should eat it now at 10am or he will get to it. Thanks for a great and easy recipe.
I made just as recipe suggests and it was delicious! Actually going to make again this week. A hit with the entire family and a great make ahead meal to take to work.
Happy you enjoyed it!
This was delicious! Used ground turkey, and 1/2 c cream cheese instead of heavy cream because that’s what I had.
Great!
Delicious! Easy to make and tastes great on a cold chilly Missouri day.
Awesome! Stay warm!
Delicious!! Thank you for the wonderful, comforting family friendly recipe! So easy to make and the leftovers are just as yummy! Perfect winter meal. 🙂
Sweet! Thanks!
I have a question. Do you sauté the onions in a separate pan? If yes or no don’t you need fat for flour? I’m confused.
Mimi
Mimi, have you tried watching the instructional video above the recipe? It will be very helpful to answer these questions! 🙂
I don’t see a video? I already made it but had similar questions. 🙂 It was very good, so I must have done OK. Very high in calories (yikes!) but super delicious. Everyone in the house gave it rave reviews!
The video is available right above the recipe card.
Just wanted to say to all the haters out there, maybe you should just go out to eat. That being said I rarely if ever follow anyone’s recipe’s including my own. I believe that recipe’s are just a starting place for inspiration to create your own flavors. I know there are times when I have absolutely no idea on what to make that’s when I find a recipe and go from there. I see what is in a recipe and take it to a place where I want to be. The first and most important rule to good cooking is to continually taste the recipe along the way to ensure you “like” it and if not make necessary changes.
I made this tonight for dinner and BANG, BAM , BOOM. What a dish! I had all the ingredients did it like it says… perfect. The wife loved it I loved it, this will remain in my dinner arsenal. I use many recipes from this website and tweak them around to make many different dishes, this one rides as is. Thank you for an easy delicious recipe.
I accidentally bought chicken stock instead! I also forgot the flour step, so after adding the Tomato sauce and stock, I whisked together a dab of water and cornstarch and it thickened well. I will definitely follow more carefully next time. Even with my my mistakes it was delicious! Simple and satisfying!
So much for me trying to go keto. I’ll try again when this pot of delicious is gone…. maybe…. Thanks for this recipe, the family and I loved it. It’s definitely going into the regular rotation. It certainly lives up to the name of your blog!
Just made this for the first time. Everyone is right; cook the entire 16 oz box of shell pasta; even then there is still sauce to spare! I added a bag of chopped baby spinach, and it incorporated nicely. I kept warning my family that this wasn’t a bolognese, just a quick homemade Hamburger Helper-type dish, but nobody cared at all, they were just so happy to eat it! Even my husband, who is particularly picky and a total pasta snob, loved it. I gave this 5 stars for its great payoff for a quick, easy to prepare weeknight meal!
This dish really delivers! Decadent, rich and creamy and so satisfying. I made it (as I always do) exactly as the recipe called for. One of the best things about this dish is you probably have everything on hand. Honestly I have yet to be disappointed in any recipe I have gotten here. Love this site! Been following for years and it has become my go to for all recipes. I am an experienced cook and love the simplicity in which the recipes are explained. The pictures and stories are great too. Damn Delicious says it perfectly!
This disah has a great taste to it thank you so much for the recipe!!!!!!!
This was beyond amazing. So family friendly. Hard to find things everyone loves and this was one!!!
Hi jana, I made this today and everybody loved it. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
I am never worried about “wasting” ingredients on your recipes – once again, this is delicious. Followed the recipe as is – YUMMY!!!!!
I made this once as written. The second time I decreased heavy cream to 1/2 cup and cheese to 4 ounces and baked 15 min at 375. It was thicker and super creamy! Amazing recipe.
A friend of mine suggested I take a look at your website because she has LOVED your Crock Pot recipes. I stumbled upon this one though, and knew I HAD to make it that day.
I am not a queen of the kitchen, and it may have been first-time-making-trial-and-error, but….my dish was a bit too soupy. Any suggestions on how to firm this dish up. Or should it be soupy? Either way, it was delicious out of the pan, and it was delicious reheated for lunch today with some broccoli!
I’m so glad you tried this! It’s one of my all-time faves.
Now this is meant to be more creamy rather than “soupy” – but if it is too much sauce, you can always add more pasta, as needed. 🙂
Just made this tonight and my family loved it! My 2 young sons (who can be picky) were skeptical at first, but they scarfed the whole bowl. Thanks for this tasty recipe! It is sure to be in my regular dinner rotation.
I was looking for something different from all the holiday leftovers. Made this tonight for my husband and I. We loved it! I will definitely make this again!
I made this last night and it turned out good, but I added salt and pepper and cumin and chili powder to the ground beef while cooking and then added it to the mixture as well. I think it definitely needed that boost. This was easy and good and I would definitely make again. I think it would also be good with seasoning the meat with taco seasoning as well. I only added about half the cream and then added more cilantro. Thank you for the recipe!
This was delicious and I will be making it often! I see that so many people keep asking if they can substitute some other liquid for the heavy cream. It’s a very basic recipe and you can put whatever liquid you (within reason), BUT just know that it is NOT going to taste the same. It doesn’t mean its going to be bad, but not the same either. I only had medium cheddar on hand so that’s what I used, and when I tasted my finished dish I knew exactly what I was missing. That sharpness from the cheese. I threw in a palmful of grated parm and problem solved. It didn’t add an obvious parm flavor, but just the sharpness it needed.
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Where is the recipe? I made this before and it was so tasty but I can’t see the recipe now.
My apologies. The website is undergoing a system update. The recipes will be available very soon! Thank you so much for your patience.
I’ve made this before and it was amazing! I’d like to make it this week but the recipe has disappeared? Would you mind sharing it again? Thank you!
My apologies. The website is undergoing a system update. The recipes will be available very soon! Thank you so much for your patience.
i really liked this. i thought it was a little too tomatoey tho. I wonder if i cut the tomato sauce in half and added more cream or broth would it make a difference? other than that it was great! i have eaten hamburger helper for years, im growing int o loving to cook now, away from box dinners. thanks!
That would probably do the trick. Thanks for sharing!
What can I substitute for the tomato sauce, I cant stand tomatoes
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
This meal was delicious but as an inexperienced cook I wasn’t sure what I was adding the onion to. I set aside the meat and added the onion to the skillet. My skillet was burning on the base so there wasn’t any liquid to add the flower to. I added a little beef stock as liquid but flour got clumpy. I’m sure I missed a step. This fish turned out good nonetheless but would like to know how to do that properly for future reference
This really is #damndelicious!
The only problem came when my 14”
pan was not big enough, & I almost had a major overflow. It was close, with a few drips!
My family loved this! Easy and delicious – will make again & again!. Any suggestions for making ahead and freezing / reheating?
Thanks, Sarah! Unfortunately, we cannot answer this with certainty as we have never tried freezing this ourselves. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’ve made this twice now but vegetarian! I use “meatless” crumbles and veggie broth. It was a huge hit!
I made this last night after realizing I had all of the ingredients on hand (well, I had to swap mini penne for the shells). It is soo good and easy to put together. Thanks so much for creating this recipe.
My cup of tea Chungah ! Thank you !
This looks great! What kind of sides would you recommend with this?
Hi Holly! My absolute favorite side dish is the garlic parmesan roasted potatoes. But please feel free to check out all of my side dish recipes here.
Have only made once but was a huge hit with my wife and I. Will make it often (exactly per recipe). Others compare with hamburger helper??? No way… this is MUCH better.
GREAT. Good bit more liquid than depicted in the post, but that didn’t hurt at all. Adding it to the rotation.
Total comfort/bum food….you can leave out the heavy cream for a dish you can have more often and it’s still delish
I love everything about this! It’s so delicious.
Do you think it would freeze well?
Freezing sounds like an amazing idea but unfortunately, we cannot answer this with certainty as we have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Sooo yummy! I ended up omitting the heavy cream, just did a 1/2 cup of Fairlife milk, added red pepper, crushed red pepper and spinach! Delish! Thanks for a great recipe.
This was amazing!! All of us really enjoyed it. I did not have heavy cream on hand, so I threw in some velveeta in place of the cream and shredded cheese.
How big is the serving? 1 cup? I’d like to know for tracking purposes. 🙂 I can’t wait to try this!
Hi Kelsi! You would have to divide the full amount by 4 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
Delicious and easy
I have made this a few times now and love it every time! Super easy to throw together, tasty, creamy, delicious, and saucy. I hate when there isn’t enough sauce, no problem with that here! Thank you!
Made this it was real good I replaced the beef with mild Italian Sausage Will make again
Wonderful! Another hit from Damn Delicious! Thanks!
I tried this recipe this evening and everything was drowning in liquid and kind of tasteless. I’m not exactly sure where I went wrong 🙁 Pretty bummed.
First of all , I love ALL of your recipes !! Second , this was AMAZING and EASY ! I used the whole 1lb. box of Medium Shells ( actually minus about 2 cups that I saved for my picky 3 yr. old Grandson ) and I added a bit of smoked paprika and some finely shredded Parmesan ! But there is a problem … I can’t stop eating it out of the pot ! I’m thinking that it doesn’t count though if you don’t actually use a plate or bowl , right ?!?! Thank you for another delicious meal that I can serve my family !
I made this for my boyfriend the other night. I doubled the recipe which turned out to be way more than I thought it would be, but it worked out perfectly – he loved it so much, he ate it for three days straight! Everything I’ve tried from your site has been amazing!!
I tried this recipe this evening and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only tweak I made was the addition of a tablespoon or so of chilli flakes. This will certainly become a dish that I cook regularly.
Great!
I made this tonight and it was amazing! My entire family loved it! Taste 10x better than Hamburger Helper! I used pasta shells made of chickpeas. So yummy!
I want to double the receipe. I need to make 16 oz of pasta because I am feeding seven. I am not concerned about the Hamburg but will it still turn out if I use a cup and a half of heavy cream and so on to double the receipe.
Debbie, I recommend doubling all ingredients for the most consistent results. 🙂
Made this a week ago and it was fantastic. When I told him what we were having, my husband said “sounds like homemade Hamburger Helper.” And it was – in the best possible way. This will become part of the regular rotation, maybe with some of the mods others mentioned.
It’s such a good one! Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for another great recipe! Made this for the family tonight – LOVED IT! 🙂 Definitely putting this one in the regular rotation.
Sweet!
Just make this for dinner. I CAN’T STOP EATING IT! It kind of reminds me of hamburger helper, but OH so much better. Husband loved it as well and said “Oh this hits the spot!” I skimped on the flour because I’m diabetic and shouldn’t be eating this much pasta in the first place. It still worked without it, probably a little less creamy.
This certainly does hit the spot! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Chungah, made this dish tonight for dinner. My husband had a temporary crown put on his tooth yesterday, so, we will be eating soft, easy to chew food for the next week. This pasta was the best ever. We both loved it. It will become part of the regular rotation
tooth issues or not. Thank you.
Oh awesome!
Made this last night. Everyone LOVED it. I used a 16 oz box of shells and there was plenty of sauce for that much pasta. So I question the 8 oz of pasta listed in the recipe. fF that was all the pasta used – it would be very soupy…more than the photo.
I substituted half and half for the heavy cream. Will definitely add this to our weeknight meal rotation, My son asked me if we can have it again tonight!
That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing.
Haha, I did exactly the same! Half and Half because I had no heavy cream and a full box of pasta. Still plenty of sauce. We loved it and I will make it again when the kiddos come home from college on their next break.
Great to hear!
I cooked this with local beef, homemade beef stock, fresh tomato sauce for the garden, and mozzarella. I’ll skip the flour next time and add a little starchy pasta water instead.
Great idea!
This was delicious!! It’s a perfect fall comfort food! (Except that it’s been 80 degeees here in Jersey!)
I actually made this when I came home from work, then placed it on the crock pot on low for about 2 hours while out at the kids activities. It was warm and ready to go when we got home. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hopefully it will cool down a bit for all of our Fall comfort foods! 🙂
Big fan of Damn Delicious but for some reason this missed the mark for me. Tasted a bit too acidic and had a lot of extra sauce. Thankfully I just spooned sauce into the hot pasta as needed otherwise it would have been swimming. I am confident that I can tweak this a bit to turn out a little creamier just surprised when I make a damn delicious recipe and it isn’t absolutely perfect. But tons of others loved it so this might just be the one outlier for our tastes. I’ll be sure to try again and let you know my thoughts!
I totally agree! Usually love damn delicious recipes but this one was definitely a miss. It had a lot of the canned tomato taste, so I tried to balance it out by adding a little sugar (which it helped a little). After a few bites though, the flavor became pretty one note. Maybe next time I’ll add some other spices to jazz it up!
So, I just made this for the second time and it was WAY better! Didn’t use any flour, cut in half the amount of tomato sauce and beef broth and kept the heavy cream about the same. I sauted the garlic and onion, then added in the beef (drained fat) added in the tomato sauce and brother and let it simmer for 30 mins. Spices I added while the meat was cooking was garlic salt, seasoned salt, pepper and hot paprikia. Then a good pinch of salt when cooking the tomato sauce. Added great extra sharp cabot cheese and we absolutely loved it. The super acidic tomato flavor was gone and it was the perfect amount of liquid to coat the pasta. This was a fantastic recipe but just really needed some tweaking for our tastes, but this is def going in the rotation so I am super glad I tried it a second time.
We love this recipe. I made it once with the Italian seasoning and it was awesome. The second time I substituted 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/4 tsp ground chipotle powder for the Italian seasoning and it was a hit with the family. I have also successfully substitued blended cottage cheese for the cream and it worked well. Thanks for a very versitle and delicious recipe.
Great modifications!
Does anybody have any ideas on how well this might freeze in individual serving sizes? It’s the kind of recipe I would love to make a double batch of and stock my freezer with the rest.
How much sodium
Nutritional information is provided only for select and some new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”). Hope that helps!
We prepared this recipe tonight for supper. It is a good base for our taste, but next time I will cook the sauce for much longer before adding the cream and pasta.
This was a very nice meal.
Great simple recipe, i made substitutions because I don’t eat beef, I used ground turkey and chicken broth instead. I didn’t have onions or minced garlic I used onion and garlic powder and eliminated the heavy creame it was still very creamy and Good!
Great modifications!
Hi, I’ve been loving your recipes! I wanted to know if flour was necessary or if there was a sub I could use? My kids are allergic to wheat.
Thank you!
We, unfortunately, cannot give dietary advice when it comes to food allergies. As always, please use your best judgement when making substitutions and modifications.
This looks amazing! Do you use extra lean beef? Can you substitute for ground turkey or ground bison?
Yes and yes! 🙂
Chungah, I have to tell you this recipe is the bomb.com! It is soo good and so easy to make. I made it over the weekend and thankfully I put away a bowl of leftovers before my husband annihilated the rest of the pan. You hit it out of the park with this one!
Happy you enjoyed it!
Thank you for a beautiful creamy beef and shells recipe. Made this tonight for my family and the kitchen smells divine. It tastes even better.
Glad you and your family loved it!
This was so so creamy and delicious. It was super quick to make and just as good leftover. I don’t think I put a full 3/4 c of cream. I just stirred in until it looked right. Honestly, if you think the cream will not sit well with you it tastes great without too. (Yes I was tasting along the way). I’ll probably make it again this week.
Awesome!
Could you please add grams and celcius temperatures to your recipes ? it’s what we use in my country and it’s a lot of trouble trying to convert ingredients and temperatures. I love your recipes but most time I decide not to make them because converting is a lot of trouble for me !
Hi Mary! There are many free online calculators available online to convert cups to grams as well as fahrenheit to celsius. 🙂
Why serve immediately?
Because it is best served warm. 🙂
Well, you could serve it 2 mons. from now if you like. Make sure you sit it out on the counter the whole time! Come on, Martha the train is leaving the station!
Made this tonight for my picky eaters. They loved it!! It was so easy to make. The picture reminded me of hamburger helper, but I loved that it was all homemade and not from a box. It is definitely being added to our list of dinner options. Thank you for this recipe!
So great to hear!
How many servings does this make?
4.
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I added Italian sausage and spinach, and it turned out very good! Thanks for the awesome recipe (and many others!)
That sounds so yummy!
Comfort food at its best! I had the worst, worst day today. TWO bowls later, I’m feeling much better! Now if only someone would do all my dishes!
My only change was to switch from shell pasta to “little ear” noodles because that’s what I had. I wish I could attach a picture here. The dish was really pretty.
That’s awesome, Kathleen! So happy it improved your crappy day. Hopefully tomorrow will be better!
I went grocery shopping today and bought the ingredients I didn’t already have on hand to make this tomorrow night. I will substitute half & half for the heavy cream (less rich, but works just fine in every recipe calling for heavy cream that I’ve tried) and dried oregano and basil for the Italian seasoning as I don’t care for the rosemary in it. I am also going to saute some diced celery with the onion. Can’t wait to try it!
Let us know how it goes!
SO GOOD and So easy I made it between taking calls working from home!
Awesome!
Just made this for dinner tonight. It was great, and half and half worked well vs heavy cream. I would recommend adding some veggies, maybe peas, peppers, corn… anything. Or add a side salad. But what a yummy comfort food!
Great idea, Sandy. Thanks for sharing.
This was super easy and very tasty! I mixed in spinach for some extra veggie content. Reheated well too. And my 9 month old thought it was pretty tasty too, so much so she needed to cover herself head to toe in the sauce!
Haha, that sounds too cute! Thanks for sharing.
This looks dreamy! Like comfort in a pan.
I can’t wait to make it for dinner.
You’ve knocked it out of the park this week with the chicken lettuce wraps and this dinner. I love using shell pasta!
This looks like some seriously delicious comfort food! I wish I was eating some right now!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I made this in my instant Pot tonight.
Do steps 2 and 3.
My step 4 was stirring through the pasta and adding 2 1/2 cups of beef stock.
Put on the lid, set for 6 minutes on medium.
Sit for a a couple of minutes before releasing the steam (I did quick release).
I added regular cream but only 1/2 cup (if that) You don’t need the flour because the starch from the pasta thickens it naturally.
If the pasta isn’t as soft as I like I always put the lid back on for a few minutes.
It tastes amazing- like everything else on this site 🙂
Thanks for the tips, Vanessa! Did you use the tomato paste at all?
This looks amazing !! I will have to make this for dinner this week.
This looks amazing! I wish it didn’t have cream in the sauce. I’m going to make it anyway maybe only every couple of months.
Amy I was starving when I made this and I served myself a big scoop and ate it only to re-enter the kitchen and notice I forgot to stir in the cream! You could definitely leave it out and it’s still creamy from the cheddar. Just a stronger tomato flavor.
I made this for supper tonight. I followed the directions exactly as written. This stuff is amazing! It reminds me of a fancy “hamburger helper”. The combinations of flavors are spot on! It’s a great comfort food and very addicting! Thanks for another great recipe!
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks for sharing.
Making this tonight and cannot wait! Love your site and your great recipes! I haven’t been disappointed with one yet! 🙂
Update: it was SO GOOD! Definitely reminded me of those good ol’ Hamburger Helpers but much better and so easy!
Awesome!
This looks so good! How large is a serving? I know it says it makes 4, but just trying to figure out the nutritional information. Thanks!
Hi Sabine! You would have to divide the full amount by 4 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
Going to make this tonight for my 4-year old grandson–it looks good and it better taste good! Thank you for posting.
I hope you’ll enjoy it!
can 2% milk be used for the heavy cream?
Yes, of course, but I find that heavy cream is truly best to maintain that creamy consistency.
That sounds like a real stretch. You might get away with whole milk but based on my experience the use of cream is for it’s fat content. Once that is removed, all recipes become iffy that one of the main ingedients has been substituted for.
This does Look so yummy! My hubby is a Diabetic but I’m going to try this! 🙂
Let us know how you like it!
Do you have a nondairy substitute for the heavy cream?
You could try coconut cream instead, but please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Hey Chunga, can you convert this to an IP recipe?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
Do you think I could make this in my Instant Pot? How would you alter the cooking liquid after you sauté the beef and onion?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, we cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Hi Marissa,
I’m going to make this one in my IP, too. It looks so delicious, and I know it will work! I haven’t decided yet whether to reserve the beef after browning it and add it back at the end, or leave it in the pot. Either way will work, but I think the beef might be more tender if it’s set aside after cooking, as Chungah suggests.
Generally, you need 2 cups of liquid for every 4 ounces of pasta when cooking in the IP, just for the pasta. Because this recipe has that, plus 2 cups of tomato paste, I think it’ll be fine with the amounts of liquid in the recipe. You can always add a little more liquid at the end, if needed. You know to cook the recipe for half the amount of time recommended on the box of shells, right? It will probably be pretty soupy when you first remove the lid, but give it a stir and let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the cream and cheese, and it should thicken up nicely. Waiting allows for some evaporation, and that slight cooling ensures the cream won’t curdle and the cheese won’t clump.
Be careful of the flour in step 4, it can settle to the bottom of the pot and cause a burn notice. If you do decide to add the flour (I’m not sure it will need it), add it at the end in a slurry with the cream. Just make sure it’s completely dissolved before adding it to the pot, then stir until it’s well-mixed. Good luck!
Recipe looks like and reminds me of the 1970’s version of Hamburger Helper.
It totally does!
Exactly
Will substituting half and half for the heavy cream make a noticeable difference in taste or texture?
Hi Debra! Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, we cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
It was great made it for my family before vacation;The recipe is super quick and stores great.
I substitute half & half for heavy cream most of the time in lots of recipes and it is fine…just not quite as thick.
Can I substitute the heavy cream with something else? Even if it alters the flavors a little?
You can try coconut cream but please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Creamy Beef & Shells, delicious! Will make again and again
We substituted cottage cheese for the heavy cream
I’ve substituted cashew cream for the cream in a similar recipe and it worked well. I feel like the coconut flavor pairs oddly in an Italian recipe, but works better in Asian recipes. Just a thought! Can’t wait to try the recipe, looks delish!
I use 2% evaporated milk when a recipe calls for heavy cream…..made this dish the other night and hubby loved it…..said I can make any time…
Tonight I used 1% milk and a little Light/fat free sour cream. It turned out fabulous! Tonight I also used all my leftovers!!! Taco beef, Kraft Mac n Cheese, and I didnt’ have sharp cheddar… I used Cheddar Mix and then Italian Mix of Cheeses!!! It was still fabulous!!! Best way to use up food in a whole new way, no one thought leftovers at all!!!! They though it was fabulous!!! Plus, I read one and only one review before I started… it said they used broccoli and not noodles… SO I made steamed broccoli and added 1/2 the meat mixture on it! I put 1/4 of the meat mixture on the Kraft Mac n Cheese, and then I left 1/4 meat mixture for tomorrow to eat on top of the left over baked potatoes!!! This recipe is so versatile !!!! and so yumy!!! I’m thinking of crushing up canned/steamed green beans and stirring them in next time!!! The more the veggies the better!!!
This looks like an amazing weeknight meal — dang, that sauce! Can’t wait to try this one!
Where is the recipe? Can’t navigate to it.
My apologies – the website was undergoing an update but the recipes have now been fully restored. Thank you so much for your patience!