Combine the iconic flavors of a Philly cheesesteak with the comfort of pasta shells, creating a dish which is not only delicious, but fun to eat for the entire family. These Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells are filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, fried onions, bell peppers, and gooey melted cheese, baked with a drizzle of creamy cheese sauce. These similar flavors can also be found in my Philly Cheesesteak Pasta recipe.
For more fun to make weeknight dishes, try our Baked Beans with Ground Beef, or my Cabbage Roll Casserole. If you have more time on your hands, I highly recommend trying my French Onion Chicken Pasta for a comforting pasta dish!
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Ingredients you will need
Find classic Philly Cheesesteak ingredients in this easy to make recipe. Below is the list of ingredients I used to make this dish.
- Jumbo Pasta Shells
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Bell Peppers
- Garlic
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Grated Cheese
- Milk (or milk substitute like almond milk)
- Cornstarch
- Beef Broth (or chicken broth)
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
- Start by cooking at least 24 Jumbo Shells in a large pot of salted boiling water.
- Make sure to only cook them al dente because they will be going back into the oven.
In a skillet on medium-high heat, cook your ground beef .
Once the meat fully cooked, add the chopped peppers, onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucid.
Turn the heat off. Stir the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in the meat to combine.
Fill the 24 jumbo shells by evenly distributing the meat filling. Place the stuffed shells tightly together in a baking dish. Anything between an 8"x10" to a 9"x13" will work, no lid needed.
Reuse the same skillet to make the cheese sauce. Place the milk in the skillet. Add some of the broth to the cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the slurry and the rest of the broth to the simmering milk. Once thickened, whisk in the grated cheese until smooth.
Pour ⅔ of the cheese sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the top of the dish with some grated cheese. Place the dish in a 350F over for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Serve with the rest of the cheese sauce on the side and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley if you have.
Substitutions for this dish
- Ground Meat - instead of ground beef you could use ground turkey, chicken or pork.
- Pasta - cook about 2 cups of a small pasta like mini shells or bow tie. Stir the cooked and drained pasta with the prepared meat mixture to make more of a casserole.
- Milk Substitute - to make the sauce you can use a milk substitute like almond milk, as long as it is unsweetened and unflavored.
Store your leftover Stuffed Shells
Store any remaining Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells in an airtight containers to prevent the pasta shells from drying out. Place in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. These also freeze very well if you want to keep them for up to a month in the freezer.
Recipe
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 box Jumbo Pasta Shells
- 1 tablespoon Salt
Meat Filling
- 500 grams Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper cored and diced
- ½ large White Onion diced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- ? cup Ketchup
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Cheese Sauce
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 2 tablespoon Corn Starch
- 1¾ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F with an over shelf in the middle position.
Cook Jumbo Shells
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta shells. Cook at least 26 shells in case of breakage, to make sure you have 24.
- Make sure the shells are just cooked (al dente) because they are going back into the oven. When ready, take them out of the water and place onto a plate. Set aside.
Cook Meat Filling
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, drizzle the olive oil and cook the ground beef fully.
- Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic to the cooked ground beef and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Turn the heat off of the skillet. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to the meat mixture. Stir until well combined.
- With a spoon, fill the 24 shells with the meat mixture and place them (standing up )in a baking dish. Best that they are a little snug so that they do not fall down.
Make the Cheese Sauce
- In a large skillet on medium heat, pour in the milk and bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and a couple tablespoons of the broth, in order to make a smooth slurry.
- When the milk starts to simmer, add in the cornstarch mixture and the rest of the broth. Whisk immediately and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth.
- Add the 1½ cup of the grated cheddar to the sauce and whisk it in until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened.
- Pour ¾ of the sauce over the the stuffed shells in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup of cheese on top. Bake the shells for 10-15 minutes in the preheated 350F oven.
- Serve with the remaining cheese sauce and enjoy!
