Description
Creamy beef and shells elevate the classic boxed meal with homemade comfort and rich flavor that feels like a warm hug from your kitchen. Tender pasta shells cradle seasoned ground beef in a velvety sauce that makes your dinner table feel extra special.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cups shell pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Dairy and Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Seasonings and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and coats the bottom evenly.
- Add 1 lb ground beef to the hot skillet, breaking it into small crumbly pieces using a wooden spoon.
- Sprinkle 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper directly over the meat while cooking.
- Cook the beef for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it turns completely brown with no pink visible.
- Drain excess grease if your skillet looks too oily, keeping a thin layer for added flavor.
- Pour 1 cup beef broth into the skillet, scraping the bottom to release all those delicious browned bits.
- Add 2 cups shell pasta directly into the skillet with the beef and broth, stirring to combine thoroughly.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cover the skillet completely.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until your pasta reaches perfect tenderness.
- Lower the heat and pour in 1 cup heavy cream, stirring gently to integrate smoothly.
- Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese into the skillet, stirring until it melts completely.
- Remove the skillet from heat and fold in ½ cup sour cream until the sauce becomes silky and uniform.
- Allow the dish to rest for 2-3 minutes, letting the sauce thicken and flavors meld together.
- Scatter 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley across the top for a bright, fresh finish.
- Serve directly from the skillet while hot, ensuring each portion gets a perfect mix of creamy pasta and seasoned beef.
Notes
- Choose ground beef with a higher fat content for more flavor, but drain excess grease to keep the dish from becoming too oily.
- Shell pasta works best here because the sauce gets trapped inside the curves, creating perfect bites with maximum creaminess.
- For a lighter version, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and use reduced-fat cheddar cheese to cut down on calories.
- Make this dish gluten-free by using chickpea or grain-free shell pasta and ensuring your broth is certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 16-18 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 622 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 610 mg
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg