Creamy Beef and Shells – tender ground beef and shells in creamy homemade sauce.
One-Pot Creamy Beef and Shells
A hearty one-pot meal that everyone will love. If you have a pound of ground beef, you probably have everything you need to make this family favorite. Think Homemade Hamburger Helper that is easy to customize and hard to resist.
Ingredients for Creamy Beef and Shells
Scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Protein
- Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef so that I don’t have to drain the meat after cooking. Ground turkey or even ground chicken would be a great substitute.
Flavor
- Aromatics – Chopped Onions, Minced Garlic, and Fresh Parsley
- Seasonings – Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder
- Tomato Paste – to add depth of flavor.
- Cheese – Colby-Jack, Sharp Cheddar, or even Parmesan are all great options.
Pasta
- Medium Shells – or any bite-sized pasta shapes like macaroni and penne.
Cooking Liquids
- Beef Broth – use low-sodium beef broth or low-sodium chicken broth.
- Heavy Cream – to add the creamy finish to the pasta.
How to Make Creamy Beef and Shells
This is an easy one-pot pasta when you are craving pure comfort food using the ingredients you already have!
- Start with a large sauté pan or pot. Just make sure you have a lid to cover when cooking.
- Saute the onion, garlic, and tomato paste, then add the ground beef to the pan to brown. Sometimes, people prefer to brown the ground beef first, then add the onions and garlic. This works too, however I prefer the onions to be softer and more tender so I like to sauté them first.
- Deglaze the pan with beef broth and heavy cream, and season.
- Add the pasta and cook covered over low heat until tender.
- Stir in cheese and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe is easily customizable. Use what you have to make a cozy one-pot pasta dinner. Add taco seasoning for a taco variation or cajun seasoning for some spice.
- Add more cheese on top for an extra cheesy version.
- If you want to use meat that has already been cooked, like leftover taco meat, just follow the same steps but add the meat after the pasta has cooked and let meat heat through.
- To double the recipe, double the ingredients, use a larger pot but keep the same cooking times.
More One-Pot Recipes To Try
One-Pot Creamy Beef and Shells
Servings: 4
Calories: 642kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz pasta (1/2 a pound of pasta)
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté and 1-2 minutes. Then add tomato paste to pan and let cook another 1-2 minutes. Increase heat and add ground beef to pan, breaking up ground beef as it cooks.
- Once the ground beef has cooked through, stir in beef broth, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then stir in uncooked pasta, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let cook for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in cheese and top with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 642kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 630mg | Potassium: 1000mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 844IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 255mg | Iron: 4mg
5 Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights
My five FAVORITE recipes for busy families!
- Quick to make
- Light on your budget
- Easy to clean-up
- and...most important...absolutely DELICIOUS
I made this last night, and we devoured it. It’s so good, and I love how easy it is to make!
I love how everything came together in one pot – made cleanup a breeze! The best part was that I had everything I needed in my pantry and fridge already.
This One-Pot Creamy Beef and Shells was a total comfort food win! The pasta cooked perfectly in the rich, creamy sauce, and the ground beef added just the right amount of heartiness. Plus, it all came together in one pot, so cleanup was a breeze. My family loved it—definitely adding this to the weeknight rotation!
This One-Pot Creamy Beef and Shells was the perfect weeknight meal! It came together so quickly, and the creamy sauce with the beef and shells was incredibly comforting.
This beef and shells recipe is SO GOOD! Easy enough for me to make on weeknights. Next time I’m going to add some taco seasoning like suggested to switch it up.
I love a comforting and hearty one-pot meal, perfect for busy weeknights.