Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef

Instructions

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1. 1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the jumbo shells. Cook the shells just until they’re al dente, making sure not to over cook them. The longer the shells boil, the more likely they are to tear during the stuffing process. Drain the shells in a colander and then rinse briefly with cool water and set aside.
2. 2 Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooking oil. Brown the ground beef chuck. Drain any excess fat.
3. 3 Once the beef has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
4. 4 Next add the marinara sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper to the skillet. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the beef sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. 5 While the sauce is simmering, make the cheese filling. In a medium bowl add the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, and egg. Stir all of the ingredients together well.
6. 6 Take half of the beef sauce mixture and layer it at the bottom of a large 9x13-inch casserole dish.
7. 7 Now one by one, stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the cheese filling. I used 1 heaping tablespoon per shell. Place the shells in the casserole dish as you stuff them.
8. 8 Once the shells are all stuffed, add the remaining beef sauce over top. Then sprinkle 1 ½ cups of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
9. 9 Loosely place some tented aluminum foil over the casserole dish and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes remove the foil and bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling up around the edges. Serve hot and enjoy!