Creamy Beef and Shells

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! This creamy beef and shells recipe is incredibly simple to make. It's a hearty and comforting family meal that you'll enjoy again and again!

This creamy and cheesy Beef and Shells pasta recipe is the ultimate family comfort food.  Perfect for a weeknight dinner idea, it’s like a homemade, and way tastier, version of hamburger helper! Creamy Beef and Shells is a hearty pasta dish that is perfect for a quick dinner for the whole family! It is rich, flavorful, and cheesy and even kids will love it!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces medium pasta shells 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 pound ground beef 
• 1  small sweet onion  (diced)
• 5 cloves garlic  (minced)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley 
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup beef stock 
• 1 (15oz can)  marinara sauce 
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup sour cream 
•  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  (to taste)
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese  (freshly grated)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions in a large pot of boiling salted water and drain well.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, breaking it with a wooden spoon. Drain excess fat and set aside.
3. To the same skillet, add diced onion, and cook for 2minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, for about 1 minute.
5. Gradually whisk in beef stock and stir to combine. Add marinara sauce and stir in Italian seasoning, dried parsley, oregano, and paprika.
6. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
7. Stir in cooked pasta, add back beef.
8. Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
9. Stir in sour cream.
10. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted, about 1-2 minutes.
11. Serve immediately, garnish with parsley if desired.