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Easy Creamy Beef and Shells

Published: / Updated: / 58 Comments

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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!

close-up of creamy ground beef and shells in a bowl

This recipe is perfect for when you want something quick and cozy. This meal isn't fancy, but it sure tastes good. Chili powder and garlic powder are great all-purpose seasonings, so I threw them in here. You could even change up the seasonings if you wanted to. Some canned tomato sauce, a little beef broth, and a splash of cream at the end dresses up ground beef in under 30 minutes. I garnished it with a little fresh parsley for a pop of color and bit of herby flavor.

You can even add some cheese to this recipe if you want to give it some Hamburger Helper vibes (mind you, I do have a separate recipe for Hamburger Helper), but you can't go wrong with extra cheese, right? I'd add a cup of grated cheddar and stir it in towards the end if you want to take that route. I can guarantee that would be popular with the kiddos. 😉

creamy beef and shells close-up

Beef and shells recipe notes & tips:

  • I recommend using the leanest ground beef you can find, because then you can skip the step of draining the fat.
  • If you don't have any shells on hand, you can definitely sub with a different kind of pasta. 
  • If you really need to, you can leave the cream out, but I do love the richer flavor it adds to this recipe. 
  • This sauce freezes well (I'd add the pasta once you're ready to eat, though).

Other simple ground beef recipes you'll love:

easy creamy beef and shells in two bowls

Will you make this creamy beef and shells recipe? 

Questions? Let me know in the comments below.

close-up of creamy ground beef and shells in a bowl

Easy Creamy Beef and Shells

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!
5 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 481 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces medium uncooked shells
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or use 3 cloves minced garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 (14 fluid ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Boil water for your pasta and cook it al dente according to package directions.
  • In a skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium-high heat (ok if it browns a little).
  • Add the beef to the pan and cook it until it's browned, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along (about 5 minutes). If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
  • Stir in the garlic powder and chili powder, then add the tomato sauce and beef broth. Give it a good stir and cook it for 4-5 minutes or so (reduce the heat so it's gently simmering). The sauce should reduce a bit, but don't let it go dry.
  • Stir in the cream and season with salt & pepper as needed. Let the cream warm through and then toss with the drained pasta shells. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 481kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 34gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 687mgPotassium: 899mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 797IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 5mg
Keyword creamy beef and shells, ground beef and shells, ground beef pasta
Author Natasha Bull

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  1. Sara says

    This was a fantastic recipe. I didn't have shells so I used rigatoni and it turned out delicious. I love all of your recipes! My kids are 5 and 2 and ate every bite! Thanks 😊

    Reply

  3. Fran says

    Daughter is breastfeeding twins and they have developed a allergy to milk. Can I use almond milk in sauce or soy.

    Fran.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Almond or soy milk are watery. They just won't give the same effect as cream at all. You could possibly try a dairy-free whipping cream like Silk makes.

      Reply

  4. Karen MacDonald says

    I didn’t have all ingredients: substituted fire roasted salsa tomatoes and added sour cream instead of heavy cream. That help cut some of the heat from the tomatoes. First time making it and my husband loved it! Not sure he’d like the original recipe since he’s a spicy kinda guy.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm glad you enjoyed it with the tweaks!! You could definitely add in a bit of cayenne pepper to kick up the original.

      Reply

  5. Helen says

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Finished it off with a scoop of ricotta atop each bowl and served with a salad. My family had no complaints! Definitely will make again!

    Reply

  6. Gerri Minton says

    My husband said "This is definitely a MAKE AGAIN"!! I followed the directions to a "T"*. All I can say it is wonderful.
    *As I don't eat meat I substituted ground turkey.
    Thank you for this great recipe.

    Reply

  7. Isabella says

    I haven't done it yet, i just want to know what can I use instead of heavy cream i couldn't find it and is the beef broth necessary? Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hmmm well the beef broth provides some liquid, and some flavor and saltiness. Use water instead and be sure to season the sauce well at the end (maybe use part of a bouillon cube if you happen to have some). As for the cream, you could probably use half-and-half, but there's a chance it'll curdle with the acidity from the tomatoes here.

      Reply

        • Natasha says

          Is the beef cooked properly? Did you use the same type of tomatoes I did? Did you remember to add the cream? As long as it tastes good, nothing to worry about. 🙂 Light in photos etc. can vary.

          Reply

  8. Jenny says

    I would love to add a green veggie to this dish! Do you think some fresh baby spinach added at the end would be a good addition? Would love to keep it all in one pot haha.

    Reply

  9. Zue307 says

    Made it for dinner tonight; I had everything I needed plus the shells! We've just finished eating. The sauce is better than bolognese, which I normally cook. This will be my sauce from now onwards. Thank you very much! ❤️

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      That should be fine, but there's a chance it'll make the sauce a bit grainy (it can curdle) due to the acidity of the tomatoes. It'll still taste fine, though.

      Reply

  11. Candice Johnson says

    5 stars
    This sauce is amazing! I think you could put it on any kind of pasta that you choose. I used tomato sauce and the heavy cream and it was so good. Easy Peezy quick meal! Perfectly delicious!

    Reply

  12. Vanessa G-V says

    5 stars
    What a great recipe! My family loves this. You don't even know there isn't cheese in this but it's so creamy (although we do add a bit of shredded cheddar on top to make it extra special!) This recipe literally takes 30 min total..it's awesome in a big batch and is great re-heated. Thank you!

    Reply

  14. Kayla says

    5 stars
    This was SO good!! My husband and I loved it. I don't know why, but it feels like such a step up from spaghetti even though it was super easy to make! It's definitely going into our regular rotation.

    Reply

  15. Galey Tucker says

    I made this tonight. I used penne instead of shells and I added cheddar cheese. It was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.

    Reply

  16. Margaret Eberl says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight. Turned out great! I could totally see adding the cheddar as you suggested and putting a dallop of sour cream on top! My son thought the shells tasted like taco shells so may as well play that up! 🙂

    Reply

  17. Anecia Mascorro says

    Would using chicken broth change the flavor up a lot, or do you think the beef would be enough that it’d still work and taste good?

    Reply

  19. Lauren says

    Amazing! I made the recipe exactly as you wrote it first and it was delicious, so of course the next time I had to add to it. The second time, I added a generous splash of balsamic vinegar and about a 1/2 tsp of onion powder and that was good, too. Thanks for sharing a great, quick dinner!

    Reply

  20. Kaniz Sabah says

    Hi Natasha,

    I made this pasta yesterday with Penne as I could not find the Shell pasta. My husband and I loved it! It was so simple to make and did not take much effort. I am really looking forward to some great cookbooks by you. Keep sharing the amazing work. Much love.

    - Kaniz

    Reply

  21. Kate says

    The only meat I have on hand is mild sausage (leftover from the tuna pasta I made last night, yum!). Would it be ok to use that instead of beef or would it taste weird with the beef broth?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      There’s a chance the tomato sauce will curdle it and it’ll go a bit grainy, but if you don’t mind, it’ll still taste fine.

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'd probably just leave it out. Milk is notorious for curdling (especially with tomato sauce), and I don't really think it would add much to the sauce.

      Reply