Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells made with ground beef, cheddar, bell peppers and onions with a creamy sauce to drizzle over the shells when they’re done.
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells are another version of our favorite Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes with the filling added to jumbo pasta shells and a quick and easy creamy cheese sauce made from the same pan the meat filling was made in.
If you’d like to serve this with a pasta other than jumbo shells you can also use this Philly Cheesesteak Hamburger Helper recipe, its another favorite in this house.
We joke that this blog is half fueled by brown sugar garlic chicken and half by all things Philly Cheesesteaks. With over a dozen Philly recipes you’re in the right place if you love those flavors.
Thinking of some other stuffed shells ideas?
- Pepperoni Pizza stuffed shells with marinara sauce, pepperoni and mozzarella.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Stuffed Shells with the Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pinwheels filling and baked with alfredo sauce.
- Taco Stuffed Shells with taco meat, salsa, cheese and shells.
- Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells with chicken nuggets, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
How to make Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells:
Tools Used in the making of these Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells:
Jumbo Pasta Shells: Make sure you buy these and not the large ones. Also, husbands may inadvertently think “large” is the right size…not saying mine did that! 😉
Worcestershire Sauce: Do not leave this out or sub it for anything else, this is a main flavor component and this brand is my absolute go-to.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese cut into small cubes (divided)
- 24 jumbo pasta shells cooked
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup milk (I used whole)
- 1 cup beef broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the ground beef to a large cast iron skillet (this browns very well) and brown until a deep brown crust appears before breaking the beef apart.
- Stir the ground beef and brown until a deep crust appears on about 50 or so percent of the beef.
- Remove the beef (you can leave the fat) and add the butter and the onions and bell peppers.
- Let brown for 1-2 minutes before stirring, then let brown for another 1-2 minutes before stirring again.
- Add the beef back into the pan.
- Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper into the pan and stir.
- Take it off the heat and scoop it into the pasta shells.
- Top each shell with cubes of cheese (use half the cheese for this).
- Using the same pan add the beef broth, milk and cornstarch and whisk before turning the heat back on.
- Add in the rest of the cheddar cheese a little at a time while whisking for 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
- Pour about half the sauce around the shells.
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Serve with the remaining sauce.
Video
Nutrition
I have made these so many times! My family absolutely loves them and the recipe is SO straight forward and easy to read! I am Just curious if you all use them as your main dish, what you would suggest to pair it with?
I use it as my main dish and add veggies as a side dish. So glad you all enjoy them!
I forgot Worcestershire Sauce ? can I add it later?
Sure 🙂
I read where you can freeze the shells but can you freeze the sauce right along with it?
Please let me know as soon as you can since I am making tonight:-)
I just got done stuffing the jumbo shells. I guess I was really generous with the stuffing because I only made 14. Obviously I could have taken some out to make more but more stuffing is great with me.
I was confused on the comments where people had so much left over. Maybe they didn’t use jumbo or just put a little meat in each shell.
I am now on to the next step of making the sauce. I know I won’t have to worry about freezing any now.
I didn’t not have cubed cheese so I will be using shredded cheese.
Maybe because I made stuffed shells before I knew to boil them ahead of time.
Surprised how negative people are. Second time I have commented on a post and I am actually worried about the backlash of my comment.
Thought for the day: Think positive and be nice.
Yes, it can all be frozen.
Very nice receipe… for those following it to the T.. you should boil the shells first?????
Yes, the ingredient list states that the jumbo pasta shells should be cooked. Enjoy!
amazing!!
I am so excited to make these tomorrow. Thank you so much for the recipe. I shared it on my page. (With credit to you)
Thank you for the share.
Can I make this the night before?
Sure 🙂
These somehow turned out tasty, but these were the absolute worst directions I’ve ever read on a recipe.
I understand the ingredients call for “cooked” jumbo shells, but I really think it should be included in the directions as well.
I don’t get the whole point of “the brown crusting” part of cooking the ground beef… seems really unnecessary.
Then to break it up and brown until 50% of the CRUMBLED beef has a brown crust? … again, makes no sense. And are you saying cook it completely through or just cook it halfway? Very unclear.
After I had my mixture and filled it into my jumbo shells I had so much of the mixture leftover I probably could have filled 20 more shells… I ended up just placing it in the baking dish around the shells.
Speaking of baking dishes… you mention absolutely nowhere what size to use which caused me to dirty one just to realize it was too small to fit all the shells.
The serving the second half of the sauce with the shells after they are cooked also doesn’t make sense to me… I just poured it all in the dish so it was all hot and bubbly with the rest of it after it cooked… not cold from sitting on the stove.
I saw where the shells were cooked and at 75, I figured out the directions as cooking has been my passion since I was 16 years old. It is always good to have CONSTRUCTIVE criticism and most people are very kind. Thank you for sharing.
Was this comment really necessary? Just do what you want with the recipe and make it your own.
This was one of the best recipes I have found. Very time consuming but definitely worth it. Didn’t have worstershire sauce so I substituted steak sauce and it turned out awesome. Can’t wait to try some other recipes of yours.
I really enjoyed making this. And they are currently in the oven. My only complaint is that there needs to be a step 9.5 stating to put the shells in the oven for the 1st 25 minutes. Once I got the the end of the recipe my shells were still on the counter unbaked and I had to sit and figure out where I went wrong. Just edit your directions a tad. But otherwise awesome recipe!!!
You mention stuffing the shells when making the philly cheese steak stuffed shells…what do you put the stuffed shell’s in bake them…you have the sauce in the skillet, correct ?
Place them in a baking dish and pour half the sauce around them.
Was very confused with the steps not including cooking the pasta as a step and instead as an ingredient but luckily my partner caught the detail before making a big mistake
THIS WAS REALLY GOOD. ITS A KEEPER
Absolutely delicious! One of our family’s favorites!?
I am making the philly cheese steak stuffed shells for my soon to be husband tommrrow before he goes to work
Maybe they need to say boil the shells. I’ve cooked other meals that use hard noodles or shells and when you bake it with sauce or other liquids they soften. I made this and still hard shells. Guess I should have used more of my cooking skills verses following directions
The recipe card stated that the jumbo shells should be cooked. Sorry you missed that when making it.
It does under the ingredients, however you should always include something like that in your steps! It is very easy other wise to miss, and could ruin someone’s dinner. Also it makes your prep time longer which means it makes it sound like it doesn’t take as much time as it does. In the future I would definitely make sure to put something like this in the steps.
This is one of the family’s favorites. Always turns out well, easy and delicious!!!!
Thanks for coming back to let me know. I appreciate the 5 stars.
I made this tonight with venison and a mix of smoked gouda and cheddar. The recipe won my 9 year old over. My 14 and 4 year olds really liked it too. My picky husband wasn’t won over, his loss as now I get some for lunch at work.
That sounds amazing!
This was absolutely delicious!! My husband and my 7 year old devoured it – I call that a win!
Do you boil the shells? Also when it says pour half the sauce around the shells what do you do with the rest? Pour over top? Looks absolutely delicious!
You are going to want to cook the shells first. You serve the shells with the remaining sauce. Hope this helps – let me know how you like them!
Love the philly shells!! An so did my family!! New twist on shells!!
Thanks for coming back to let me know Kelly.
Can I freeze these?
Yes, once stuffed (step 8) I would freeze them. When you’re ready to serve, complete the remaining steps though it will need to be cooked longer since it’s coming from the freezer. Enjoy!
I am going to make this tonight, but instead of cheddar I am going to substitute provolone cheese and I am going to add mushrooms! I think this would taste amazing!
Sounds amazing!
The pasta was very overwhelming. If I make this again, I will use macaroni ir penne pasta.
I made those Philly cheese steak stuffed shells last night for my husband. Omg! He fell in love with me all over again. That is the best recipe I’ve made in forever. Wow! Instead of using regular ground beef, I used mild Italian ground seasoned pork. It’s without a doubt the best thing I’ve ever eaten! Thank you
That’s awesome! Love the idea of using seasoned pork too. Sounds amazing!
I made these and everyone loved them. Thinking about taking them to church one Sunday. God bless you ma’am. Thx!!
Fantastic! Thanks so much for the 5 star rating.
Excellent recipe!
Hi
Ok to use red bell pepper instead of green?
Ok to use red onion instead of yellow?
Thank you!
Red bell peppers would be an easy swap for green but substituting a red onion for a yellow would change the taste a bit. Enjoy!
I was thinking the same way and adding Shitake mushrooms and spinach as well, even adding Ricotta and using Mozzarella instead of cheddar. This made me so hungry just writing this! Gotta try this for sure!
Fixed this and my family did not like it. I’m not an inexperienced cook I have been cooking over 50 years. I found the instructions incomplete and confusing. Suggestion proofread or hire someone to proof your recipes before publishing them.
So sorry to hear that your family didn’t enjoy it. Can I ask which part of the recipe seemed confusing?
Nowhere does it say cook the noodles outside the ingredients. Being a busy mother I didn’t notice. Once I noticed that I just dumped everything in the instapot added a cup of broth and put it on high pressure. It looks delicious and now I know for next time. If the kiddo likes it I will definitely make it again
Last few months, I keep coming across these great, varied recipes. Surprise! They’re yours. We’re not bland meat and potatoes folks, but enjoy meals with an international twist. You’re now on my email recipe lists. Keep up sharing these super recipes???????. Thanks for all your work.
You are so sweet to say, Deb! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
Does the sauce refrigerate?
Can you use Velveeta cheese instead cheddar cheese
I haven’t tested it using it but if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Hi,
I plan on making this pretty soon. What would be good appetizer ideas and/or sides to go with this entrée?
I would recommend Cole Sale https://dinnerthendessert.com/easy-cole-slaw/ or Roasted Vegetables https://dinnerthendessert.com/rainbow-roasted-vegetables/. Hope this helps!
hi can i use mozzarella instead of cheddar
Sure 🙂 Enjoy!
These were really delicious! My son said “Wow! These taste JUST like a Philly Cheesesteak!” The only change I made was to use half the amount of bell pepper and to compensate I added 2 jalapenos, 2 small alleppo peppers and a hot cherry pepper because we like things to have a little kick. I’ll definitely make these again!
Love your additions! Sounds delicious!
Yum, I plan to try this soon.
I loved your homemade enchilada sauce!!! So ez and so tasty!
So delicious and easy- a real hit with my family—
I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let me know!
Just made these using venison chip steak intead of hamburger. Oh my! They are delicious! It only filled about 18 shells, but that was fine for my family of 4. Thanks so much!
That sounds amazing!
I made this recipe yesterday for my family. I made about 30 shells, using 3 pounds of ground beef, with sweet peppers and onions. Turned out great, and everyone loved it.
I drizzled a little extra sauce on top before eating, and topped it with shredded lettuce and sour cream. But with or without the extra toppings, it was a fun and tasty dish.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Danielle! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Shells cooked, how long and drain?
The shells should be cooked to the package directions.
Due to my wife’s hatred of green peppers, I used a half of a red bell pepper. I also sautéed the onion and peppers by themselves until quite soft, increased the corn starch to two tablespoons as one left the sauce too thin. It tasted more like Manwich in a shell. I liked it, wife, not so much. Also used sharp cheddar. I poured all of the sauce into the baking dish and baked for 15 min at 350*.
What is the difference between kosher & regular salt & can you use regular?
Also just found your site & I’m writing out a grocery list right now so I can start trying some of these wonderful recipes. Thank you so much for sharing them!!
So glad you’re loving the site!
I prefer using Kosher salt as it doesn’t have the additives that table salt usually has. Also as a trained chef, I just like being able to grab it to measure and put in the dish. Feel free to use regular salt if that’s what you have on hand.
The Philly cheesesteak stuffed shell recipe is a good dish. My problem is if you going to call it Philly cheese steak you should use steak, not ground beef cuz then it’s not called Philly cheese steak. Sorry that’s just my opinion. I’ve been doing cheesesteak stuffed shells ever since I was 18. I do have to say the cheese stuff and doing it with the Worcestershire sauce tastes a lot better.
Just made this for dinner!!!
Very good. Thank you for recipe
Thanks for the 5 stars Michelle!
I LOVE your recipes! Unfortunately I am on the Keto, low carb high fat diet right now so I can’t have these amazing pasta and bread using recipes! I signed up by mistake but I’m staying because I think I can use the recipes without the pasta and stuff cabbage or another veggie, or just make it without bread! I just need colossal willpower! Thank you for sharing your great recipes! And please everyone, if she calls for Worcestershire, don’t leave it out! It’s the secret to many of my own family favorites!
Yes! Yes! So glad you’re staying around!!
Can I use soy milk ?
Yes though it will change the flavor just a bit but the texture and consistency should be the same. Enjoy!
I live in Philly, Philly cheese steaks are not made with ground meat. They should be called ground meat shells.
I used to live in Ohio and loved a dish at the Chinese restaurants called War Sui GUI (uncertain spelling). I have been living in Florida for the last 30 years and not been able to find the recipe. It was cubes of coated chicken served on a bed of lettuce covered with a brown gravy and sliced green onions. It came with a side of fried rice. Would you by any chance have this recipe or could you tell me where to find it? Good talking to your dad I love your site.
I’ll have to add that to the to-do list for the future. Thanks for the suggestion!
What if you don’t have cornstarch
You can use flour as a substitute.
Yes I made the Philly Cheese Steak Stuff Pasta Shells. Turn out very well and delicious!
What’s your opinion on how this is reheated? Could I make it today and put the whole thing in the fridge to reheat for dinner tomorrow and still have it taste good? Thanks!
I would put about a tablespoon of water in with it, cover and reheat in the oven or microwave. The water will help steam the pasta so it doesn’t dry out in the reheating process. Enjoy!
Fabulous! I made the recipe as directed except I added a little extra Worcestershire sauce and a 1/2 tsp marmite for more umami flavor. I will definitely make again.
I was thinking about making this I hope it comes out as great as yours did. My only problem is I have a bad habit of overcooking the pasta. Any suggestions?
I would recommend boiling them for 9 minutes. 🙂
This recipe was so delicious my kids really enjoyed it thank you for sharing this recipe
You’re welcome! This is such a great family friendly recipe.
It would help to do the chopping before you start cooking as the chopping took more time for me than the noodle cooking or the meat browning, so I was not ready to cook the onions and peppers when the meat got done… I had red orange and yellow peppers instead of green…a little sweater…awesome!! Loved it, and my kids did too!