Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes! You can definitely make this philly cheesesteak stuffed shells dish and reheat the next day covered in foil in the oven at 400 for 30-40 minutes until completely warmed through, make into individual servings for meal prep or freeze and pull out for later! If you freeze, be sure to allow to defrost completely before reheating. I would also suggest you freeze in individual servings.  

Do you need to stuff each shell?

Absolutely not which is the beauty of this recipe. You can slightly stuff each shell and pour the rest of the mixture on top which is what I do to save time. You can be very diligent about getting each shell stuffed as full as possible or you can simply skip the stuffing and pour the meat mixture directly on top of the shells. When you mix the dish after baking the shells will stuff themselves and you will have delicious philly cheesesteak stuffed shells. 

Ingredients and Substitutes:

These are the main ingredients and substitutions. See recipe card below for full ingredients list and instructions for philly cheesesteak stuffed shells.

Jumbo Shells: be sure to weigh your shells uncooked prior to cooking. You will cook the shells according to the package directions. You can swap with any style noodle that you have accessible or with your favorite gluten free option. For this recipe I am using Barilla Jumbo Shells. 

This recipe would be great with Rigatoni. 

Ground Beef: this recipe can be substituted with ground turkey or chicken or shaved rib eye. For the truest Philly flavor you’ll want to use shaved beef but ground beef is a perfect substitute and picks up the flavor well making for perfect philly cheesesteak stuffed shells. 

Bell Peppers: this recipe calls for 1 green and 1 red bell pepper. You can use any combination of 2 bell peppers. 

Yellow Onion: omit completely or swap with white onion.

Mushrooms: this recipe uses one package of whole cremini mushrooms. You can use your favorite mushrooms like portobella or pre sliced. Be sure if using pre sliced to cut any thick slices thin.

Cheese: this philly cheesesteak stuffed shells recipe uses a combination of low skim mozzarella shreds and parmesan cheese shreds. To give you the full philly cheesesteak style be sure to top this with sliced provolone. You can use any white cheese in substitute of mozzarella. 

Milk: to make the cheese sauce thick and to bring added flavor to this dish we are using whole milk. You can substitute with a milk alternative like almond but do know there may be a consistency change to the sauce. However, many people use almond milk in my Easy Mac and Cheese recipe with great success. 

How to make this Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells:

Step 1

Pre heat the oven and cook your noodles: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a pot of water to boiling and cook noodles according to the package. Weight the noodles out uncooked. 

Step 2

Cook the meat mixture: Heat a pan over medium and add the ground beef. Cook through breaking into small pieces. When the beef is cooked through add diced bell peppers, onions and sliced mushrooms and mix together well.

Step 3

Seasonings: Add salt, pepper, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder (1/2 tsp) and onion powder to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix together well. Add to the beef and vegetable mixture. Mix together well to get everything coated with seasonings. Cover and let simmer on medium for 10 minutes while the shells cook. Stir occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn and everything cooks evenly. 

Step 4

Prep the shells: Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non stick spray. When the shells are done cooking drain from the water. Gently run cold water over the noodles to cool them off to work with. Add to the baking dish and using your hands or a spatula loosen the noodles up so they lay as open as possible without breaking for filling.

Step 5

Fill the shells: Top the noodles with meat mixture. Try to fill the noodles the best you can. There will be a lot of excess meat outside of the noodles.

Step 6

Make the sauce: Using the same pan as the meat, rinse the pan out with water and return to the stove on medium heat. Add milk, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the mozzarella and parmesan cheese a little at a time and mix together while it melts. Once everything has melted, be sure to whisk until the sauce is completely smooth and begins to slightly thicken and pour on the top of the meat mixture. 

Step 7

More cheese: What would philly cheesesteak stuffed shells be without lots of cheese? Cut provolone cheese sliced in half and top the dish with 8 pieces of provolone evenly spaced throughout the top. 

Step 8

Bake: Cover and bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling around the sides of the dish. Remove from the oven.

Step 9

Serve: Top with diced green onions or jalapenos for an added kick of spice and enjoy your philly cheesesteak stuffed shells. 

Weigh your final dish and divide by 8 servings for the number of exact grams per serving. Each serving is approximately 250 grams (this will vary person to person which is why I highly suggest you weigh your final dish) and should include 3 pasta shells. 

What to serve with this recipe

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells are great as a stand alone meal.

If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of our other easy meals!

• Blackened Chicken Tacos
• Lazy Enchiladas
• Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps
• Sesame Ginger Chicken Pita