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Recipes
Baked Ground Beef, Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Shells

Oven Roasting

Baked Ground Beef, Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Shells

20 min prep

55 min cooking

Serves 10

Difficulty 2/5

Although this recipe may seem a bit fussy, it has a two-pan plan: it makes two pans, so you can freeze one for a future meal. Since stuffed shells are showier and easier to serve than lasagna, this recipe is perfect for potluck and buffet-style dinners.

Ingredients

1 box (340 g) jumbo pasta shells (about 44 shells) 1 lb (500 g) Lean Ground Beef Chuck 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp (5 mL) dried Italian herb seasoning 1 tub (454 g) light ricotta cheese 1 pkg (300 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1½ cups (375 mL) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided ½ tsp (2 mL) pepper 4 cups (1 L) pasta sauce ¼ cup (60 mL) grated Parmesan cheese (approx)

Get Ingredients

Directions

1. Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and rinse; set aside. (Don’t worry if some shells tear as you won’t need them all.) 2. Meanwhile, cook beef, onion, garlic to your taste, and Italian seasoning over medium heat in large deep skillet, stirring and breaking up beef with a spoon, for 10 minutes or until beef is completely cooked and any liquid has evaporated or drain. Remove from heat. 3. Stir in ricotta, spinach, 1 cup (250 mL) of the mozzarella and pepper; combine well. Spoon 2 tbsp (30 mL) into each of about 32 shells. 4. Spread 1⅓ cups (325 mL) pasta sauce into each of a 13 x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish and 9-inch (23 cm) glass pie plate. Place 20 filled shells in baking dish, and about 12 in pie plate. Top shells in baking dish with remaining pasta sauce (none needed for pie plate). Sprinkle Parmesan and remaining mozzarella over shells in both dishes. (Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen.) 5. Cover loosely with foil and bake in 350°F (180°C) oven for about 30 minutes (40 minutes if refrigerated; about 1½ hours if baking from frozen) or until hot and bubbling. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with more Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Tip

Eating beef along with spinach actually increases the amount of iron absorbed from the spinach by 150% - this is known as the Meat Factor.

How to Cook It

Oven Roasting

Cuts Used in This Recipe

Ground Beef

Lean Ground Beef Chuck

Source Grinds

Source Grinds - Chuck

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The comments, recommendations and other information on this site are general information and are not intended be relied upon with respect to any particular circumstances. The advice of a doctor or other qualified medical professional should be obtained before reliance upon any of the information on this site that relates to diet, allergies and other health matters. Nutrition information regarding recipes and other food items (including the presence of allergens and quantities of nutrients) is only an estimate, may contain inaccuracies, and is derived from various sources which may include nutrient analysis software and information from suppliers. Actual amounts may also vary based on factors such as the origins of ingredients, accuracy of measurements, and method of preparation and cooking. The Gateway is brought to you by Canadian Beef producers. It is our intent to provide information in support of local beef production, but we cannot guarantee that all beef cuts are sourced and sold by retailers are Canadian.