Consider whipping up these Philly cheesesteaks stuffed shells for a delicious meal the whole family will be on board with. This recipe is made with jumbo shells stuffed with sliced steak, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and a blend of cheeses.
This is a great shaved beef recipe that is full of a cheesy meat mixture and tender pasta. A fun twist on a delicious Philly cheesesteak dinner idea!
This Philly cheesesteak recipe can be made on a busy weeknight, or weekend when you are looking for the perfect comfort food recipe. This is a meal we do all year round and it fits any day of the week. You get all the flavors of a Philly cheesesteak but in pasta form which my family loves.
Now, if you love pasta the way our house does, you might want to try out this Marry Me tortellini, it is a game changer. Or try my chicken alfredo stuffed manicotti shells.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you will need to make this recipe. You can find the full list in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- jumbo pasta shells
- thinly sliced steak (sirloin or ribeye)
- olive oil
- onion
- green bell pepper
- sliced mushrooms
- Salt and pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- cream cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- shredded provolone cheese
- grated Parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh parsley
- beef broth
- Cooking spray
Instructions
This is a quick overview of the instructions to make this recipe. You can find the full steps in the recipe card.
Step 1: Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced steak and cook until it’s no longer pink. Remove the steak from the skillet and set it aside.
Step 2: In the same skillet, add a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté the sliced onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms until they are tender. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Step 3: Return the cooked steak to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Stir in the beef broth and let it simmer for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
Step 4: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Mix until well combined.
Step 5: Take each cooked jumbo shell and stuff it with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture, then top with the Philly cheese steak mixture. Place the stuffed shells in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Step 6: Once all the shells are stuffed and arranged in the baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to brown the top.
Variations
Looking for a few ways to change up this shell pasta recipe? If so, let me share some different ideas for this Philly cheesesteak shells recipe, you might enjoy.
- Ground Beef or Different Kind of Steak – Instead of using shaved steak you can reach for a different type of meat. Ground beef is a more budget-friendly option. Just fully cook and brown the ground beef mixture before you move on to the next steps. Or take a ribeye steak, sirloin steak, or even a flat iron and thinly slice yourself. I find that the thinner the steak is sliced the more tender it is to eat and will make the Philly cheese steak stuffed shells have the best result.
- Deluxe Sauce – Add some creamy alfredo sauce over the top of the filled shells for added flavor. Make them with homemade alfredo sauce, or reach for your favorite jarred sauce from the grocery store. Or reach for a pasta sauce if you want. I find the white sauce compliments the ingredients better than a tomato-based sauce.
- Casserole Form – Don’t want to mess with stuffing shells? Use cooked pasta shell size or even rigatoni or other shape of pasta. Cook pasta al dente, and then mix up the meat and veggies and pour into the casserole dish. Spread the cream cheese over the top, and then layer the different types of cheese and bake as a casserole. This speeds up the prep and you get all the same flavors just served differently.
You might enjoy this baked rotini recipe as well. It is an easy way to serve up a cheesy pasta dish with minimal prep.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I recommend using a quality casserole dish, so as you bake your shells in the oven you get a nice even cook. Another great investment would be a cheese shaver. You can buy an electric or hand crank to shred your cheese quickly. I use this all the time on mozzarella, cheddar cheese, parmesan, and all other types of cheese.
You will also need a large stockpot to cook your box of shells in. Make sure it is large enough so you don’t have the pasta too tight together in the pot as it is cooking the pasta. Another thing you will want is a strainer to drain off the water once your pasta is fully cooked. This is a good idea so you don’t accidentally burn yourself with the water when you are dumping it down the drain.
Storage
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Then you can reheat the stuffed shells in the microwave or even in the oven. If you do the oven, make sure to cover the container with foil or a lid so it doesn’t dry out the shells as you are warming them up.
Or go a step further and freeze the shells for 4-5 months. Place in a proper freezer-friendly container, and freeze in a single layer in the container. Then thaw in the fridge overnight, or heat up straight from the freezer. The pasta will be a bit drier when you eat it but overall the flavors will be very similar to the first day you ate the pasta.
Wendy’s Test Kitchen Tips
Make sure to add the pasta to a boiling large pot of water that is on the stovetop. Then cook the pasta until it is al dente. You want to leave the pasta a little firm so as it bakes in the oven it can become more tender. If you have fully cooked pasta then bake in the oven, it can make the pasta extra soft and cause it to fall apart.
Just make sure to cut the vegetables into small pieces so that they are the proper size when you go to eat them with the meat mixture. If you leave them too big it will affect the texture and flavor of the stuffed shells.
Also if you find your shells are drying out in the oven, you can add more broth to the mixture and/or cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil. This will help allow the cheese mixture to melt together but not dry out the pasta the way it would if baked uncovered.
FAQs
Thinly sliced or shaved steak is what I used for this recipe. But you can use ground beef, ground turkey, chicken, etc. Or you can thinly slice your steak for this recipe. The thinner the meat the better.
Yes, you will pre-cook the pasta shells as directed on the package until the shells are al dente. Then drain and let cool a bit before you begin stuffing with the meat mixture.
Go right ahead and leave out the meat and reach for a vegetable broth instead of beef broth to make these shells vegetarian. You can add in spinach and other veggies for added flavor if you would like.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with my stuffed steak shells:
Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells
Equipment
- large pot
- large skillet
- 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 1 pound thinly sliced steak sirloin or ribeye, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup beef broth
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced steak and cook until it’s no longer pink. Remove the steak from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté the sliced onion, green bell pepper, and mushrooms until they are tender. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Return the cooked steak to the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Stir in the beef broth and let it simmer for a few minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Mix until well combined.
- Take each cooked jumbo shell and stuff it with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture, then top with the Philly cheese steak mixture. Place the stuffed shells in a baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- Once all the shells are stuffed and arranged in the baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, allowing the tops to lightly brown.
- Serve the Philly Cheese Steak Stuffed Shells hot, garnished with additional chopped parsley if desired.