One Pot Cheesy Beef and Shells

a bowl with cheesy beef and shells and a fork

5 from 5 votes

One Pot Cheesy Beef and Shells

This cheesy beef and shells recipe is a comforting and simple ground beef pasta with a silky cheese sauce. It's super easy to make all in one pot for less cleanup!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: One Pot Cheesy Beef and Shells

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups beef broth
1 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups uncooked medium shells
8 ounces Velveeta cheese cubed
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Add the beef and onions to a Dutch oven/soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go along. Spoon out excess fat.
Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
Add in the beef broth, cream, and Worcestershire sauce. Increase the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, add in the pasta.
Reduce the heat so it's not furiously boiling (a rapid simmer is good). I cook mine over medium heat. Let it cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 12-13 minutes). Stir it every couple of minutes.
Stir in the Velveeta, then take the pot off the heat once it's melted in. Season with salt & pepper as needed. You can let it sit for a couple minutes prior to serving (it'll soak up the sauce quickly), or serve it right away.

Notes

Serves 4-6 depending on the portion size.
You can use grated cheddar instead of Velveeta if you prefer.
As with any one pot meal, ingredients and stoves vary. If you're running out of liquid (like it's in danger of sticking and burning) when you still have a while to go before the pasta is done, feel free to add in more liquid, 1/2 cup or so at a time.

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