Stuffed Pasta Shells

Ingredients:
One pound of hamburger meat plus the following:
Jumbo Shells--doesn't matter what brand
1 (8 oz) package of Italian 5 cheese
1 (8 oz) tub of chive and onion cream cheese.
2 (24 oz) jars of any brand of pasta sauce--There was a 44 oz jar on sale, so that is why I have that large one, but normally I get the two smaller jars.


Boil your pasta shells first. I normally boil about 25 shells. Put a teaspoon of olive oil in the water to keep the shells from sticking together. Also, do not put the heat up too high when you cook your shells, or they will stick to the bottom of the pan. Brown your hamburger meat.

Drain the meat and put it in a large bowl. Your pasta shells will probably still be cooking.

Add the entire tub of cream cheese to the bowl. Add the majority of the shredded cheese to the bowl as well. Leave just enough shredded cheese to top your shells with.

Mix together the cheeses and meat. Sometimes the cream cheese clumps together, so make sure to mix this really well.

Your shells will probably be finished by now. Drain them. Run cold water over them or else you will burn your hand when you begin stuffing.

Pour a thin layer of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 dish.

Lay your shells on a paper towel to dry them and make them easier to grab when you are stuffing.

Begin stuffing your shells with the meat and cheese mixture. Be generous with the stuffing. You have more than you think!

Lay your shell on top of the the pasta sauce.

You will end up with about 20 stuffed shells. I think I actually got 22 this time.

Cover the stuffed shells with the remaining pasta sauce and cheese.

Cover the dish with foil. You can either bake it now, or put it in the refrigerator and save for another night. Sometimes, I will make this on a weekend to have for a weeknight meal. It is so nice to come home, pull it out, and put it right in the oven on a weeknight.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

The delicious finished product: