If sloppy joes was a favorite meal when you were a kind then you are gonna love this grown up version, elegantly served in large pasta shells. These Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells are so full of flavor, just like you remember from childhood. But, this dish you eat with a fork so it kind of takes the sloppy part out of the equation. It’s a wonderful way to feed a large group, too!
Unfortunately a lot of the shells in my package of pasta were too broken to fill. That’s ok, I saved them and threw them in with some pasta sauce for leftovers. How many shells you get depends on how many are usable so double check your package.
This recipe makes one 9″x13″ pan plus an 8″x8″ pan. If you have a single deep baking pan that can handle all the shells then use that by all means. But, most of us don’t one that big lying around. Like I said this recipe feeds a crowd!
Colby Jack is a cheese with a good, neutral flavor and for this dish I grated mine from blocks. But, if you would rather use cheddar or pepper jack then go for it.
Like many a weeknight sloppy joe recipe this one uses the canned sauce made especially for this purpose. It’s little shortcuts like this that keep meals simple to make and get us through the week.
Once your shells are filled and topped with cheese pop them into the oven to bake until the cheese is all melted and bubbly.
Then it’s time to dig into these tasty, easy, scrumptious Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells. They are kid (and grown up kid) approved!
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 1 (12 oz) package jumbo stuffing shells
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green peppers, diced
- 1 white onion, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 (15 oz) cans sloppy joe mix (like Manwich)
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives, plus extra for serving
- 3 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
Preparation
- Cook shells to al dente. Drain and arrange on plate in a single layer
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large skillet over medium. Add beef and cook until browned, about 8 minutes, breaking up meat as it cooks. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add remaining olive oil and veggies. Cook for 10 minutes or until softened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine veggies with beef and 1 ½ cans sloppy joe mix. Spread remaining sloppy joe mix over bottom of a 9”x13” deep-sided baking pan and deep 8”x8” pan.
- Allow shells and beef mixture to cool for 10-20 minutes before handling.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Stuff beef mixture into shells then add in rows to pan. Top with chives.
- Sprinkle cheese over shells. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Top with extra chives just before serving.
Recipe adapted from Tornadough Alli.