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Italian Stuffed Shells (Creamy Dip-Filling — Cookie Scoop Method)

Creamy “dip filling” stuffed shells that you can scoop fast, freeze, and bake later. This is the real-life version: canned tomatoes, mozzarella, marinara—and a filling that actually holds together.
1 foil pan (9x13) — about 8–10 servings
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Level:
Beginner

These are stuffed shells for people who don’t want a 12-step Italian project. The filling is basically a creamy dip—beef, cream cheese, mozzarella, tomatoes, seasoning—then you use a cookie scoop and suddenly you’re done. Sauce on the bottom keeps the shells from welding to the pan, and saving the cheese for the end gives you the baked-pasta payoff without doing baked-pasta labor on batch day. 😈

Ingredients

  • 20–24 jumbo pasta shells

  • 1 lb cooked ground beef (pulse a few times if you want smaller bits)

  • 4–8 oz cream cheese (measure with your heart 😈)

  • 1–2 cups shredded mozzarella (plus extra for topping later)

  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained a bit

  • 1–2 tsp Italian seasoning

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • Salt + pepper to taste

  • 2–3 cups marinara/pasta sauce (for the bottom + top)

Instructions

  1. Boil shells until just flexible (undercook on purpose). Drain and cool so you can handle them.

  2. Make the filling: mix beef + cream cheese + mozzarella + diced tomatoes + seasonings.

    • Don’t puree. Just mix well (or pulse lightly if you need smaller bits).

  3. Spread sauce on the bottom of the pan (prevents shell welding).

  4. Use a cookie scoop to fill shells fast and line them up in the pan.

  5. Top with more sauce. (Save extra cheese for the end if you want that baked-top payoff.)

  6. Cool completely, then wrap tightly and label.

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