My Aunt’s Famous 5-Ingredient Stuffed Shells Feature a Secret Ingredient

The ultimate weeknight comfort meal.

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have a family that sat down together at dinner every night and enjoyed a home-cooked meal. When I moved out on my own, I naturally asked my mom for all of my favorite recipes so I could recreate them for myself and have a little taste of home wherever I was.

What I hadn't realized was that some of my all-time favorite family recipes are also some of the absolute easiest. Sure, half the time, there isn’t actually a written recipe to follow—my mom is the kind of person who just tosses whatever is left in the fridge in her chili and it comes out delicious every time.

However, the recipes we do have written down pretty much all look the same: no measurements, no cook times, and no oven temperatures. So, it’s a good thing so many of them are five ingredients or less.

My grandma’s three-ingredient pasta dinner of egg noodles, tomato soup, and bacon is a staple when I need something quick, easy, and cheap. However, there’s another family-favorite pasta dish that is perfect when you want a hearty, comforting meal: my aunt’s famous stuffed shells.

My Aunt's Easy Stuffed Shells

Traditionally, stuffed shells aren’t all that hard to make. They might take some time to prep and be a bit costly, thanks to all the cheese you have to use and grate by hand. However, my aunt’s secret ingredient will save you time and money.

Instead of the traditional filling of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella, my aunt uses one cheese that boasts incredible flavor and becomes super melty in the center: Longhorn-style colby.

Longhorn-style cheese is simply defined by its long, round shape. Other than the shape, the yellow colby cheese has the same mild flavor and melting characteristics as any colby.

Longhorn colby is softer than Cheddar, so it grates really easily. Thanks to its meltiness, you'll often find it in recipes for grilled cheese or mac and cheese. When used for stuffed pasta, it possesses a different flavor profile than the Italian cheese-stuffed pasta shells you might be used to, but it’s famous in my family for how surprisingly delicious it is.

My aunt tops her stuffed shells with a meat sauce that she almost definitely makes from scratch, but I like to make the shells with store-bought marinara sauce to save time.

If you’re ready to try something new when it comes to stuffed shells, here’s my aunt’s easy recipe.

How to Make My Aunt's 5-Ingredient Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-ounce) package jumbo pasta shells

• 1 pound Longhorn-style colby cheese, grated

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained

• 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook shells in boiling water according to package instructions. Drain and place shells on a baking sheet to cool.

3. While the pasta is cooking, mix Longhorn-style colby cheese and egg in a bowl until well combined.

4. In a separate bowl, combine cooked ground beef and marinara sauce.

5. Stuff shells with cheese mixture and place in the prepared baking dish. Ladle the meat sauce over everything.

6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and the cheese has melted.