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Cheesy Shells with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

  • 1 lb ground beef/turkey
  • 1 lb ground sausage
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • Olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 1 cup mushrooms diced
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock

Pasta

  • 1 box jumbo shells
  • 2 cups Mozzarella cheese grated
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • Parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef and sausage, drain, and set aside. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Next add the bell pepper, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce & paste, spices, ketchup, chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.

  2. Preheat oven to 350F. Cook jumbo shells according to box directions. Drain shells and let cool until they are able to handle. Stuff the shells with Mozzarella & sharp cheese and place in baking dish. Spoon the meat sauce over the shells and top with a little more cheese. Cover dish with tin foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Top shells with parmesan cheese and parsley.