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    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells

    Published: Jul 25, 2016 · Updated: Mar 26, 2022 by Mindy Boyd

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    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells is just as easy as the boxed version.

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef with tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, milk, water, and cheese. It is a big hit, especially with kids.

    My daughter just loves this stuff! I wanted to make a healthier version so that I could feel better about her eating a dish like this.

    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version.

    I used Pipe Regate because it was what was available at Aldi that day.

    Any bite-sized pasta could be used for this dish. You might need to adjust the cooking time to fit your particular pasta.

    I cooked the pasta for a couple of minutes longer than the directions on the package and then it cooked for an additional couple of minutes while the cheese melted.

    The pasta was cooked perfectly, not to al dente and not too mushy.

    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.

    You could also use Italian sausage instead of the ground beef, or a combination of the two.

    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.

    When my daughter eats this dish she tends to leave a lot of the ground beef on her plate, so I only use half a pound of ground beef in mine. There is enough sauce to put in the whole pound, so you could do it either way.

    It makes it cheaper to use less meat and it makes me happy to be able to spend less at the grocery store.

    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.

    A great accompaniment to this dish would be these Light Yogurt Drop Biscuits or these Super Soft Yeast Rolls.

    When I make this dish I am usually trying to get dinner on the table in as little time as possible, so I serve it with Crescent Rolls to save time.

    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.

    Making this healthier, Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells takes about the same amount of time as the boxed version.

    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.

    Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells

    Mindy Boyd
    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Facebook Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Resting Time 5 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 2 cups shell or similar shaped pasta I used Pipe Regate
    • 1 can tomatoes with Italian seasoning 14.5 ounces
    • 1 3/4 cups milk
    • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 cup cheese grated
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    Instructions
     

    • In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. While the ground beef is cooking, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and corn starch in a small bowl. Set aside. Drain browned ground beef and return to the skillet.
    • Over medium-high heat add water, tomato sauce, milk and spice mixture, mix until combined. Stir in the canned tomatoes and pasta, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover; cook for 13-15 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
    • Stir in cheese and cook a couple of minutes stirring constantlty until cheese is melted. Take off the burner and let stand to thicken, about 5 minutes.
    Keyword homemade hamburger helper
    Tried this recipe?Mention @mindyscookingobsession or tag #mindyscookingobsession!

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    This Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells combines ground beef, pasta, tomatoes, tomato sauce and spices to make a healthier version of the dish.

    Pin3132
    Share24
    Share507
    Tweet
    Share
    3663Shares

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    Filed Under: 30 Minutes Or Less, Entrees, One Pot Meals, Pasta Tagged With: entree, ground beef, hamburger helper, pasta, tomato

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Chelsea says

      May 31, 2021 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      Cheesy shells was my favorite hamburger helper! We used to eat it a little too often. Now my family is following a somewhat low carb diet I used your recipe with some low carb shells and it was fantastic! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        May 31, 2021 at 10:03 pm

        That is awesome, thanks!

        Reply
    2. Debbie Walus says

      April 08, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      What kind of cheese? Shredded rather than grated????

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        April 08, 2020 at 9:38 pm

        I suppose technically it is shredded, even though I shredded it on grater.

        Reply
    3. Roberta Guillory says

      December 20, 2019 at 10:43 am

      Is there a suitable replacement for the Can of tomatoes. My husband cannot stand tomato chunks in anything.

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        December 20, 2019 at 6:18 pm

        Maybe just another little can of tomato sauce, or even just water? I’ve not tried it but I think it would work.

        Reply
      • Theresa says

        July 27, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        We either purée the tomatoes before adding, or use a can of tomato soup

        Reply
        • Mindy Boyd says

          July 27, 2020 at 11:27 pm

          Those are great ideas, thanks for sharing!

          Reply
    4. Becky says

      August 22, 2018 at 4:02 pm

      I stumbled upon this recipe a while back and I love making it. This is one of our favorites. Thank you

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        August 22, 2018 at 8:39 pm

        It is one of our favorites too. Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Julie Doss says

      July 31, 2018 at 9:33 pm

      This was delicious and I will never make the boxed again either and I realized for some reason I’m not following you anymore tell your husband hey

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        August 20, 2018 at 11:21 pm

        Right?! it is way better than the boxed kind. I will tell Lee hello! Thanks

        Reply
    6. Deanna says

      April 07, 2017 at 11:48 am

      What type of cheese do you use? Cheddar is the obvious choice, however the ingredients on BC brand Hamburger Helper contain both Ricotta and Cheddar and Ricotta is listed first so there’s probably more of that in the box version. I’m gonna try half and half and see how that goes…

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        April 07, 2017 at 1:11 pm

        I just use cheddar, I don’t use Ricotta because I never keep it around. I only buy it if I am using it in a specific recipe and then I use the whole container (usually). So because this only calls for 1 cup, I just use the cheddar so I don’t have part of a container of Ricotta leftover. I think using half and half is a great idea!

        Reply
    7. Brianna R. Miceli says

      January 11, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      I’m a college student and this was just as easy to make as the box. Great for dinner and leftovers for the week. I made mine with Darigold 2% lactose free milk and Daiya dairy free cheddar cheese. Tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        January 11, 2017 at 9:33 pm

        That is awesome. Thanks!

        Reply
    8. Mel says

      January 09, 2017 at 6:55 pm

      I was craving the hamburger helper Italian shells on this cold and snowy evening and was disappointed when I realized we didn’t have a box in the pantry, but a bit of internet browsing led me to your recipe. Wow! I’ll never make the boxed version again! This was so much more flavorful, loved the hints of tomato flavor, and my husband and two kids gobbled it up too. I like to mix a can of peas in mine as well. Thanks for saving our dinner and satisfying my craving!

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        January 09, 2017 at 8:29 pm

        That is awesome! I am going to have to try the peas next time I make it. I am always looking for ways to “slip” veggies in to our dinners.

        Reply
    9. Irish Lafantano says

      August 01, 2016 at 8:22 pm

      ty!

      Reply
    10. Wendie says

      July 27, 2016 at 1:06 pm

      Looks delicious Mindy! So creamy and cheesy, I might have to try this.

      Reply
      • Mindy Boyd says

        July 27, 2016 at 1:08 pm

        My 15 year old loves this stuff. Thanks for stopping by!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Homemade Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells - Yum Goggle says:
      July 26, 2016 at 8:21 am

      […] GET THE RECIPE […]

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    My name is Mindy and this is my husband, and biggest fan, Lee. I love cooking for my family. The purpose of this blog is to share my recipes and experiences in the kitchen. Most of the recipes that I make use ingredients that can be found in any grocery store. No special equipment or skills required.

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