Million Dollar Stuffed Shells take the viral idea behind million dollar spaghetti—combining several cheeses like cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella into a decadently creamy filling—and tuck it into jumbo shells that bake in a flavorful meat and marinara sauce.
The shells are boiled until al dente, stuffed with the rich cheese mixture, nestled in a pan of beef‑and‑sausage sauce, topped with more sauce and mozzarella, then baked until the edges are bubbly and the top is bronzed. The finished dish is hearty enough for a Sunday dinner but easy enough to prep ahead and refrigerate or freeze, making it a great make‑ahead casserole for busy nights.
Equipment
- Large pot for boiling jumbo shells.
- Large skillet for browning meat and simmering sauce.
- Mixing bowls (one large for cheese filling, one smaller for sauce if needed).
- 9×13‑inch baking dish, lightly greased.
- Spoon or small cookie scoop for stuffing shells.
Ingredients
This combines elements from multiple “million dollar” stuffed shell recipes for a classic meat‑sauce version.
Pasta and sauce
- 1 (12‑oz) box jumbo shell pasta (about 20–24 shells).
- ½ lb lean ground beef.
- ½ lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed (or use all sausage).
- 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- ⅓–1 cup diced onion (about ½ medium to 1 medium).
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced.
- 3 cups marinara or spaghetti sauce (about one 24–26 oz jar).
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.
Million dollar cheese filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened.
- 1–1½ cups small‑curd cottage cheese OR ricotta (or a mix).
- ½ cup sour cream.
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (some in filling, some on top).
- ½ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese.
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley or a few tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions And Steps
Begin by preparing the shells and sauce base so they’re ready for assembly. Bring a large pot of well‑salted water to a rolling boil and cook the jumbo shells according to package directions for al dente, or even a minute or two shy since they will continue cooking in the oven.
Drain the shells and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and make them easier to handle. Toss them with a teaspoon or two of olive oil to prevent sticking while you prepare the rest of the dish.
While the pasta cooks, make the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium‑high heat, then add the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Cook for 7–10 minutes until no pink remains and the meat is nicely browned, then drain off excess grease if needed.
Add the diced onion and cook for a couple of minutes until softened, then stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, another 30–60 seconds. Pour in the marinara or spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes, then remove from the heat. Spread about two‑thirds to three‑quarters of this meat sauce evenly in the bottom of your greased 9×13‑inch baking dish, reserving the rest for spooning over the stuffed shells.
Next, mix the “million dollar” cheese filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, cottage cheese or ricotta, sour cream, about 1⅓ cups of the shredded mozzarella (reserving the remaining mozzarella for topping), and the parmesan cheese.
Add the dried or fresh parsley and season lightly with salt and pepper. Use a spoon or mixer on low speed to blend everything together until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined; it should be thick enough to hold its shape when spooned but still easy to scoop into the shells.
Now assemble the stuffed shells. Take each cooled jumbo shell and gently open it in your hand. Using a spoon or small cookie scoop, fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture, packing it in so the shell is generously stuffed but not splitting. Arrange the filled shells in a single layer over the meat sauce in the baking dish, nestling them close together so they support each other.
Once all the shells are filled and arranged, spoon the remaining meat sauce over the top, focusing on the spaces between shells and down their centers so the edges still show some of the filling. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella evenly over everything to create a cheesy top layer.
Finally, bake the casserole. Cover the dish loosely with foil if you’re worried about excessive browning, then bake in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven for about 25–35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top is melted and starting to brown.
If you like a more caramelized top, remove the foil (if using) for the last 5–10 minutes of baking or switch to broil briefly, watching closely to avoid burning. Let the Million Dollar Stuffed Shells rest for about 5 minutes out of the oven so they set slightly and are easier to scoop. Garnish with extra parsley or basil if desired, then serve hot with garlic bread and a salad.
Tips And Tricks
Undercook the shells slightly so they stay firm after baking; overly soft shells can tear when you fill them and may collapse in the oven.
Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before mixing the filling—this helps it blend smoothly with the cottage cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella and prevents lumps. Shred mozzarella from a block rather than using pre‑shredded cheese for better melt and flavor; many recipes note that low‑moisture, freshly shredded mozzarella gives the best gooey top.
Taste and lightly season the filling and sauce as you go—between the cheeses, sauce, and sausage, there’s already a lot of salt, so you may not need much extra. For cleaner scoops, let the casserole rest a few minutes before serving so the sauce thickens slightly and the shells hold together.
Variations
You can easily change the protein profile by swapping some or all of the sausage for lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken, as long as you use about a pound of meat total for the sauce.
If you prefer a smoother cheese filling, use ricotta instead of cottage cheese, or blend cottage cheese briefly in a food processor before mixing; several recipes note you can swap cottage cheese and ricotta 1:1 based on your texture preference.
For a spicier version, use hot Italian sausage or add red pepper flakes to the sauce. You can also make a chicken Alfredo “million dollar” variation by stuffing shells with a similar cheese mixture plus shredded chicken and baking in Alfredo sauce instead of marinara.
However you tweak it, Million Dollar Stuffed Shells deliver all the creamy, cheesy indulgence of the viral million dollar pasta recipes, wrapped up in fun, individual shells that bake into a bubbly, crowd‑pleasing casserole.
