Instant Pot Creamy Beefy Shells
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The Instant Pot is a great way to cook meals during the summer. You can have meals that you may not normally have because the regular cooking method will make the house hot. Well, this Instant Pot Creamy Beefy Shells that will not be the case. You can make this and still keep the kitchen cool.
Hearty beef and tender shell pasta are wrapped with a creamy, cheesy tomato sauce. The base of the sauce is marinara sauce and a little tomato paste. Then, the creaminess comes in from Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and a little cream cheese.

Onion, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder help add in more flavor. If you want a little heat, you can add in some crushed red pepper flakes.

Instant Pot Creamy Beefy Shells
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 diced medium yellow or sweet onion
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 16 oz box medium pasta shells, uncooked
- 1 24 oz jar pasta sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks and softened
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the inner pot of an Instant Pot. Turn on to "Saute" mode. Add onion and ground beef. Cook until no longer pink. Drain off any excess grease. Turn Instant Pot off.
- Add Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes and tomato paste to the beef mixture. Stir together.
- Add shell pasta on top of ground beef mixture. Pour pasta sauce and water on top of shells. Do not stir, but press shells down into liquid with the back of a spoon.
- Place lid on Instant Pot. Be sure valve set to "sealing". Set to cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
- Do a manual pressure release. Stir in Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Serves 6.
Recipe is adapted from Spicy Souther Kitchen.