Budget Shells & Cheese Skillet Recipe With Ground Beef (20 Minutes) Pasta Beef Dinner Chicken Recipes Budget Recipes Lunch

The price of food is going through the roof. But no matter how high it gets because of inflation, we still have to feed our families. Ground meat (beef, chicken and turkey) is a budget-friendly ingredient, especially combined with pantry staples. This quick and easy shells and cheese skillet dinner is one everyone (kids and adults) will gobble up.

This easy shells and cheese skillet recipe starts with a boxed macaroni and cheese dinner. The addition of a few pantry ingredients turns it into a filling meal that kids and adults will enjoy digging into. Here is your short, budget shopping list: ground beef, milk, ketchup, yellow mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, a box of shells and cheese dinner and sour cream. 

Serve this creamy, dressed-up macaroni and cheese recipe for dinner with your favorite side dishes. We like to add a fresh vegetable or garden salad. 

Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (or to taste)
• 12 ounces (1 box) shells and cheese dinner
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Recipe Notes

• You could use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of beef.

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Brown the meat in a skillet. Drain fat. 
2. Add the milk, ketchup, mustard, onion powder and garlic powder. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the pasta. Return to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender. 
3. Add the cheese packet and sour cream. Stir until combined. 

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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