Easy Shells and Cheese

This easy and creamy Shells and Cheese pasta is a great family side or meatless main dish. Ready in less than 30 minutes, affordable and so tasty!

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This recipe was photographed and updated 12/2023.

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Shopping list:

• medium shell pasta
• milk
• butter
• black pepper
• salt
• seasoned salt
• Velveeta cheese
• monterey jack cheese
• cheddar cheese

Velveeta, either you love it or hate it. We happen to love it at our house and use to to make this stove top mac and cheese and also our baked mac and cheese.

Growing up, my mom never used kraft mac and cheese. She always made a stovetop version with just milk, macaroni, velveeta and black pepper. It was a simple struggle meal, but all of kids loved it. Today's version combines Velveeta with a couple other cheeses, for a creamy and cheesy sauce. 

Shell pasta is always a favorite for mac and cheese. I love how the sauce gets stuck in the middle of each shell for an extra burst of flavor with every bite. My girls love this for lunch or dinner. We usually serve it with some kind of veggie or salad for lunch, and with chicken, beef or fish and a veggie for dinner. 

Made it different every time by trying different cheese, adding meat or veggies. You can even pour it into a casserole, top with cheese or bread crumbs and bake it for a side to Sunday dinner.

If you like this easy pasta, give these a try! Spicy Sriracha Noodles, Five Cheese Ziti al Forno or Creamy Garlic Shells!

Keep scrolling for the full printable recipe 💙

Our favorite kitchen equipment and supplies used with this recipe:

• OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Nesting Measuring Beaker Set
• Chef Craft Select Plastic Deep Colander
• T-fal Hard Anodized Nonstick 14 Piece Cookware Set
• Cambom Manual Rotary Cheese Grater

Recipe tips:

• We recommend freshly shredded cheese for better taste and melt.

• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

Yield 6 servings

Author Hot Eats and Cool Reads

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

25 Min

Easy Shells and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 - 16 ounce box medium shell pasta
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 - 16 ounce block Velveeta cheese, diced
• 1 cup freshly shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain well.
2. In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the milk and seasonings, heating until the milk is steamy and hot.
3. Add the cheeses into the milk and stir until melted.
4. Mix the pasta into the cheese sauce. Serve while hot.

Hot Eats and Cool Reads is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe you try from this blog/website. You may not always have the same results due to variations in ingredients, humidity, altitude, cooking temperatures, typos, errors, omissions, or individual cooking abilities. 

You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual's dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual.

You can add or substitute with these ingredients:

• add cooked ground beef taco meat
• add cooked ground turkey
• add cooked broccoli
• use swiss cheese instead of monterey jack 
• use half and half instead of milk
• add minced garlic
• use macaroni instead of shells
• use creole seasoning instead of seasoned salt

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