Description
Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Shells are a comforting and delicious baked pasta dish featuring jumbo pasta shells filled with a savory mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and diced cooked chicken, all topped with red pasta sauce and melted cheese. Perfect for a family dinner, this recipe combines creamy cheese and tender chicken in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 6 ounces jumbo pasta shells (about 24 shells)
Cheese Filling
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast diced or shredded
- 1 egg
- ½ tablespoon dried parsley plus more for garnish
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 1 ½ cups red pasta sauce (your favorite brand)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F to prepare for baking the stuffed shells.
- Cook pasta shells: Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Generously salt the water and add the jumbo pasta shells. Cook until al dente following package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle.
- Prepare filling: In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, diced cooked chicken, egg, dried parsley, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir well until evenly mixed.
- Prepare baking dish: Spread ½ cup of the red pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish to create a base layer.
- Stuff shells: Open each cooked pasta shell with your fingers and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheese and chicken filling into each shell. Place the filled shells in the prepared baking dish, arranging them in a single layer to fit as many as possible.
- Add sauce and cheese: Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the red pasta sauce on top of each stuffed shell and spread slightly to cover. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese generously over all the shells.
- Bake: Loosely cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the foil carefully to avoid steam. Sprinkle additional dried parsley over the shells for garnish. Serve warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Serving size is 3 stuffed shells per person.
- Cook extra shells to have backups for any that break during boiling or filling.
- Use 1 to 1 ½ cups cooked chicken, which equals about 2 small chicken breasts. Rotisserie chicken is a convenient shortcut.
- Ensure pasta shells are cooled before filling to prevent tearing.
- You can substitute Italian seasoning for parsley and oregano if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 shells
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
