Chicken Stuffed Shells Recipe
These chicken stuffed shells with ricotta and sun-dried tomato Alfredo are always a hit at dinnertime. Drizzled with a little pesto and topped with even more cheese, they make the perfect dinner.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 471kcal
Ingredients
Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells
- 1 box jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups cooked chicken cut into 1/2" pieces
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons pesto
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a blender, blend together the chicken broth and the sun-dried tomatoes and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the cream and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 1/2 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the sun-dried tomato mixture to the cream and mix. Then add the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the mixture back up to a boil stirring constantly for another minute, or until all the cheese is melted, then remove the Alfredo sauce from the heat.
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells to al dente (just barely cooked through) according to the instructions on the box, drain, and set aside.
- In a 9" x 13" baking dish, spread 1 cup of the sun-dried tomato Alfredo in the bottom.
- In a medium bowl, combine the cooked chicken, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 parmesan cheese, eggs, minced sun-dried tomatoes, and spices. Mix together.
- Add the chicken and cheese mixtures, about 2 tablespoons at a time, into the cooked pasta shells.
- Place the pasta shells in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread remaining Alfredo sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese on the stuffed shells. Drizzle pesto on top of shells too.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing leftovers: store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Make-ahead tips: to freeze these for baking later, make according to instructions but do not bake. Cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months.
To bake from frozen: When you are ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, re-cover with aluminum foil, bake at 300 degrees for 60 minutes or until the Alfredo is bubbling. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 minutes until the cheese is golden.
Reheating: either microwave or reheat in an ovenproof dish at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 307mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1096IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 340mg | Iron: 1mg