Chicken Stuffed Shells

Chicken Stuffed Shells – a delicious dinner of pasta shells stuffed with chicken, cheese, spinach and then covered in a creamy alfredo sauce and topped with even more cheese!

Getting dinner on the table each night can be a chore. You need to find something that everyone will eat, that isn’t a ton of work, and with easy to find ingredients. One thing my family always enjoys is a creamy pasta with chicken.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo is another great one that has the veggies, protein and pasta all together, so you have a complete meal. These Chicken Stuffed Shells are similar and there are a few shortcut options that you are going to love!

 

What You’ll Need

• Jumbo Pasta Shells
• Ricotta Cheese
• Cooked Chicken
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Frozen Spinach
• Italian Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper

You can get a little creative for what you want to fill your shells with, but I think this is a delicious blend of creamy, cheesy, filling and flavorful.

Alfredo Sauce

• Butter
• Garlic
• Flour
• Heavy Cream
• Milk
• Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper

This homemade sauce comes together in minutes while the pasta is cooking, but if you are super short on time, you can use 2 jars of store bought alfredo sauce instead.

How To Make Chicken Stuffed Shells

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook jumbo shells according to the package directions, minus 2 minutes. You want them slightly under done as they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded chicken, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Once blended, set aside.
3. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat and sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes, until you can start to smell it.
4. Add in flour, stir and cook for a couple minutes until no white streaks remain.
5. Slowly whisk in heavy cream and milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes until it starts to thicken.
6. Stir in Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
7. Keep on low heat while you stuff the shells.
8. Once the shells are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to fill each shell with the chicken mixture.
9. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange the shells over the sauce as you fill them.
10. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted.

Storage

Chicken Stuffed Shells make for great leftovers. Just cover or keep in an airtight container and you can reheat in the oven until warm or even microwave for lunch the next day.

Can You Make Ahead

This is a great dish to make ahead. It will last in the fridge for about 24 hours before you bake it. So if you are meal prepping or spending time making dinner one night, this is great to get ready so the next night you can just take it out and make it.

Freezing Stuffed Shells

These Alfredo stuffed shells actually freeze really well. I like to freeze it before I bake it. So pour over the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and then wrap well with plastic wrap and foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When it is time to bake, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove the plastic and bake following the recipe instructions. If it is partially frozen or super cold you may need to add an additional few minutes of baking time.

Recipe Tips & Variations

• Make sure you really drain your frozen spinach. Frozen spinach contains so much liquid that can really wreck your dish if you don’t remove it. I like to thaw the spinach on a dish towel, and then ring that dish towel out over the sink. Once the spinach is nice and dry you can use it in the recipe.
• If you are short on time you can pick up 2 jars of alfredo sauce from the store instead of making your own.
• You have a lot of options for the chicken in this recipe. Rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, buy pre-cooked chicken from the deli….any cooked chicken will work. You need about 2 cups total, which is under a pound. So you can also bake a chicken breast and shred it if necessary.
• Don’t like spinach? You can use another vegetable instead. Finely chopped broccoli is a great alternative. You could also just leave it out.

What To Serve With Stuffed Shells

• Tossed Salad
• Air Fryer Garlic Bread
• Tomato Mozzarella Salad
• Sautéed Asparagus

More Comforting Dinner Recipes

• Chipotle Chicken Bowls
• Pan Seared Salmon
• Arby’s Beef & Cheddar
• Clam Chowder
• Oven Baked Ribs
• Homemade Lasagna
• Beer Cheese Soup
• Easy Baked Ravioli

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Chicken Stuffed Shells

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Chicken Stuffed Shells - a delicious dinner of pasta shells stuffed with chicken, cheese, spinach and then covered in a creamy alfredo sauce and topped with even more cheese!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 oz box Jumbo Pasta Shells
• 15 oz container Ricotta cheese
• 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
• 5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Alfredo Sauce

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook jumbo shells according to the package directions, minus 2 minutes. You want them slightly under done as they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, shredded chicken, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Once blended, set aside.
4. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat and sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes, until you can start to smell it.
5. Add in flour, stir and cook for a couple minutes until no white streaks remain.
6. Slowly whisk in heavy cream and milk and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes until it starts to thicken.
7. Stir in Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
8. Keep on low heat while you stuff the shells.
9. Once the shells are cool enough to handle, use a spoon to fill each shell with the chicken mixture.
10. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 13x9 in baking dish. Arrange the shells over the sauce as you fill them.
11. Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheese.
12. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until hot and the cheese is melted.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 667Total Fat 44gSaturated Fat 26gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 163mgSodium 928mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 2gSugar 6gProtein 36g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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