Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Shells with Spinach
A recipe for baked pasta shells filled with a creamy mixture of cooked chicken, spinach, and three kinds of cheese, topped with marinara sauce and baked until bubbly.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 55 min
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (12 ounces) jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain the shells and rinse them briefly with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, dried spinach, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, beaten egg, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the marinara sauce with the 1/4 cup of water. Spread half of this sauce mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Take each cooked shell and carefully stuff it with about 2 tablespoons of the chicken and cheese filling. Arrange the filled shells in a single layer over the sauce in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining half of the sauce mixture evenly over the stuffed shells.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top layer of sauce.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling.
- Let the shells rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To prevent the spinach from making the filling watery, press out as much liquid as possible after thawing.
- For a creamier filling, substitute 1/4 cup of the ricotta cheese with cream cheese.
- You can substitute your favorite tomato sauce for the marinara sauce.
- Prepare the dish up to the baking step, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the covered baking time if baking directly from the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 shells
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 9
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 85