These Chicken Stuffed Shells are filled to the brim with chicken, broccoli, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and then smothered in a rich garlic Alfredo sauce.
The other day when I posted my Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce , I cautioned you that it was great on freshly made pasta but wasn’t a great recipe to bake with.
Well today, you are getting a great Alfredo Sauce that you can throw in the oven. With it you are getting my amazing Chicken Stuffed Shells recipe. If you love stuffed shells , you are going to love this twist on that classic recipe.
Absolutely delicious, family really enjoyed and I’m glad I made a double batch.
How to Make Stuffed Shells with Chicken
This is a brief overview of how easy this delicious recipe is. For the full recipe, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Start by cooking the shells. You will need 17 to 20 jumbo shells for this recipe. I recommend making a whole box in case some rip while boiling. See all of our tips and tricks on making pasta here: How to Cook Pasta .
- Make the filling. While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, make the filling for the shells. Set it aside.
- Make the Alfredo Sauce. Melt butter butter in a large skillet. Then whisk in some flour. This will create a roux and this is what makes the sauce hold up to the oven without separating. Add in milk slowly, then heavy cream, and finally and some garlic and melt in some Parmesan cheese. Make sure to add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill the shells. After the pasta is cooked, rinse it with cool water. Then fill it with the chicken ricotta filling.
- Put it all together. Pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Add the stuffed shells. Top with the rest of the sauce. Add some mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan.
- Bake the stuffed shells. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes. Finish it off by broiling it for 2 to 3 minutes, watching it closely.
In this recipe we are making our own Alfredo Sauce, and it is bananas good. That being said, if you want to cut some time from this recipe, feel free to use store bought Alfredo Sauce. It will hold up to the oven great. You will need two cups or 16 liquid ounces.
Using Cooked Chicken in Chicken Stuffed Shells
Our Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells require cooked chicken. I have a few suggestions for this.
- Buy pre cooked and shredded chicken from your deli. You only need 1 cup. Give it a rough chop when you get home.
- Boil some chicken. You will need less than half a pound of raw chicken for this recipe. Add your chicken to a sauce pan and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. It is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Make chicken to shred in the Instant Pot.
- Buy several rotisserie chickens on sale for later use . Shred them, line them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Break up the chicken and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
Tips and Tricks
- Use frozen or fresh broccoli. Both work great in this recipe. It’s just important that it is cooked. If using fresh broccoli you will want to par boil it.
- Grate the cheese from the block. Freshly grated cheese is what melts best because it isn’t coated in preservatives. I highly recommend you take the time to grate your own cheese.
Making Ahead
This is a great recipe to make the night before. It will last for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
If you are tight on time when you get home from work, pull this out of the refrigerator and into the preheated oven. It will be done in a little over 30 minutes.
Freezing Alfredo Stuffed Shells
This recipe also freezes really well. Use a disposable baking dish so that you can take it right from the freezer to the hot oven without worrying about the dish cracking.
Wrap the disposable baking dish with the ready to bake chicken stuffed shells in plastic wrap three times. Store in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and put it into the hot 375 degree oven. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes, then broil until you get the desired browning of the cheese.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
If you have leftover shells, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover the shells in an oven safe dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the shells are warmed through. Please only reheat the amount of shells you want to eat in that sitting as leftovers shouldn’t be reheated more than once.
What to Serve with Chicken Stuffed Shells
This is a heavy meal, so I would suggest going with a vegetable as a side dish.
- Vegetable Soup
- Arugula Side Salad
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Zucchini Salad
If you make these Chicken Stuffed Shells or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
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Ingredients
- 16 – 20 jumbo shells cooked according to package instructions, for all of my tips and tricks see my post: How to Cook Pasta
Filling for Shells
- 1 cup cooked chicken (140 grams)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese low fat can be used here, see note 1 (227 grams)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided, see note 2 (226 grams)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cooked broccoli this can be broccoli you sauté, steam, or thaw from frozen, see note 3 (90 grams)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk cold (454 grams)
- 1 cup heavy cream cold (227 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded 100 grams)
- salt and pepper (you will likely need 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 2 quart dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Add the dry jumbo shells. Cook for the length of time indicated on the box. When the timer goes off, drain the water and rinse the shells with cold water. 16 – 20 jumbo shells
- While the water is coming to a boil and the shells are cooking, combine all the ingredients listed above for the shell filling in a large bowl, using only 1 cup of mozzarella cheese . Set aside. 1 cup cooked chicken, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, 1 large egg, 1 cup cooked broccoli, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a large skillet over medium heat make the Alfredo Sauce. (Please note that you can skip this step and use 2 cups of store-bought Alfredo sauce.) Melt the butter and once it is melted, whisk in the flour. Gradually add the whole milk. Start by adding about 2 tablespoons at a time. Add more once it is fully combined with the flour. The mixture will look very gummy. The more you add the more quickly you can go. This whole process should take less than a minute. Now whisk in the heavy cream and garlic. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cloves garlic
- Bring the liquid to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. You sould see just small bubbles. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan so it melts completely. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Salt and pepper can make or break an Alfredo sauce, so really taste it and keep adding little bits of salt and pepper until you reach a flavor you like. 1 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper
- Add just enough Alfredo Sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish to coat it. Fill the shells with the filling mixture and place them in the baking dish, seam side up. Pour the reamaining Alfredo Sauce over the shells. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove the cover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more with the cover removed until the cheese is fully melted. Turn on the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until you reach the desired level of browning your family enjoys. What you see in the pictures here is about two minutes. Watch the shells very closely.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- While I prefer ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute in this recipe. You might consider blending it for a smoother texture.
- I highly recommend shredding cheese from a block as it will melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
- If you don’t like broccoli, you can replace it with spinach or mushrooms. Or you can replace it with another cup of chicken. You can also just leave it out and then you will have fewer shells that can be stuffed.
did you make this
Chicken Stuffed Shells
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Crockpot Lasagna
Chicken Lasagna
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Comforting Baked Spaghetti
These Chicken Stuffed Shells are filled to the brim with chicken, broccoli, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and then smothered in a rich garlic Alfredo sauce.
The other day when I posted my Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce , I cautioned you that it was great on freshly made pasta but wasn’t a great recipe to bake with.
Well today, you are getting a great Alfredo Sauce that you can throw in the oven. With it you are getting my amazing Chicken Stuffed Shells recipe. If you love stuffed shells , you are going to love this twist on that classic recipe.
Absolutely delicious, family really enjoyed and I’m glad I made a double batch.
How to Make Stuffed Shells with Chicken
This is a brief overview of how easy this delicious recipe is. For the full recipe, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Start by cooking the shells. You will need 17 to 20 jumbo shells for this recipe. I recommend making a whole box in case some rip while boiling. See all of our tips and tricks on making pasta here: How to Cook Pasta .
- Make the filling. While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, make the filling for the shells. Set it aside.
- Make the Alfredo Sauce. Melt butter butter in a large skillet. Then whisk in some flour. This will create a roux and this is what makes the sauce hold up to the oven without separating. Add in milk slowly, then heavy cream, and finally and some garlic and melt in some Parmesan cheese. Make sure to add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Fill the shells. After the pasta is cooked, rinse it with cool water. Then fill it with the chicken ricotta filling.
- Put it all together. Pour a little of the sauce in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Add the stuffed shells. Top with the rest of the sauce. Add some mozzarella cheese and a little Parmesan.
- Bake the stuffed shells. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes. Finish it off by broiling it for 2 to 3 minutes, watching it closely.
In this recipe we are making our own Alfredo Sauce, and it is bananas good. That being said, if you want to cut some time from this recipe, feel free to use store bought Alfredo Sauce. It will hold up to the oven great. You will need two cups or 16 liquid ounces.
Using Cooked Chicken in Chicken Stuffed Shells
Our Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells require cooked chicken. I have a few suggestions for this.
- Buy pre cooked and shredded chicken from your deli. You only need 1 cup. Give it a rough chop when you get home.
- Boil some chicken. You will need less than half a pound of raw chicken for this recipe. Add your chicken to a sauce pan and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken. It is ready when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Make chicken to shred in the Instant Pot.
- Buy several rotisserie chickens on sale for later use . Shred them, line them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours. Break up the chicken and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.
Tips and Tricks
- Use frozen or fresh broccoli. Both work great in this recipe. It’s just important that it is cooked. If using fresh broccoli you will want to par boil it.
- Grate the cheese from the block. Freshly grated cheese is what melts best because it isn’t coated in preservatives. I highly recommend you take the time to grate your own cheese.
Making Ahead
This is a great recipe to make the night before. It will last for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
If you are tight on time when you get home from work, pull this out of the refrigerator and into the preheated oven. It will be done in a little over 30 minutes.
Freezing Alfredo Stuffed Shells
This recipe also freezes really well. Use a disposable baking dish so that you can take it right from the freezer to the hot oven without worrying about the dish cracking.
Wrap the disposable baking dish with the ready to bake chicken stuffed shells in plastic wrap three times. Store in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and put it into the hot 375 degree oven. Bake for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes, then broil until you get the desired browning of the cheese.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
If you have leftover shells, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover the shells in an oven safe dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the shells are warmed through. Please only reheat the amount of shells you want to eat in that sitting as leftovers shouldn’t be reheated more than once.
What to Serve with Chicken Stuffed Shells
This is a heavy meal, so I would suggest going with a vegetable as a side dish.
- Vegetable Soup
- Arugula Side Salad
- Air Fryer Cauliflower
- Zucchini Salad
If you make these Chicken Stuffed Shells or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
- Youtube
- Newsletter
Ingredients
- 16 – 20 jumbo shells cooked according to package instructions, for all of my tips and tricks see my post: How to Cook Pasta
Filling for Shells
- 1 cup cooked chicken (140 grams)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese low fat can be used here, see note 1 (227 grams)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided, see note 2 (226 grams)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cooked broccoli this can be broccoli you sauté, steam, or thaw from frozen, see note 3 (90 grams)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk cold (454 grams)
- 1 cup heavy cream cold (227 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded 100 grams)
- salt and pepper (you will likely need 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 2 quart dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Add the dry jumbo shells. Cook for the length of time indicated on the box. When the timer goes off, drain the water and rinse the shells with cold water. 16 – 20 jumbo shells
- While the water is coming to a boil and the shells are cooking, combine all the ingredients listed above for the shell filling in a large bowl, using only 1 cup of mozzarella cheese . Set aside. 1 cup cooked chicken, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, 1 large egg, 1 cup cooked broccoli, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a large skillet over medium heat make the Alfredo Sauce. (Please note that you can skip this step and use 2 cups of store-bought Alfredo sauce.) Melt the butter and once it is melted, whisk in the flour. Gradually add the whole milk. Start by adding about 2 tablespoons at a time. Add more once it is fully combined with the flour. The mixture will look very gummy. The more you add the more quickly you can go. This whole process should take less than a minute. Now whisk in the heavy cream and garlic. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cloves garlic
- Bring the liquid to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. You sould see just small bubbles. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan so it melts completely. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Salt and pepper can make or break an Alfredo sauce, so really taste it and keep adding little bits of salt and pepper until you reach a flavor you like. 1 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper
- Add just enough Alfredo Sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish to coat it. Fill the shells with the filling mixture and place them in the baking dish, seam side up. Pour the reamaining Alfredo Sauce over the shells. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove the cover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more with the cover removed until the cheese is fully melted. Turn on the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until you reach the desired level of browning your family enjoys. What you see in the pictures here is about two minutes. Watch the shells very closely.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- While I prefer ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute in this recipe. You might consider blending it for a smoother texture.
- I highly recommend shredding cheese from a block as it will melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
- If you don’t like broccoli, you can replace it with spinach or mushrooms. Or you can replace it with another cup of chicken. You can also just leave it out and then you will have fewer shells that can be stuffed.
did you make this
Chicken Stuffed Shells
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Youtube
Newsletter
Crockpot Lasagna
Chicken Lasagna
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Comforting Baked Spaghetti
Instagram
Facebook
Youtube
Newsletter
Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 16 - 20 jumbo shells cooked according to package instructions, for all of my tips and tricks see my post: How to Cook Pasta
Filling for Shells
- 1 cup cooked chicken (140 grams)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese low fat can be used here, see note 1 (227 grams)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided, see note 2 (226 grams)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded (50 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cooked broccoli this can be broccoli you sauté, steam, or thaw from frozen, see note 3 (90 grams)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Alfredo Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk cold (454 grams)
- 1 cup heavy cream cold (227 grams)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup Parmesan shredded 100 grams)
- salt and pepper (you will likely need 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 2 quart dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Add the dry jumbo shells. Cook for the length of time indicated on the box. When the timer goes off, drain the water and rinse the shells with cold water. 16 - 20 jumbo shells
- While the water is coming to a boil and the shells are cooking, combine all the ingredients listed above for the shell filling in a large bowl, using only 1 cup of mozzarella cheese . Set aside. 1 cup cooked chicken, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, 1 large egg, 1 cup cooked broccoli, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a large skillet over medium heat make the Alfredo Sauce. (Please note that you can skip this step and use 2 cups of store-bought Alfredo sauce.) Melt the butter and once it is melted, whisk in the flour. Gradually add the whole milk. Start by adding about 2 tablespoons at a time. Add more once it is fully combined with the flour. The mixture will look very gummy. The more you add the more quickly you can go. This whole process should take less than a minute. Now whisk in the heavy cream and garlic. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cloves garlic
- Bring the liquid to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. You sould see just small bubbles. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan so it melts completely. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Salt and pepper can make or break an Alfredo sauce, so really taste it and keep adding little bits of salt and pepper until you reach a flavor you like. 1 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper
- Add just enough Alfredo Sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish to coat it. Fill the shells with the filling mixture and place them in the baking dish, seam side up. Pour the reamaining Alfredo Sauce over the shells. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove the cover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more with the cover removed until the cheese is fully melted. Turn on the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until you reach the desired level of browning your family enjoys. What you see in the pictures here is about two minutes. Watch the shells very closely.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- While I prefer ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute in this recipe. You might consider blending it for a smoother texture.
- I highly recommend shredding cheese from a block as it will melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
- If you don’t like broccoli, you can replace it with spinach or mushrooms. Or you can replace it with another cup of chicken. You can also just leave it out and then you will have fewer shells that can be stuffed.
Nutrition
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