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overhead picture of a casserole dish full of stuffed shells with white sauce
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5 from 7 votes

Chicken Stuffed Shells

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.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 752kcal
Author: Lisa Longley

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

  1. While I prefer ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute in this recipe. You might consider blending it for a smoother texture.
  2. I highly recommend shredding cheese from a block as it will melt better than pre-shredded cheese.
  3. 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

Serving: 4shells | Calories: 752kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 1139mg | Potassium: 479mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1707IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 841mg | Iron: 2mg