Sometimes cooking for the fam feels like a whole project, but this easy chicken stuffed shells recipe saves me every. single. time. I keep it in my back pocket for when everybody’s hungry and need a big pan of food ASAP. It’s basically cheesy chicken and broccoli mixed with a Creole cream sauce stuffed into jumbo pasta shells, so y’all already know it’s gonna be a hit. Even with the pickiest eaters!
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PRO TIP: Layer a thin spoonful of sauce on the bottom of your baking dish before adding the stuffed shells. Keeps them from sticking!
Chicken Stuffed Shells Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1/2 (12 ounce) box jumbo shells 6 ounces total
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 1 tbsp creole seasoning divided
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- salt (if needed) to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup rotisserie chicken shredded
- 1 cup broccoli cooked and diced
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Cook the jumbo pasta shells according to the instructions on the box and set aside separately to bring back to room temperature.
- Add butter to a large pan over medium high heat. Once melted, add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds making sure not to overcook and cause burning.
- Add heavy cream, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, ½ tablespoon of creole seasoning, and all of the Italian seasoning and stir to mix together. Bring cream sauce to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes to thicken. Once thickened, remove from heat and pour into a large baking pan and set aside.
- Next in a separate medium sized bowl, add ricotta cheese, chicken, broccoli, onion, remaining parmesan and remaining creole seasoning and stir together to combine well.
- Stuff room temperature shells with chicken mixture and add to bottom of sauced baking pan.
- Cover with mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has completely melted and is bubbling. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, garnish with parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: Store baked shells in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the unbaked stuffed shells in a covered dish or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
- Reheating: Warm leftovers in the oven at 350°F until heated through, or microwave individual portions if you’re in a rush.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Cook your shells to al dente. They should be tender with a little bite left, otherwise they’ll tear apart when you stuff them.
- Make sure the sauce coats the back of a spoon. That’s how you’ll know it’s thick enough to hold up your creamy chicken stuffed shells.
- Don’t go wild stuffing the pasta! Overfilled shells will split open in the oven.
- Shred your own mozzarella cheese. It melts smoother and gives these cheesy chicken stuffed shells the best pull.
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Serving Suggestions
- Bread: Every plate of pasta needs bread y’all. I love serving these chicken broccoli stuffed shells with garlic bread, cheesy breadsticks, or a slice of roasted garlic bread.
- Veggies: Keep it simple with garlic green beans, honey glazed carrots, or a classic coleslaw.
- Salads: A bright Caesar salad or a cucumber and onion salad adds freshness to go with the stuffed shells.
Recipe Help
Yes! You can assemble the shells, cover them tightly, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking.
Keep simmering until it coats the back of a spoon. If it still looks loose, stir in a little more parmesan cheese.
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Made this for my family and it was delicious! We prepack lunches for the week and this is one that is great for dinner but also packs and reheats well. The sauce is so good I am using it in other dishes to add some amazing flavor.
Made this for a small dinner party with friends. They LOVED it. Made some minor changes: sautéed the onions with the garlic to make them part of the sauce instead of in the shell mixture; went a bit heavy handed with the cajun and Italian seasoning; and, added some pepper. So good. Thank you for ANOTHER great recipe!! PS – I made a Black Forest Cake for desert that was amazing but the guests said there is nothing better the “my” Carrot Cake (which, of course, is your recipe). I think I’m going to have to bake the carrot cake as a second cake when I experiment with new cakes. 🙂
WOW! WOW! I can’t wait to make these for my family!
Nice and flavorful. The sauce alone can be used with fettucine or whatever pasta you choose…5 stars
Made the recipe exactly as written…so delicious!
Added orange and yellow bell peppers for extra flavor. Used shredded chicken breast inside the shells, and sliced chicken breast outside of the shells with the cream sauce. Delicious!!!
This dish was so amazing. I was looking for something different to cook for my family for Sunday dinner and happened to see this recipe. I tried it and let me tell you, it was heaven on a plate. My family loved every bite and i was Excited giving this my was first time making it. Thank you so much for sharing. From the spice sauce, the shells, the cheese and the taste was a thumbs up. All 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is great! I have some chicken left from my cooked tarragon chicken dish. I was trying to think what to use it with. I don’t have broccoli but I do have baby spinach. Pandemic shopping sometimes leaves you without stuff. But this sounds delicious, and I have everything else. Dinner tonight! Thank you!
Loved this dish. My husband who is very critical and a picky eater loved it. Thanks for this recipe.
Creamy Deliciousness! We loved this, not sauteing the minced onions worried me a bit, but the surprise bit of crunch really competed the dish.