Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells – two delicious dinner favorites in one dish! Jumbo shells stuffed with cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and fried chicken and baked in marinara sauce. Makes a lot of food. Great for dinner parties and potlucks. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Serve with garlic bread and a salad for a meal better than any restaurant!

Chicken Pasta Casserole

This Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells recipe combines two delicious dinners in one pan. Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with three kinds of cheeses and crispy breaded chicken and smothered in tomato sauce. What could be better than cheesy chicken stuffed pasta? Not much in my book! This is comfort food at its best! We ate this pasta for dinner and fought over the leftovers for lunch. It is equally delicious, if not better, the next day. You must try this! It is sure to be a hit!

How to Make Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells Recipe

This casserole is super easy to make. Cook shells in a large pot over medium-high heat until al dente. Drain the jumbo shells, rinse with cool water and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, and an egg. Spread some marinara sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. With a spoon, stuff the shells with the cheese mixture and one piece of popcorn chicken per shell. Place stuffed shells in the baking dish. Top the shells with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with more mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly. Garnish with fresh basil.

Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

• I use frozen popcorn chicken. You can substitute chopped fried chicken tenders. 
  • There is no need to fully thaw the chicken before using it. It will bake along with the pasta.
• My favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Rao’s, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
• What cheese goes in stuffed shells? I use cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. You can substitute any cheese that you prefer: ricotta cheese, asiago, or provolone are all good.
• Feel free to add some Italian seasoning to the cheese mixture for extra flavor.
• Can Stuffed Shells be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
• Can Stuffed Shells be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
  • To bake the shells after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
  • The shells will keep 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
• This makes a lot of food. Feel free to split the casserole between two pans. Bake one and freeze one for later.

What to Serve With Chicken Parm Shells

This easy pasta casserole has quickly become a family favorite! We like to serve this with some crusty garlic bread, olive oil dipping sauce, and a salad. It is equally delicious with our favorite Italian Green Bean Salad. Perfecto! I am counting down the days until we make this again!! SO good!

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Recipe Print Recipe

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

Author: Plain Chicken

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells – two delicious dinner favorites in one dish! Jumbo shells stuffed with cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and fried chicken and baked in marinara sauce. Makes a lot of food. Great for dinner parties and potlucks. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for later. Serve with garlic bread and a salad for a meal better than any restaurant!

Equipment:

• 9×13-inch Baking Dish
• Mixing Bowls
• Rotary Cheese Grater
• 6-quart saucepot

Ingredients:

• 24 jumbo pasta shells
• 24 pieces frozen popcorn chicken (made need more if the pieces are small)
• 1 (15-oz) container cottage cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 large egg
• 1 (24 to 26-oz) jar spaghetti sauce

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package. Drain and cool.
• Combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, dried parsley and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Stuff pasta shells with cheese mixture and one piece of chicken per shell. Place shells in prepared baking dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. (Can freeze at this point)
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbly.

Notes:

• I use frozen popcorn chicken. You can substitute chopped fried chicken tenders. 
  • There is no need to fully thaw the chicken before using it. It will bake along with the pasta.
• My favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Rao’s, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
• What cheese goes in stuffed shells? I use cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. You can substitute any cheese that you prefer: ricotta cheese, asiago, or provolone are all good.
• Feel free to add some Italian seasoning to the cheese mixture for extra flavor.
• Can Stuffed Shells be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. You may need to add a few minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
• Can Stuffed Shells be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
  • To bake the shells after freezing, thaw completely and bake as directed.
  • The shells will keep 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
• This makes a lot of food. Feel free to split the casserole between two pans. Bake one and freeze one for later.

Plain Chicken

https://www.plainchicken.com/chicken-parmesan-stuffed-shells/

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Steph