Coming from an Italian background, I am no stranger to stuffed shells. The kind that graced my table as a kid were stuffed with ricotta and covered with a robust marinara sauce. I decided to switch things up a little and replace the tomato sauce with a white alfredo sauce and the results were spectacular. Try this Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells recipe and see if your family loves it as much as mine did. Family friendly recipes like this one are great to take a new mom or a sick friend. Good old fashioned comfort food at its best! For more Italian recipes check out our Toasted Italian Sandwich and Tortellini Salad Skewers.
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Start off by mixing your cooked, chopped chicken with the ricotta in a large bowl.
I used a 9x13 casserole dish for this chicken alfredo stuffed shells recipe.
I never use all the shells that I boil because a few always end up falling apart in the pot or tearing as I am filling them. Even so, I always have enough left intact to fill up a casserole dish. Just make sure to boil a few more shells than you think you will need.
You can make your own alfredo sauce if you wish, but a jarred alfredo sauce is a good shortcut that still tastes yummy.
To lighten up this chicken alfredo stuffed shells recipe a bit, I used a light ricotta, light alfredo sauce and part skim mozzarella cheese. You can make these small changes without sacrificing taste.
These Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells make a great main course or side dish. They are really filling too!
We had leftovers of these delicious stuffed shells and they heat up easily in the microwave. These can be refrigerated for a few days.
FAQs For Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
I always pop any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. They stay good for up to 3-4 days and heat up well in the microwave. If you want to freeze them, make sure they're totally cooled first. Then cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and foil. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Yes! I've tried making these with whatever cheese I have on hand. If your store is out of ricotta, cottage cheese works too. Sometimes I toss in a little extra mozzarella or even a handful of cheddar because, why not? You can mix and match based on what your family likes.
The easiest thing is to put a single serving in the microwave until it's hot. But if you're reheating a bunch, I just put the whole dish in the oven at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes. If they look a little dry, add a spoonful of Alfredo sauce on top before heating.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 8 oz large shells
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ lb chicken
- 1 cup alfredo sauce
- 1 ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil water and cook shells according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and cook on medium heat in olive oil.
- When the chicken is cooked, chop into smaller pieces.
- In a medium bowl, mix ricotta and chicken.
- Fill each shell with a rounded tablespoon of the ricotta/chicken mixture.
- Pour ¼ cup of alfredo sauce into a 9x13 casserole dish and spread to cover the bottom. Fill the casserole dish with the stuffed shells.
- Pour ¾ cup of alfredo sauce over the stuffed shells. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and add 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top. Bake for 15 minutes uncovered.
Nutrition
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Dana says
Such a great stuffed shell recipe! Everyone had seconds 🙂
Mirlene says
All the great cheesy flavors packed into a shell! My family loves having this because of the alfredo sauce!
kushigalu says
Drooling over these stuffed shells. SO creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Tayler Ross says
We had these stuffed shells for dinner last night and my whole family loved them. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Ashley B. says
How necessary is the ricotta? I just can't stomach that stuff! Can anything be substituted in it's place or would it make a difference if it was left out altogether?
Christy says
Can you used canned chicken?
Vicky says
Hi Christy, I have never tried it with canned chicken. But if you drain it, I don't see why it wouldn't work.
Rachel says
These have next to no flavor. Next time I'll add seasoning to the chicken/ricotta mix. This was bland at best. The salt and pepper added before serving isn't nearly enough seasoning to give these much taste.
Vicky says
Thanks for the feedback Rachel. I found them well seasoned but everyone's palette is different. What kind of seasoning were you thinking of adding? I'd love to give it a try.
Cristi says
Agree. No one in the family cared for this. It needs more than ricotta in the stuffing with the chicken. We will not have it again.
Vicky says
Sorry your family did not enjoy it Cristi. Thanks for letting me know.
Nancy says
This sounds so delicious definitely going to try was wondering if you can freeze them?
Vicky says
I haven't tried that and am not sure about how the ricotta would freeze.
Kelsey Kimble says
Just made this. Love this. So many props to you for thinking of this.
imdafarmer gamerboy says
Aww! My mouth is watering! I will have to try these after my mouth heals. Just had my wisdom teeth done. About how many will 8 shells feed as a main course?