Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells
These Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells are the perfect weeknight meal! Also great when served as an appetizer. Easy to make & only a few simple ingredients!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Stuffed Shells
Servings: 12
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Erica Walker
- 1 pound large or jumbo pasta shells cooked according to package directions
- 8-10 breaded chicken strips cooked (I like the packaged, frozen parmesan-crusted chicken strips)
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese in a block
- 1 quart spaghetti sauce see below for our favorite sauce recipe
- shredded Mozzarella/Parmesan cheese blend to taste
- fresh basil chopped, to taste
For Homemade Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion very finely chopped
- 800 grams whole, peeled DOP San Marzano Tomatoes
- 3 teaspoons salt or to taste, you want to keep salting until the acid taste of the tomatoes is balanced out
Pre-heat oven to 375-degrees. Cut chicken strips into 1 1/2 inch pieces (4-5 pieces per strip). You want it to be about the same size as the shells.Cut cheese into strips (as if you were cutting them to serve with crackers) to your desired thickness. Spread about 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.
Place the cheese on top of a chicken piece and stuff inside the shell, putting in a toothpick to hold it together if needed). Place the prepared stuffed shells in the baking dish.
Cover evenly with remaining spaghetti sauce. Top with shredded Mozzarella/Parmesan blend.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until sauce is hot and bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and serve.
For the Sauce
Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, you can throw the sauce in a blender instead.)
Add salt, to taste. Allow to simmer on low, stirring occasionally until ready to serve.
- This makes a great freezer meal! Prepare the shells all the way, but stop before baking. Then, cover with plastic wrap and then foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy this meal, defrost it in the fridge and then bake it as normal.
- Make meatball stuffed shells by replacing the chicken with fully cooked meatballs.
- Use toothpicks if needed to keep the shells together.
Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 497mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 5.9mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 1.6mg