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A bowl of chicken parmesan stuffed shells
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4.85 from 13 votes

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
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Stuffed Shells
Servings: 12
Calories: 311kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 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

Instructions

  • 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.
    chicken tenders and mozzarella cheese on a cutting board
  • Spread about 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish.
    a baking dish with a layer of marinara sauce on the bottom
  • 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.
    a baking dish full of jumbo shells stuffed with cheese and chicken
  • Cover evenly with remaining spaghetti sauce. Top with shredded Mozzarella/Parmesan blend.
    A casserole dish with uncooked Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells covered in a tomato sauce and shredded cheese.
  • 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.
    A baking dish full of chicken parmesan stuffed shells

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.)
    Tomatoes being blended into a sauce with an immersion blender
  • Add salt, to taste. Allow to simmer on low, stirring occasionally until ready to serve.
    Tomato sauce in a skillet

Video

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

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