Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells are an easy and delicious weeknight meal that will surely be a family favorite! Jumbo stuffed shell pasta filled to the brim with tender chicken and creamy cheese, all smothered in a savory marinara sauce and of course, more cheese! What’s not to love?

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shell pasta might be one of my all time favorite meals. This chicken parmesan version is no joke. Tender shredded chicken, three different cheeses, your favorite marinara sauce, all inside a giant piece of pasta? Yes please. I love that this meal is so easy even when it looks mighty impressive on the dinner table. It can feed a whole crowd and is all baked in under 40 minutes. Insane! Serving this without Homemade Garlic Bread is basically a crime. Pasta should always come with a side of warm bread to scoop up any errant sauce!

Craving more classic Italian inspired comfort food? Look no further. Check out this decadent Three Cheese Rigatoni made in under 30 minutes, or my Million Dollar Ravioli Lasagna for a flavorful family meal. 

How can I easily fill stuffed shells?

Spooning in the cheese and spice mixture can get a little messy especially when trying to hold the shells open. I found that if you use a ziplock bag and cut the corner off, you can mimic the cake decorating technique of piping icing. Just place the corner of the bag in the shell and squeeze. No more mess or juggling! Of course if you have icing bags and piping tips on hand you can use those as well. 

How To Make Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

• Preheat. Preheat your oven to 400°F. 
• Cook. Boil the stuffed shells. If using Crockpot Shredded Chicken or a rotisserie, shred that up now.
• Combine. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella, the parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined.
• Cover. Pour half the marinara sauce into a 9×13 baking dish (make sure to use one that has a rim and is deep enough so sauce doesn’t overflow while baking) and spread so it covers the entire bottom of the dish.
• Assemble. Spoon about 1 ½  tablespoons of ricotta filling into each of the shells before placing 2 chunks of chicken on top of the filling.  Place the shells face up in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells, cheese, and chicken.
• Bake. Cover the shells with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese along with the panko on top. Bake for 20-22 minutes until the cheese is nice and bubbly.
• Serve. Sprinkle with some parsley and extra parmesan and serve while hot! Enjoy.

Storing Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

You can store leftover stuffed shells in the fridge in an airtight container for 4 days. Just reheat in the microwave until warmed through. Or you can throw them back in the oven for a few minutes at 350°F to keep that crunch. 

Ingredients Notes for Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

• Panko – This gives an added little crunch, flavor, and texture to the shells while they bake!
• Jumbo Shell Pasta – Any brand, cooked according to package directions. Make sure you give the jumbo shell pasta a bit of time to cool before stuffing them with filling. They will be very HOT and if you try to pick them up too soon after cooking you will end up in a game of hot potato so be careful!
• Chicken – Using shredded chicken, or even a rotisserie chicken makes this easy!
• Marinara Sauce – Feel free to use whatever you have on hand or your favorite brand. Of course you could also whip up a sauce from scratch if you’re feeling ambitious.
• Cheeses – These shells are STUFFED. You’ll need ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese in this recipe. And I highly recommend using all three. 
• Spices – Any Italian seasoning blend you like, some garlic powder, and a dash of salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

~Nichole