These chicken Alfredo stuffed shells are jumbo shell pasta filled with a chicken and cheese mixture, then smothered in homemade Alfredo sauce and baked to perfection. Add bacon, tomatoes and herbs as a finishing touch and watch the rave reviews come in!
Stuffed shells are a comfort food classic, and these Alfredo stuffed shells are no exception. This is my family’s absolute favorite stuffed shells dish, it’s a must-try!
If you’re looking for a delicious comfort food, loaded with cheese and pasta, this recipe will have you drooling. These chicken Alfredo stuffed shells are the perfect throw together dinner that’s guaranteed to please the entire family. Not to mention, it’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
HOW DO YOU MAKE CHICKEN ALFREDO STUFFED SHELLS?
This chicken Alfredo bake starts with jumbo shell pasta which is filled with a mixture of chicken and cheese. Once the pasta is assembled, the chicken stuffed shells are then covered in homemade Alfredo sauce and baked to perfection. These stuffed shells are great as is, but they’re even better when you finish them off with another layer of cheese, bacon and tomatoes.
In order to save time when assembling your stuffed shells, pre-made alfredo sauce can be used; however, the homemade sauce tastes better. Any kind of shredded chicken can be used for the filling such as leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Another option is to cook some chicken breasts either in the oven or slow cooker, then shred the meat to use in this dish.
This recipe can be easily doubled in order to accommodate a crowd. This recipe can also be assembled up to 4 hours in advance if need be. Just be sure to cover your baking dish and place it in the fridge, then add 10-15 minutes onto the cook time.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COOK JUMBO SHELLS?
Timing can vary based on the brand and ingredients of the shells themselves. However, it commonly takes around 8 minutes for jumbo shells to be fully cooked. It’s always best to check the package to be sure.
HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP STUFFED SHELLS IN THE REFRIGERATOR?
You can keep baked stuffed shells covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stuffed shells can either be reheated in the oven or in the microwave.
Chicken Alfredo stuffed shells has quickly become one of my favorite dishes. I end up craving it because who doesn’t love a comfort dish full of cheese and pasta? This dish is definitely a keeper and I’ll be making it again soon.
MORE PASTA RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Caprese Pasta
- Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Chicken
Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo shells pasta cooked according to package directions
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1 container ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided use
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese divided use
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
- Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the milk and cream, then simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce has just thickened.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan cheese to the milk mixture, along with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir until cheese has melted.
- Spread 1/3 of the sauce into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Spoon the chicken filling into the jumbo shells, and arrange the shells in a single layer in the pan.
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until pasta is bubbly and cheese has just started to brown.
- Sprinkle the bacon, tomatoes and parsley over the top, then serve.
Hi recipe looks amazing but what if you don’t like ricotta or cottage cheese is it ok to make without
The ricotta cheese is the main ingredient in this dish, so if you left it out you wouldn’t have enough filling to stuff the shells, you might have to double everything else but I’ve never tried it that way.
Or maybe try using cream cheese….
So yummy! It made great leftovers too!
Just made this tonight for my mom dad sister and husband. Everyone loved it! I found there to be not enough filling for the whole 12oz box of shells (about 36 shells) luckily I had bought enough ingredients to make some extra filling. I also made extra Alfredo sauce, added minced garlic in while melting the butter. I cooked the chicken in a crock pot with Italian seasoning garlic and Italian dressing while I cleaned the house, made for easy shredding when it was done! Served with a salad and garlic bread. Thanks for the great recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Would this recipe freeze well?
I would recommend freezing the cooked pasta shells filled with the chicken stuffing, then add the sauce right before you bake it, as the sauce is milk based and could curdle when frozen.
Do you cook the shells before filling them
Yes you do!
What size container of Ricotta do you use?
15 ounces!
This looks so wonderful with all this melted cheese!
Hi can the staff shells be made the night before and topped with cheese and alfredo the next day
Yes that’s fine!
My daughter loves these shell pasta. What a great way of serving them!!!
This is a comfort dish right here, perfect for the colder nights of the year. I’m keeping the recipe as we’re huge fans of chicken alfredo and this is a nice twist to it!
We love stuffed shells around here. This is a fantastic recipe and I will be trying it soon! Delicious!
Looking at the picture makes me drool over it. Glad you shared your recipe as well. I will definitely try making this one. Looks and sounds very delicious!
This is one of those comforting meals that you can’t wait to have, when the fall temperatures go down and you need a sweater when you walk the dogs.
Yum this looks oh so delicious! I am looking for new ideas for my meal plans and this? Must join the list. It looks incredible!
This looks fantastic! I am definitely pinning this for a rich meal day. Perfect for entertaining!
This is such a great way to feed our large family or when guests come over. Saving this and printing for later!
Ohh yummy, those look fantastic. I haven’t made shells in ages, and I like how you made something a little different than just the regular traditional shells.
I’m going to make this for sure. I know my family will gobble this right up. We love our pasta dishes.
OMG PINNING THIS !! My husband would ADORE THE SHIT OUT OF THIS!!!!
Those shells looked great I love your pictures, so cheesy. I know kids as well as adults would love a dish like this and you make it seem so easy to make.
Pasta is such a cheap dish and when paired with chicken makes it even more so. The cheese is the most expensive part but without the yummy cheese it would be as good. Family loves this dish when I make it for them.