Description
Deliciously stuffed jumbo shells filled with chicken, broccoli, and a creamy cheese mixture, baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 uncooked jumbo shells
- 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen broccoli
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces and lightly salted
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces or 4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup diced yellow or white onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 + 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or domestic Parmesan, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 + 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil or basil paste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Have a small casserole dish ready (can use 5×7 or 8×8 pan).
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a big handful of salt then add the pasta. Cook until barely al dente, about 8-10 minutes. You don’t want to fully cook them as they’ll finish cooking in the oven. During the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli. Drain into a colander and cool.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Once hot, add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
- In the same skillet (no need to clean it), melt the butter. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt, scraping up any brown bits left behind. Cook until softened and starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the cream. Bring to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to a simmer. Whisk in 1 + 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese then cook until melted and sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. If your sauce gets too thick, stir in more cream.
- Remove from the heat then stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust for seasoning. If it tastes bland, it’s not salty enough so add more cheese or kosher salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup mozzarella, ricotta, remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, basil, and salt. Then stir in the cooked chicken and broccoli.
- Spread 1/4 cup Alfredo sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Stuff each shell with the ricotta mixture and place snug inside the dish. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted on top.
Notes
- This dish can be assembled in advance and baked just before serving.
- Feel free to substitute other vegetables or proteins based on your preference.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 stuffed shells
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 150mg