Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells are made with cooked chicken, spinach, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and topped off with a homemade red sauce. This will be one of your family’s favorite dishes, I am sure.

Chicken and spinach stuffed shells is a total comfort food delight. Serve the stuffed shells with a green salad and crusty bread and you have a complete meal.

This is a great recipe way to get your family to eat some vegetables. I am sure you will not hear any complaints once they dig into this dish. It is a little time-consuming, but it is an easy recipe to make, and it is great tasting.

Helpful Tips:

• If you are following the directions on the pasta package, don’t cook as long as the package says. You will want the pasta a little undercooked since it will be baking in the oven.
• Have a large skillet to make the sauce. You will want it to cook before adding it to the baking dish, so it does not overflow.
• The cooked chicken can be made beforehand to help save time.
• Frozen spinach can be used instead of fresh spinach. Make sure to thaw completely and remove as much liquid as you can. I would suggest using fresh if you can.
• Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
• To reheat leftovers you can heat them in the microwave, make sure to use a microwave-safe dish.
• If you want to keep the pasta longer than 3 to 4 days, it can be frozen. Make sure to freeze in an airtight container.

Steps for making Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Step one

Combine the shredded chicken, chopped spinach, cottage cheese, mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Step two

Cook the pasta.

Step three

While the pasta is cooking make the red sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and add the chopped green pepper, onion, and garlic, cook until they begin to soften.

Step four

Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer while the shells are stuffed.

Step five

Add enough sauce to the baking dish to cover the bottom of the dish.

Step six

Fill each shell with a heaping tablespoon of the filling. Place the shells on top of the sauce that is in the baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce over the top of the shells. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over top. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Enjoy pasta and want more recipes? Check these out:

• Cherry Tomato Basil Angel Hair Pasta
• Creamy Garlic Pasta
• Baked Chicken Pasta Casserole

If you make these chicken and spinach stuffed shells, I would love to hear about it! Please leave me a comment and a rating.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells made with cooked chicken, spinach, cottage cheese, mozzarella, and topped off with a homemade red sauce.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Chicken and spinach stuffed shells, stuffed shells

Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 380kcal

Author: Dawn

Ingredients

Stuffed shells

• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup spinach chopped
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese divided
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 24 jumbo pasta shells

Red Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup green pepper finely chopped
• 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste Optional

Instructions

• Combine the shredded chicken, chopped spinach, cottage cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and set aside. 
• Cook the pasta so it is a little undercooked. Once they are cooked rinse them with cold water and cool them.
• While the pasta is cooking make the red sauce. In a skillet heat the olive oil. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cooking over medium heat cook the vegetable until they begin to soften. 
• Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese and stir until well blended. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer while preparing the shells.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble – spread enough of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan to cover it well. Fill the cooked shells with about a heaping tablespoon of the chicken filling. Place the stuffed shell in the baking pan on top of the red sauce. Repeat the procedure for the rest of the shells.
• Drizzle the remaining red sauce over top of the stuffed shells. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Notes

1. When cooking the shells, it is best to cook them so that they are slightly undercooked, since they will bake in the oven.
2. The chicken filling can be made in advance. 
3. Salt and pepper are optional for the chicken filling and red sauce. Taste both before adding them. If using unsalted diced tomatoes you may want to add salt.
4. Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
5. You can heat the leftovers in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish or cover and heat leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees until the desired temperature. 
6.  To keep longer than 4 days freeze leftovers. Freeze in an airtight container. 

 

Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary with brands of ingredients used.

Nutrition

Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.9g | Protein: 29.9g | Fat: 11.4g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 841mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 3.9g | Sugar: 7.4g | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 3mg

This recipe was originally published on March 5, 2018. It has been updated with new content and pictures, on March 13, 2023