Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells

           In this amazing dish you will find jumbo pasta stuffed with creamy chicken and broccoli. It’s a quick and delicious recipe. What more could you ask for? I used a jar of Alfredo, but you can make something more homemade if you have the time.

If you are anything like me though, extra time is not something you always have when it comes to family, schedules, and just life in general. I also love garlic, so I was sure to have that in on this recipe as well. It is an delectable dish you are sure to make again and again.

          It really is one of those recipes you can tell quite quickly if you are going to like it. The shells are jumbo, and jam packed with lush green broccoli, chicken, alfredo sauce, and cheese. It’s a very simple recipe but it packs a lot of flavors, deliciousness, and it’s just simply fun to make and eat.

PREP AND FREEZING

Prepping – To make this dish ahead of time, follow the recipe until you get to the part where you are about to bake. Instead, cover and stick the pan in the fridge until you are ready for it.

Freezing – Do not quite cook your noodles to be finished. Give a little wiggle room where thawing and then reheating does not give your noodles a chance of being overcooked. Follow the directions in preparing the stuffed noodles, but instead place in a freezer safe container. These noodles do great for around two months in the freezer. Whenever you’re ready for them, allow to thaw and then bake until done. The top should be bubbly and there should be no cold spots.

Working with the Ingredients

Jumbo Shells – Make the shells ahead of time and allow to cool for the best handling.

Ricotta Cheese – Be sure to not sub this ingredient out for something such as cottage cheese. Cottage and ricotta are not the same when it comes to this dish.

Mozzarella- Fresh cheese is always my first choice. Shredded and bagged already is great too.

Parmesan – Again, fresh is best, but bagged is also doable. 

Egg- The egg’s purpose is to bind the ingredients. So don’t leave it out!

Broccoli – Feel free to sub out broccoli for your favorite veggie.

Alfredo – Homemade is always preferable, but a good brand of store-bought Alfredo can do this dish great justice too. 

A Homemade Sauce

If you prefer to use a sauce that is also homemade, here is one for you that comes together very quickly and is delectable.

Sauce Ingredients

1 tbsp salted butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup parmesan, grated

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Sauce Directions:

1. In a small pan, melt the butter.
2. Add in flour and garlic. Whisk.
3. Stir in milk and cook until slightly thickened. Pour in the milk. Stir constantly until it has thickened.
4. Remove the sauce from the sink.
5. Stir in the cheese and black pepper.

What do you need to make Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 box Jumbo Shells

1 jar Alfredo sauce / the homemade sauce recipe

1 bag frozen broccoli, prepared and chopped

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

How to make Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells

FIRST STEP:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a large pan with cooking spray.

In the bottom of the large pan, spread out a big spoon of sauce.

SECOND STEP:

Chop your broccoli and shred your chicken.

Prepare the jumbo pasta shells by following instructions on the box. Drain. Allow to cool off before handling.

Add garlic powder, salt, broccoli, and chicken to a large bowl.

a)

b)

c)

Stir well to combine. 

Pour in 1 cup of sauce. 

Stir again.

THIRD STEP:

Carefully, fill the jumbo pasta shells with the mixture.

a)

b)

Add all stuffed pasta shells into the pan. Do not stack.

FOURTH STEP:

Use the remainder of the sauce to cover the stuffed jumbo pasta shells. 

Cover in cheeses.

Bake the pasta shells dish for about 20-25 minutes, no cover. Dish should bubble and all cheese should be melted.

Enjoy!

YUM!