Chicken and Basil Alfredo Stuffed Shells
Chicken and Basil Alfredo Stuffed Shells is a crowd pleaser, a comfort meal, and a cheese lover’s heaven. Acupofcream.com
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8 1x
Ingredients
Sauce:
6 Tablespoons butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons flour
1 3/4 cups milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ tsp salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Filling:
25–30 shells, cooked to al dente
2 cups ricotta cheese (15 oz)
3 eggs
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 ¼ cups parmesan cheese, shredded
¾ to 1 pound of chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
Topping:
½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1–2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Bake or grill the chicken to your liking and shred.
In a pot, boil water and cook shells to al dente. They will get a bit softer as they bake in the oven after they are stuffed and covered in sauce so do not over-cook. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
While shells are cooking, make the sauce. Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes and then add the flour. Whisk together for another few minutes till the mixture starts to brown.
Over Medium low heat, add the milk and cream to the pan and continue whisking. Add in the parsley and basil and whisk till the sauce boils and thickens.
Add in the parmesan cheese and stir till melted.
Remove from heat and pour 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a casserole baking dish.
For the filling:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese with eggs, add salt, pepper and heavy cream. Stir to combine. Add the shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and chicken and stir.
Fill each shell full of the filling and place open side down into the casserole dish. Repeat till all shells are filled.
Pour remaining sauce over the shells evenly and top with remaining shredded cheese and parsley, if desired.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and top is golden.
Notes
I almost always make this dish ahead of time. It’s a bit time consuming to fill all the shells by hand so I do it when I have time and just pop it in the oven about an hour before I need it ready. If I’m heating it in the oven straight from the fridge I typically keep foil over the top for the first 20 minutes and then take it off. If it goes in the oven cold then you need to add at least 15-20 minutes to the baking time.
Keywords: Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Stuffed Shells