Extra Chessy Stuffed Shells #SundaySupper

Jump to recipe

Sometimes you just want a hearty, cheesy, comfort- food dinner that is both easy and just a tad bit fancy. Well this is the perfect recipe for when this mood hits you! I say a bit fancy because the presentation is beautiful.

This is more than pasta and sauce. I love making a double batch of this pasta dinner, because it freezes really well. This is also a great dinner dish to bring to a friend when you want to share a meal with someone.

I made this recipe the other night for dinner.  So easy and the kids LOVED it!  All I have to do is say pasta and cheese and the kids cheer!  I think this dish is so yummy looking that I would definitely serve this to a large crowd for an informal dinner. For a week night meal, this warms the tummy!

If your kids don’t like veggies I would add some spinach to the cheese mixture. My kids have always loved their veggies, so we prefer to serve a heaping spinach salad topped with balsamic dressing as an accompaniment to the pasta dish.

While the pasta shells are baking, mix up the cheese mixture. Once the shells have cooled to the touch, you can spoon the cheese mixture into the shells.  Stuff them full!

You can make this dish up ahead of time.  Stuff the al dente shells and place in dish with sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  I have had the shells sit in the fridge for about 8 hours.  I would imagine they would keep fine overnight.  Bring pasta to room temperature and continue with the baking instructions.

I also love that this is such an easy meal to dress up and serve it to company.  Add my Italian Antipasto Salad, a loaf of French bread and you are all set!

Extra Chessy Stuffed Shells #SundaySupper

Ingredients

• Box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 15 ounce container ricotta cheese
• 8 ounces (2 cups) grated mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 – 26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce. (For this recipe I used some homemade pasta sauce since we had some leftover from a large batch recently made, When I don’t have homemade sauce I do not think twice about using a good variety of store bought jarred sauce.)
• 1/2 cup jared or fresh Alfredo sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Let cool on cookie sheet.

   

   

3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, 1½ cups of the mozzarella, egg, salt, and pepper.  
4. Spread ¾ of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 13×9 inch baking dish. 
5. Using a teaspoon spoon the cheese mixture into the pasta shells and place in the baking dish.  
6. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over shells, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.  
7. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
8. Uncover, drizzle Alfredo sauce over shells, and bake for 5-10 minutes more.
9. Enjoy!

Side note: Some of the shells might fall apart when being boiled.  Not to worry, you will have enough complete shells to stuff.  I take the broken shells, cut them up and toss with butter and parmesan cheese. The kids love to nibble on these as well.

My friends at Sunday Supper have rounded up lots of creative and yummy Easy Supper Recipes to help us get the year started off right. We all could use a breather after the hectic holidays and Sunday Supper is here to help. Thank you to Cricket of Cricket’s Confections for hosting this week’s event. I know that you will find wonderful recipes from all of these amazing chefs.

Chicken Suppers

• Chicken Enchiladas by Eat, Drink and Be Tracy
• Chicken Scarpariello by Sunday Supper Movement
• Honey Mustard Chicken & Rice Pilaf by Wholistic Woman
• Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts and Vegetables by Simple and Savory
• Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry by Mindy’s Cooking Obsession
• Roast Chicken by Monica’s Table

Pasta Suppers

• Bucatini with Spinach Pesto by The Chef Next Door
• Chicken Marsala Lasagna Rollups by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Extra Cheesy Stuffed Shells by Positively Stacey
• Quick Chicken Piccata by The Redhead Baker

Pork Suppers

• Apple Mustard Pork Tenderloin by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cheesy Oven Omelette With Ham by Cricket’s Confections
• Cranberry Orange Pork Roast by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Sweet and Garlicky Slow Cooker Pulled Pork by Family Foodie

Sheet Pan Suppers

• Dijon Salmon Sheet Pan Dinner by Casa de Crews
• Ranch Sheet Pan Pork Dinner by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs Provencal Style by Delaware Girl Eats

Soup and Sandwich Suppers

• Chicken and Cheese Pita Sandwiches by Pies and Plots
• Chicken Chili by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Chicken Marinara Panini by The Freshman Cook

Stove Top Suppers

• Arroz con Coco y Lentejas – Coconut Rice with Lentils by Food Lust People Love
• Asian Tuna Noodle Bowls by Cooking Chat
• Haluski (Cabbage and Noodles) by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Healthy Quinoa Japanese Donburi Bowl by NinjaBaker.com
• One Pot Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops and Vegetables by Caroline’s Cooking
• Slow Cooker Chicken Ratatouille Stew by My Life Cookbook

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.