Best Cheese Stuffed Shells Recipes

SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, gently place pasta shells in boiling water; bring water back to boil. Cook until noodles are just tender; drain well.
• Squeeze spinach dry. Combine spinach, ricotta, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, fennel, basil and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
• Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Fill each pasta shell with the spinach cheese mixture. Arrange the shells, filling side up in the baking dish. Spoon remaining marinara sauce over the shells. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the shells.
• Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven until heated through; about 30 minutes.

CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Boil shells according to package directions. Remove from pot with tongs to avoid tearing and allow to cool on a sheet of wax paper.
• Combine eggs, cheeses, and seasonings in bowl.
• Spoon about 3 Tbls. cheese mixture into each cooked shell.
• Spread 2 Tbls of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of 13"x9" baking dish.
• Arrange shells in dish over sauce.Pour remaining sauce over stuffed shells.
• Sprinkle cheese over sauce.
• Bake in 350F degrees oven for 30 minutes.

SEAFOOD & CREAM CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Cool to room temperature., In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cayenne. Gently stir in the crab, shrimp and onions. Stuff shells, about 2 tablespoons in each. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

CHICKEN AND CHEESE STUFFED JUMBO SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Separate shells and let stand, so they are not touching, on waxed paper or foil.
• In large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken, onion, egg and bread crumbs. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir in three-quarters of the shredded mozzarella and cheddar; cook until cheeses melt.
• Fill shells with chicken mixture, using a tablespoon, and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover the shells with the tomato sauce and top with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, or until lightly browned and bubbly.

STUFFED SHELLS WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA, AND COTTAGE CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shells and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 7 to 8 minutes; do not overcook. Drain and rinse shells with cold water.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place frozen spinach in a microwave-safe bowl and add water. Heat in the microwave for 4 minutes. Stir and allow to cool. Squeeze spinach dry and transfer to a large bowl.
• Add cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, garlic, oregano, basil, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the spinach and mix well.
• Pour and spread 1/2 to 3/4 cup pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill each cooked pasta shell with spinach mixture and arrange, filled-side up, in the baking dish, keeping 1/2 inch between shells. Carefully pour remaining sauce on top of shells and sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and bubbly, about 40 minutes. Serve hot.

CHEESE & SAUSAGE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta shells according to package directions for al dente; drain and rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain and return to pan. Add cream cheese; cook and stir until melted., Transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly. Stir in spinach and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper; mix well. In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Spread 1-1/3 cups sauce onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish and 2/3 cup sauce over the bottom of a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Fill pasta shells with sausage mixture; arrange over sauce. Top with remaining sauce., Bake, covered, 45 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

THREE CHEESE STUFFED JUMBO PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients, except pasta and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese in large mixing bowl.
• Mix well and fill each cooked pasta shell.
• Place in ungreased 11 by 17 pan.
• Cover w/ marinara sauce and then sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, cover w/foil, and bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes.
• Time does not include time to make marinara, but I cook mine as I make the shells so it really doesn't affect the time.
• Servings are a guess.

4 CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven or broiler to 450 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add pasta. Cook shells 12 to 15 minutes, they should be softened but still undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool.
• Combine ricotta, 1/2 of the diced mozzarella, a couple of handfuls of Parmigiano and 1/2 of the Asiago. Add parsley to the cheeses and stir to combine.
• To a small saucepot over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in basil leaves
• Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized flameproof casserole dish. Fill shells with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in casserole dish. Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and Asiago cheeses. Place shells in very hot oven or 8 inches from hot broiler and cook 6 to 8 minutes to melt cheeses and bubble sauce.

CHEESE-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, cream cheese and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and cinnamon if desired. , Stuff pasta shells with sausage mixture. Arrange in two shallow 2-qt. or 11x7-in. baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Combine the sauce ingredients; spoon over shells. , Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving., Freeze option: Cool unbaked casseroles; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover casserole with foil; bake 50 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

CHEESE- AND VEGETABLE-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta shells as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Cook onion, bell pepper and garlic in oil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Add zucchini; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in olives and 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until hot. Remove from heat.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese blend. Stir in zucchini mixture until well mixed.
• Fill each cooked pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture. Place in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce over shells.
• Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

CHEESE AND BACON-STUFFED PASTA SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, and cool.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon, onion, and garlic until bacon starts to crisp and onion and garlic have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
• Mix the bread crumbs, cream cheese, parsley, and the bacon mixture in a large bowl; season with pepper to taste.
• Pour the tomato puree into a large, shallow casserole dish; stir in the rosemary.
• Spoon the bacon and breadcrumb mixture equally into the pasta shells. Arrange the stuffed shells in the casserole dish. Coarsely chop the mozzarella and scatter over the pasta shells. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce bubbles, about 30 minutes.

FOUR-CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chives and 1/2 cup spinach (save the remaining spinach for another use)., Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into a shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain pasta; stuff with cheese mixture. Arrange in prepared dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and mozzarella. , Cover and bake until heated through, 25-30 minutes. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in the center of 2 or 3 shells to read 165°.

I HATE RICOTTA MEAT & 2 CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Boil water for pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain and cool.
• Cook pasta in water, drain.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Meanwhile pasta is cooking, combine meat, mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, egg and parsley; season with salt and pepper.
• Mix spaghetti sauce with tomato sauce; cover bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish with 1/4 of the sauce.
• Stuff cooked, drained shells with the meat mixture and place on top of sauce in dish in a row.
• Add red wine to remaining sauce and mix well; cover shells with sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

TOFU AND CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat combine carrot, zucchini and onion. Pour in just enough water to cover; cook until tender and drain.
• In a large bowl, mash the tofu with a fork. Stir in carrot mixture, Monterey Jack cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, egg while, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, garlic powder and garlic. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stuff each cooked pasta shell with about 1 rounded tablespoon of the filling. Place shells in an un greased 2-quart baking dish. Pour sauce over shells.
• Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.

JUMBO SHELLS STUFFED WITH CHEESE WITH MEAT

Steps:

• Boil shells with butter and salt to taste.
• Brown hamburger meat and combine with spaghetti sauce; drain shells.
• Combine the egg, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, basil, garlic powder, minced onion, oregano, salt, parsley flakes, and only 1 cup of the parmesan cheese.
• Put the mixture in the shells like a tablespoon and half into each one line them up in across a three quart casserole dish.
• Pour the meat over the top and cook for 30 minutes at 350°F.
• Add the remaining parmesan cheese over the shells and meat and allow to cook for 10 more minutes.

CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI (UNCOOKED SHELLS)

Steps:

• Sauce: Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.
• Saute onion and garlic in oil until onion is transparent.
• Add cut up tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, and basil.
• Simmer about 20 minutes.
• Filling: Mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, sugar, and egg together.
• Assemble: Fill uncooked manicotti shells with cheese mixture.
• Place in a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish; cover completely with sauce.
• Cover and bake at 400°F for about 1 1/4 hours or until pasta is tender.
• Uncover and sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese and bake 15 minutes longer.
• Let sit about 15 minutes before serving.

CREAM CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• 1. Boil your shells for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.
• 2. Mix your ground beef with beaten egg, oil, parsley, salt, and garlic.
• 3. Brown beef mixture over medium heat, until just browned.
• 4. In a large bowl, mix your cooked beef with one cup of sauce and cream cheese.
• 5. Stuff cooked pasta shells with your beef mixture and place in baking dish.
• 6. Top with the remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella.
• 7. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS (NO RICOTTA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine ingredients "cottage cheese" through "egg".
• Pour half of the sauce in a 9x13 pan (I never measure the sauce, I just pour it from the jar). Fill the shells full with the cheese mixture, and place them into the pan with the sauce.
• Drizzle the remaining sauce lightly over the top of the shells (or spoon sauce from the jar over the shells, like I do). Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

THREE CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS (MEATLESS)

Steps:

• 1. In a large pot bring water to a boil and cook shells according to package directions or until al dente. Drain and plunge into cold water to cool. Drain again and set aside.
• 2. In a medium bowl combine - 1 cup mozzarella cheese, parmesan, ricotta, eggs, spinach, garlic, pepper and parsley.
• 3. Pour a thin later of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 12 x 9" baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• 4. Spoon the cheese mixture into each shell and place right side up in a baking dish. Repeat until cheese mixture is gone. Pour the remaining sauce over the shells. Sprinkle the lemon basil on top. Cover loosely with tin foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of baking, remove the tin foil and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the shells. Bake 5 more minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

STUFFED SHELLS (WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE)

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook onion until tender.
• Transfer to a large bowl.
• Stir in the spinach, cream cheese, and egg.
• Add 1 cup mozzarella, cheddar, cottage cheese, parmesan, salt, pepper, and cinnamon if desired; mix well.
• Stuff shells and arrange in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish.
• Combine sauce ingredients; mix well.
• Pour over shells.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
• Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
• Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.