MAKEOVER CHEESE-STUFFED SHELLS

Makeover Cheese-Stuffed Shells image

You'll love the great flavor in these shells. Our Test Kitchen made them over without using any reduced-fat ingredients, yet still saved a ton on fat and calories!

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 1h25m

Yield 12 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 23

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Ingredients

3/4 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 Italian turkey sausage link (4 ounces), casing removed
1 large onion, chopped
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups 4% cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
SAUCE:
3 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Steps:

Crumble beef and sausage into a large nonstick skillet; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain., Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, ricotta and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, Italian seasoning, pepper and cinnamon if desired; mix well. , Stuff pasta shells with meat mixture. Arrange in two 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 cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 318 calories, Fat 14g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 79mg cholesterol, Sodium 714mg sodium, Carbohydrate 23g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 25g protein.