Crack Chicken Stuffed Shells – jumbo shells stuffed with chicken, bacon cheddar, ranch, and topped with a creamy alfredo sauce – SO good! Kids and adults gobble this up!! Jumbo pasta shells, chicken, cheddar, bacon, ranch dressing mix, cottage cheese, egg, and alfredo sauce. Can make it ahead of time and freeze it for later. Serve with a salad and crusty garlic bread for a meal that rivals any restaurant.
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Pin This RecipeChicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells Recipe
Stuffed shells are one of my favorite pasta casseroles and these Crack Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells are the best of the best! They are SUPER easy to make and taste amazing! Pasta shells stuffed with chicken, cheddar, bacon, and ranch and smothered in Alfredo sauce. YUM! Comfort food at its best! All you need is a simple salad and some garlic bread and you are set!
What does CRACK mean?
If a recipe has “crack” in the title it means that the recipe has cheddar, bacon, and ranch in the ingredients. It all started with my Crack Dip way back in 2007. I made the dip for a Titans football game. Everyone went crazy over it. We couldn’t stop eating it and said it was like crack. The name stuck.
According to the dictionary, the definition of crack is “of superior excellence or ability”. We think the flavor combination of cheddar, bacon, and ranch fits this definition! This recipe is most definitely of superior excellence!
How to Make Crack Chicken Stuffed Shells
This pasta is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook jumbo pasta shells in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta shells and cool until easy to handle.
In a large bowl, stir together cottage cheese, an egg, shredded chicken, ranch seasoning mix, cheddar cheese, and cooked chopped bacon. Season with salt and black pepper. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
With a spoon, stuff the cooked shell with the chicken mixture and place them in the bottom of the pan in an even layer. Pour a jar of Alfredo sauce over the top of the shells and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the casserole. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven until bubbly. Garnish with casserole with fresh herbs such as fresh parsley or green onions.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- I use rotisserie chicken for the shredded chicken in this dish.
- You can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, or canned chicken.
- Can substitute ricotta cheese.
- Feel free to add some chopped broccoli or spinach to the filling.
- Our favorite store-bought Alfredo Sauce is Rao’s.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
- If you are sensitive to ranch seasoning, adjust the amount to your personal preference.
- Using our homemade ranch seasoning will significantly reduce the sodium in this dish.
- I use shredded cheddar cheese because the crack flavor is cheddar, bacon & ranch. Feel free to throw in some mozzarella cheese and/or parmesan cheese. You can never have too much cheese!
- Can Stuffed Shells be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
- Can Stuffed Shells be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
- When ready to bake, thaw the frozen shells and bake as directed.
- The shells will keep for 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
- This makes a lot of food. Feel free to split the casserole between two pans. Bake one and freeze one for later. I love having freezer meals ready for a quick meal.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Chicken Stuffed Shells
This baked pasta has quickly become a family favorite! We usually serve this with some broccoli or asparagus. It is equally delicious with a green salad and some crusty bread and butter. Add this easy pasta bake to your menu. It is sure to become a favorite at your house too!
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Crack Chicken Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
- 21 jumbo shells
- 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped cooked bacon
- 2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 (15-oz) jar Alfredo sauce
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain.
- Combine chicken, cottage cheese, bacon, ranch dressing mix, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and an egg in a large bowl.
- Stuff pasta shells with chicken mixture. Place in baking dish. Spread Alfredo sauce on top of stuffed shells. Top with remaining shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.
Notes:
- I use rotisserie chicken for the shredded chicken in this dish.
- You can use any cooked chicken that you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, or canned chicken.
- Can substitute ricotta cheese.
- Feel free to add some chopped broccoli or spinach to the filling.
- Our favorite store-bought Alfredo Sauce is Rao’s.
- Here is our recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-ranch-dressing-mix/
- If you are sensitive to ranch seasoning, adjust the amount to your personal preference.
- Using our homemade ranch seasoning will significantly reduce the sodium in this dish.
- I use shredded cheddar cheese because the crack flavor is cheddar, bacon & ranch. Feel free to throw in some mozzarella cheese and/or parmesan cheese. You can never have too much cheese!
- Can Stuffed Shells be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
- Can Stuffed Shells be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze.
- When ready to bake, thaw the frozen shells and bake as directed.
- The shells will keep for 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
- This makes a lot of food. Feel free to split the casserole between two pans. Bake one and freeze one for later. I love having freezer meals ready for a quick meal.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Steph
Remember this recipe.
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Pin This Recipe
Great recipe that the kiddos will destroy! Great way to get them to eat broccoli and spinach!
Side note: Great Value jumbo shells are some of the biggest we’ve found. Really easy to pre-boil for 4 minutes and stuff them. Most other brands are much smaller.
I agree about the Great Value jumbo shells – they work really well.
This was a huge hit!! Everyone wanted it twice in one week!