These Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells with Spinach are so delicious, you won't believe how easy they are to make! They are filled with tender cooked chicken, broccoli, and spinach, mixed up with a delicious homemade alfredo sauce, and topped with a layer of shredded cheese. This meal comes together incredibly quickly, making it ideal for busy weeknights - and your kids won't even know it contains healthy vegetables!
These spinach stuffed shells are one of my favorite recipes to cook my family for dinner. I like to make this the next day after I cook Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breasts or Instant Pot Chicken Breasts.
It is so easy to mix up some homemade alfredo sauce, mix in the chicken, broccoli, and spinach, fill in the shells, cover with cheese and bake! It is super quick! This recipe is very similar to my Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Half-and-Half.
If you are short on time, you can always pick up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store, grab a jar of bottled alfredo sauce (I won't tell anyone), and a bag of shredded cheese. But... homemade alfredo sauce is a million times healthier for you.
This is the perfect casserole for a quick weeknight dinner, yet it looks and tastes fancy enough that you can serve it to dinner guests!
Serve it with a garden salad for a complete meal!
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❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
Here are just a few reasons why you will love this easy recipe:
- Creamy and Delicious - The combination of creamy homemade alfredo sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese makes this dish the perfect comfort food your whole family will love!
- Great for a crowd - This delicious recipe is perfect for serving up when entertaining guests or feeding a large family. It can be prepared in advance and placed in the fridge until ready to cook.
- Packed with flavor - The combination of creamy alfredo sauce, tender chicken, and flavorful spinach gives this dish an incredible depth of flavor. The melty cheese on top adds an extra layer of indulgence that everyone will love!
- Nutritious - This dish contains healthy ingredients, including protein-packed chicken and nutrient-dense spinach and broccoli. It's a great way to get your daily dose of veggies while still enjoying something comforting and delicious!
- Perfect Family Meal - With its combination of filling ingredients and cheesy flavors, this dish will satisfy even the pickiest eaters in your family!
🥬 Ingredient Notes
You can easily find the ingredients to make this easy pasta recipe at your local grocery store.
- Margarine. You could also use butter.
- Flour. This is used to thicken the sauce. I used all-purpose flour.
- Garlic. Chop the garlic quite fine.
- Italian seasoning. This adds fantastic flavor.
- Heavy cream. I used heavy cream, but you can use any cream between 18% to 30%.
- Milk. I used 1% milk, but you can use any milk of your choice.
- Parmesan cheese. This adds fantastic flavor to the sauce, as well as thickens it up a bit.
- Shredded cooked chicken. I used leftover chicken and shredded it with a fork. However, to make this process very easy, you can use a rotisserie chicken.
- Jumbo pasta shells. I used an entire 12 ounce box of pasta shells.
- Broccoli. I used frozen broccoli - you can use fresh or frozen. Steam or bake it first, then chop it up.
- Spinach. I love spinach, so I used 1 cup. It disappears quite quickly once it's heated up.
- Mozzarella cheese. Shred this cheese so you can sprinkle it on top before baking it in the oven. You can also use your favorite blend of Italian cheeses.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.
🥄 How To Make Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells with Spinach
Cook the shells: First thing, fill a large pot with 5 L of water and bring it to a boil. Add some salt if you like. Prepare shells according to package directions. Add a few jumbo shells and cook in the pot, uncovered, for about 14-16 minutes. You want them to be al dente.
Drain well in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process so you can handle them without getting burned.
Next, place the shells on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Cook the broccoli: Meanwhile, steam or bake your broccoli until tender. You want to be able to pierce it with a fork. I used frozen broccoli and placed it on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet, and baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. You could also bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the broccoli on medium-high heat for about 4 minutes, or until tender.
Make the homemade sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoon of butter and the chopped garlic cloves. Let the garlic cook for about 1 minute. Next, add 3 tablespoon of flour. Use a whisk to mix everything together. Finally, add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. The sauce should start to thicken up rather quickly. Stir continuously with a whisk so it doesn't burn. When the sauce has thickened up, remove it from the heat and add ½ cup of parmesan cheese and ½-1 cup of chopped spinach.
Combine the filling: Add shredded chicken and cooked broccoli to a medium bowl. Add 1 cup of alfredo sauce to the chicken mixture and mix it together to combine.
Assemble: On the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan, add a large spoonful of alfredo sauce and move it around to cover the bottom of the pan.
Fill each cooked pasta shell with a spoonful of chicken and broccoli mixture, and place it on the baking dish.
Finally, spoon the remaining creamy sauce evenly over the top of the unbaked shells, and top the pasta shells with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
Serve hot and enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
- Use Fresh Spinach – Fresh, tender spinach leaves will give your dish the best flavor and texture.
- Pre-Cook the Shells – Pre-cooking the shells to al dante is a key step when making this dish to ensure that they get properly cooked without getting too mushy.
- Use Pre-Cooked Chicken - To speed up prep time on busy nights, you can use pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. This will save you time and help ensure your dish gets on the table quickly!
- Use Fresh Parmesan Cheese - The flavor of fresh Parmesan cheese is far superior to that of pre-grated, so if possible, use freshly grated Parmesan if you can.
- Don't Overstuff Shells - When stuffing the shells, be careful not to overfill them as they will overflow when baking.
❓ Frequently asked questions
To make this a complete and balanced meal, serve with a simple green salad and garlic bread or Homemade Air Buns or Soft Whole Wheat Bread.
A box of jumbo shells contains approximately 46 shells.
Surprisingly, these stuffed shells are really filling. I usually estimate about 6 shells per person and 7-8 for larger appetites. My family has huge appetites, and I had quite a few leftovers, which hardly ever happens around here.
Absolutely. Simply cover the shells with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and allow them to freeze completely. Once they are frozen, transfer the shells to a large freezer bag. Return the shells back to the freezer, and you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Place frozen shells into a casserole or baking dish. Add alfredo sauce as above. Cover and bake for 50-60 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. On the other hand, if they were thawed in the fridge before baking, reduce oven time to 25-30 minutes.
Leftover shells can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat, place the desired amount of leftovers on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, leftovers can also be reheated in the microwave or air fryer.
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📋 Recipe
Easy Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells With Spinach
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Baking Dish
- Saucepan
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the alfredo sauce:
- 3 tablespoon margarine or butter
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream anywhere between 18% to 30%
- 1 cup 1% milk or milk of your choice
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Stuffing ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1 12 oz box jumbo pasta shells
- 1½ cups broccoli fresh or frozen.
- ½ to 1 cup spinach chopped
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with 5 L of water and bring it to a boil. Add some salt if you like. Add a few jumbo shells at a time and cook in the pot, uncovered, for about 14-16 minutes. You want them to be al dante.
- Drain well in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and so you can handle them without getting burned.
- Next, place the shells on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet to prevent them from sticking to each other.
- Meanwhile, steam or bake your broccoli until tender as well. You want to be able to pierce it with a fork. I used frozen broccoli and placed it on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet and baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. You could also bring a pot of water to a boil and boil the broccoli for about 4 minutes, or until tender. Chop it up fine.
Now make the homemade alfredo sauce:
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoon of butter and the chopped garlic cloves. Let the garlic cook for about 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoon of flour. Use a whisk to mix everything together. Add 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of milk, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. The sauce should start to thicken up rather quickly. Stir continuously with a whisk so it doesn't burn. When the sauce has thickened up, remove it from the heat and add ½ cup of parmesan cheese and ½-1 cup of chopped spinach.
- In a medium bowl, add shredded chicken and cooked broccoli. Add 1 cup of alfredo sauce to the chicken mixture and mix it together.
- On the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 baking pan, add a large spoonful of alfredo sauce and move it around to cover the bottom.
- Fill each cooked pasta shell with a spoonful of chicken and broccoli mixture, and place it on the baking dish.
- Finally, spoon the remaining alfredo sauce evenly over the top of the stuffed pasta shells, and cover the pasta shells with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Use Fresh Spinach – Fresh, tender spinach leaves will give your dish the best flavor and texture.
- Pre-Cook the Shells – Pre-cooking the shells to al dante is a key step when making this dish to ensure that they get properly cooked without getting too mushy.
- Use Pre-Cooked Chicken - To speed up prep time, you can use pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. This will save you time and help ensure your dish gets on the table quickly!
- Use Fresh Parmesan Cheese - The flavor of fresh Parmesan cheese is far superior to that of pre-grated, so if possible, use freshly grated Parmesan if you can.
- Don't Overstuff Shells - When stuffing the shells, be careful not to overfill them as they will overflow when baking.
Andrea
I've never had stuffed shells this way. It looks and sounds marvelous.
Jeri
It is so easy to make too!
Beth
This turned out fantastic and so delicious! The family absolutely loved these stuffed shells! Such a big hit here and I’ll definitely make these again.
Jeri
I'm so glad your family loved them!
Jen
Thanks for the tip about freezing this. I made 2 batched at once, one for dinner and one to freeze for later. Such a great dinner!
Jeri
That's fantastic Jen! What a great idea! Perfect for busy nights! I'm so glad you liked them!
Angela
Wow! What show stopper! All of my favorites in one dish. This is easy to make and so delicious. The ultimate comfort food.
Jeri
Thanks Angela! I'm so glad you liked the recipe!
Julia
This is such an easy and delicious dinner!
Jeri
Thanks Julia! I'm so glad you liked it!