Chicken Broccoli Shells

I turned nineteen Monday June fifteenth. Dustin made me a small dinner at his apartment Friday night. Cody’s video call Saturday morning wished me happy birthday. The recipe Sunday was chicken broccoli shells — jumbo pasta shells stuffed with chicken, broccoli, ricotta, baked under marinara and mozzarella.

The recipe is below.

Chicken Broccoli Shells

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 12 oz medium pasta shells
• 2 cans (10.5 oz each) cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 3 cups fresh or frozen broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook shells according to package directions until just shy of al dente (they will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and set aside.
2. Blanch broccoli. If using fresh broccoli, blanch florets in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. If using frozen, thaw and pat dry.
3. Make the sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
4. Combine filling. Add the shredded chicken, broccoli, 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, and the Parmesan to the sauce. Stir to combine. Fold in the drained pasta shells and mix until everything is evenly coated.
5. Assemble. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish (or two 8x8-inch dishes for easier freezing). Pour the pasta mixture in and spread evenly. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.
6. Bake or freeze. To bake immediately: cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden on top. To freeze: cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.
7. Reheat from frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap, recover with foil, and bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. Internal temperature should reach 165°F.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 430 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 780mg