By Karrie on | Updated | 61 Comments
Stuffed Shells are a classic comfort food. Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a creamy, cheesy filling flavored with fresh herbs and topped with a rich marinara sauce then baked to absolute perfection.They are perfect for a weeknight meal – hearty, delicious and a dinner everyone will love!
Have you ever wondered how to make stuffed shells? It is so easy and delicious! My favorite part about this meal is that it freezes well. You know I love me some freezer meals!!
There are so many reasons to love this Stuffed Shells Freezer Meal recipe! It is so versatile…if you like meat, use meat sauce…if not, just use marinara. You can use your own homemade sauce or use your favorite store bought sauce. It’s great to make ahead of time so you can just throw it in the oven later.
How to Make Stuffed Shells
First, prepare a 9×13 pan by lightly spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Add about half the jar of prepared sauce and 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the pan. Stir around until the bottom of the pan is coated.
Next, cook the shell pasta as direct on the package.
While the shells are cooking, in a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, basil, and parsley. Mix well. I love to use fresh herbs, but if you don’t have them on hand, dried will work just fine.
Drain the shell pasta and run under cool water until you are able to handle them.
Once cooled, take the shells, one at a time, and fill with the cheese mixture. About 1 1/2tablespoons of the mixture in each shell should do it…be careful not to overfill.
Place each shell seam side down in the prepared 9×13 pan.
When the pan is full and all shells have been filled, pour the remaining sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes or until it gets nice and bubbly and slightly browned on top. You can garnish with a little extra parsley if you have it, just to make it pretty.
Doesn’t this look so delicious? I can’t wait to dig in…oh wait, I just did!
Freezer Directions:
Don’t you just love a good freezer recipe? I know I do, this Stuffed Shells Freezer Meal is the perfect meal to make ahead and have on hand for those busy nights! It’s best to use a disposable aluminum pan when you are planning on freezing this recipe.
Prepare the stuffed shells as directed above, but do not bake. Simply cover with aluminum foil and label the top and place in the freezer.
When you are ready to enjoy this delicious meal, bake uncovered at 350˚ for 45 minutes or until it gets nice and bubbly and slightly browned on top.
Such an easy, crowd pleasing recipe! Hope you enjoy!
More Freezer Meals
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Slow Cooker Boneless Pork Ribs
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe Card
4.59 from 12 votes
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Stuffed Shells Recipe
Published By Karrie
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword frozen stuffed shells, stuffed shells
Servings 6 Servings
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Stuffed Shells are so easy and delicious!
Ingredients
- 6 oz jumbo shell pasta (about 20 shells)
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Prepare a 9×13 pan by lightly spraying with non-stick spray. Add about half the jar of prepared sauce and 2 T. of water to the bottom of the pan. Stir around until the bottom of the pan is coated.
Cook the shell pasta as directed on the package.
In a large bowl combined the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, basil, parsley. Mix well.
Drain the shell pasta and run under cool water. Once cooled, fill each shell with cheese mixture. Place each shell seam side down in the prepared 9×13 pan.
Pour remaining sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.
Notes
Freezer Directions: Use an aluminum pan and follow the instructions above, but do not bake. Cover with foil and place in freezer. When ready to enjoy, thaw in fridge overnight and bake uncovered at 350˚ for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.
Nutrition
Serving: 4Shells | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1040mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1178IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 470mg | Iron: 2mg
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This recipe was first posted July 6th, 2017, but has been updated with new photos and better detailed instructions and tips on Dec 21st, 2020.
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
