Cheesy Pasta Shells (Printable Version)
# What You'll Need:
→ Filling
01 -
15 ounces white sauce
02 -
1 tablespoon freshly minced parsley
03 -
1 tablespoon dry ranch mix
04 -
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
05 -
3 cups shredded, pre-cooked chicken breast (roughly 3 medium boneless skinless breasts)
06 -
½ cup crispy, broken-up bacon bits
07 -
1½ cups shredded mozzarella, fresh not packaged
08 -
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan
→ Topping
09 -
22 ounces white sauce
10 -
1½ cups freshly shredded mozzarella
11 -
¼ cup shredded parmesan
12 -
¼ cup crunchy bacon pieces
13 -
½ tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for finishing touch
→ Pasta
14 -
8 ounces large pasta shells, cooked until firm but tender and drained (about 4½ cups)
# How to Make It:
01 -
Get your oven hot at 425°F. Grab a 9x13-inch baking dish, give it a light coating of cooking spray, and put it aside for now.
02 -
In a big bowl, pour in 15 ounces of white sauce. Mix in the tablespoon of parsley, dry ranch mix, and black pepper until it's all smooth. Then fold in your shredded chicken, bacon bits, mozzarella, and parmesan until everything's well combined.
03 -
Take about 2 tablespoons of your mixture and stuff it inside each cooked shell. Line them up in your greased dish in neat rows - 3 across and 8 or 9 down works well.
04 -
Pour the 22 ounces of white sauce evenly over your stuffed shells. Scatter the rest of your mozzarella, parmesan, and bacon on top. Cover the dish with foil and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.
05 -
Take off the foil, switch your oven to broil, and put the dish back in. Let it go for about 3-4 minutes until the top gets nice and golden. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve it right away while it's still hot.