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 6Servings
Prep Time 20 minutesmins
Cook Time 35 minutesmins
Total Time 55 minutesmins
Stuffed Shells are so easy and delicious!
Ingredients
6ozjumbo shell pasta(about 20 shells)
24ozjar marinara sauce
2tbspwater
15ozricotta cheese
1/2cupparmesan cheese
1largeegg
2tspdried basil
2tspdried parsley
8ozshredded 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.
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...
Yes, you can cook frozen stuffed shells without thawing them first. In fact, it is recommended to cook them directly from frozen to preserve their shape and flavors. Thawing them may cause the shells to become mushy.
To prepare a meal for the freezer, you'll want to fully prepare it ahead of time.Be sure to let it cool fully, and then transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag.Date it, pop it in the freezer, and it'll be ready to go in a pinch! Most freezer meals keep for around 2 months.
Yes, you can freeze stuffed shells or similar pasta for future use. To thaw them, simply transfer them from the freezer to the refrigerator and let them thaw overnight. Once thawed, you can cook them as you normally would, following the original recipe instructions. This is in fact the norm.
Divided evenly, the filling should be enough for 18-20 shells. Next, bake. Spread 2 cups of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Nestle in the shells, cover the dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes at 425°F.
Tightly cover the uncooked stuffed shells with foil, and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To cook: Place in the oven and cook according to the directions in the recipe below (you may need to add an additional 5 minutes to the bake time).
If you can't eat the extra stuffed shells so soon, put them in the freezer set at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and they will stay fresh for four months. Freezing food can preserve leftovers for longer, but the flavor and texture will start to diminish.
You should only be cooking the shells to al dente to start! Once your shells have reached this point, drain the hot water from the pot and replace it with cold water. This stops the shells from cooking any further than you want them to and also ensures that they won't stick together upon serving.
If Frozen: Bake Clams on pan in preheated oven at 400°F for 25-35 minutes, or until golden brown. If Thawed: Bake Clams on pan in preheated oven at 375°F for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Caution: Shell will be hot!
When freezing prepared meats, vegetables, grains, and pastas, it's wise to slightly undercook to just tender before freezing. Each of these ingredients will cook slightly more when reheated, so they can easily become overcooked if stored well-done.
“Raw meat and poultry maintain their quality longer (when frozen) than their cooked counterparts because moisture is lost during cooking.” “Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing.”
If you're looking for a healthier, quicker and slightly cheaper way of enjoying delicious home-cooked food, then batch cooking for the freezer could be for you. It involves cooking larger batches of meals and then freezing some for later, ideally in separate portions.
Cover the bottom of a baking pan with spaghetti sauce Place frozen stuffed shells on the sauce, then cover generously with the remainder of the sauce. Sprinkle generously with grated romano cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Once food is cooked, it only has a few days of refrigerator time before it goes bad. If you freeze it during this time, the freezer acts as a pause button on this process. So you can refreeze cooked food that you have thawed, but get it back in the freezer promptly, within 2-4 days tops.
The oven method is ideal for reheating stuffed shells to maintain their cheesy texture and robust flavor. It ensures the shells are heated through to the right internal temperature while keeping them moist.
It is safe to freeze uncooked stuffing; however, the ingredients must be combined, put into a shallow container, and frozen immediately. To use it, do not thaw before cooking. Cook from the frozen state until the stuffing reaches 165°F.
If you want to prepare your stuffing in advance of Thanksgiving, freezing it uncooked will ensure it stays nice and moist. Simply follow the steps of your stuffing recipe, but before baking it, wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil to make it air tight.
If freezing uncooked stuffing, you can leave it in the baking dish you wish to bake it in at a later date, or you can divide it into smaller portions in ramekins or individual casserole dishes.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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