Chicken & Mushroom Stuffed Shells
Pasta shells hold creamy chicken and mushrooms beneath a crisp Parmesan topping.
Cooking time ≈ 1 h 5 min
Estimated nutrition · Per serving
≈ 630 kcal · Protein 28 g · Carbs 31 g · Fat 45 g
Ingredients
- For the pasta
- 20–24 jumbo pasta shells (conchiglioni)
- For the filling
- 400 g ground chicken
- 400 g mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 120 g Philadelphia cream cheese
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 50 g grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- For the sauce
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 60 g Philadelphia cream cheese
- 35 g grated Parmesan
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper
- For the crispy topping
- 40 g panko breadcrumbs
- 30 g grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- A few fresh thyme leaves
Method
- Cook shells 2–3 minutes less than the packet suggests; drain and lightly oil.
- Soften onion in butter and oil. Cook mushrooms until their moisture evaporates, add garlic for 30 seconds, then cook ground chicken while breaking it apart.
- Add filling cream and cream cheese, followed by Parmesan, thyme and seasoning. Cool slightly once thick.
- Gently heat sauce cream, whisk in cream cheese and the remaining sauce ingredients, then simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Spread most sauce in a dish, add generously stuffed shells and remaining sauce. Mix topping ingredients and scatter over.
- Bake 20–25 minutes; optionally broil 2–3 minutes. Finish with Parmesan, thyme and black pepper.