These stuffed pasta shells are packed with chicken and jalapeños, topped with a creamy greek yogurt sauce, and sprinkled with cheese.
I know what happens at five o'clock in houses all around the world. Exhaustion. Chaos. Craziness. Screaming. Oh...is that just my house? There is a lot of screaming at five o'clock at my house.
Kai has recently discovered a new octave. And it's a high one. The kind that could shatter mirrors, send dogs howling, and drive me completely crazy.
He gets particularly 'screamy' around dinner time, when he is over-tired and super cranky. Which makes cooking and eating dinner a bit of a gong show. Hopefully this phase won't last too long...my eardrums won't survive!
These cheesey-gooey-spicy-creamy stuffed pasta shells make dinner much more relaxing. For very little effort, you are rewarded with a seriously delicious dinner.
So good it actually {almost} drowns out the screams.
Reasons you'll ♡ these jalapeno & chicken stuffed pasta shells
- it is simple to assemble
- you can make it ahead
- it's a fun way to mix up the flavors on pasta night
Lately we've been loving the enchiladas. We've had lots and lots and lots of enchiladas...chicken, beef, stuffed with a rainbow of peppers, smoky chipotle.
I decided to do a twist on the ole enchilada. A pasta version!
These stuffed pasta shells contain chicken, jalapeños and cilantro. Smothered in a spicy, creamy {lightened up} sauce. Sprinkled with Monterey Jack and baked until it bubbles and browns and gets all round gooey and delicious. Scattered with avocado pieces.
Devoured waaaay too quickly.
I made sure this stuffed pasta shells recipe is as simple as possible. There is no need to break out the frying pan...there is nothing to sauté! The filling consists of diced rotisserie chicken, chopped cilantro, and canned pickled jalapeno peppers.
There is no need to cook up any sort of enchilada sauce, either. Just toss together Greek yogurt {which I subbed for sour cream to lighten things up}, with milk, flour, fresh jalapenos and seasonings. Taste your sauce and decide if you want to up the spice factor with more jalapenos...one was perfect for us. When poured over the pasta, the sauce seeps into the shells, making them creamy, flavorful and a little bit spice-ay!
All together, the prep for this dish was around 30 minutes. Bake for 20-25 more. This recipe is simple, delicious, and totally do-able for a week night dinner.
Tips and equipment for jalapeno & chicken stuffed pasta shells
- for this recipe you'll need a 9 x 13 inch baking dish
- grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or cook your own ahead of time in the slow cooker or Instant Pot!
- looking for more pasta recipes? Check out this One Pot Healthy Cajun Chicken Orzo, this Almond Broccoli Pesto Pasta Recipe or this One Pot White Bean Pasta
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Cheesy Jalapeño & Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients
Fillings
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken (chopped)
- 4 oz pickled sliced jalapenos {drained & diced into small pieces}
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Sauce
- 1 ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt {I used 2%}
- ¾ cup milk {I used 1%}
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 diced jalapeno {fresh; to taste}
Other
- 30 jumbo pasta shells {around ⅔ of a package}
- 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
- avocado (to serve)
- scallions {to garnish}
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.
- Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Spoon filling into cooked pasta shells and arrange in dish.
- Pour sauce evenly over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until cheese bubbles and browns.
- Serve with avocado cubes and scallions
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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- Sauce inspired by this BHG recipe
