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Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells

Yield: 7 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

Alfredo Sauce:

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 12 ounces (340 g) cream cheese, light or regular, softened and cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Shells + Filling:

  • 30 large jumbo pasta shells, (most of a 12 ounce box)
  • 3 cups (about 227 g) finely chopped broccoli, steamed (see note)
  • 3-4 cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great here)
  • 1 cup (113 g) grated mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup (28 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan (or slightly smaller) and set aside.
  • For the alfredo sauce, heat the butter in a medium saucepan until melted. Stir in the flour and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute until fragrant and sizzling. Add the cream cheese and stir or whisk until the mixture is melted and smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly, and bring the mixture to a low simmer. Add the Parmesan cheese and cook until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.
  • For the pasta, cook the shells according to package directions until al dente. Drain. Lay the pasta shells in a single layer on a baking sheet or parchment paper so they don't stick together.
  • For the filling, in a medium bowl, add the steamed (and drained) broccoli, chicken, mozzarella cheese, and ONE CUP of the homemade alfredo sauce. Mix together.
  • Spread 1/3 of the sauce (doesn't have to be exact) in the prepared pan.
  • Fill each of the cooked pasta shells with an even amount of the filling and place side-by-side in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells and sprinkle the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over the top.
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let the shells rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

You Can Streamline this Recipe: first, while the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Multi-task, friends! Also, instead of steaming the broccoli separately (I usually place the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup water or so, cover with plastic wrap, and cook in the microwave for 3-4 minutes and then drain), you can try tossing the broccoli into the pasta water the last couple minutes of cooking the pasta. The broccoli will most likely float and can be scooped out with a slotted spoon before draining the pasta. 
Pasta: I know it's annoying to use "most" of a box of pasta, but that's how it almost always works out when I make this dish (I'm guessing we like the pasta shells packed with filling). If you want to use the whole box, just increase the filling ingredients slightly or don't fill the shells quite as full.
Make-Ahead: this dish can easily be made and assembled ahead of time, covered, and refrigerated until ready to bake (12-24 hours in advance). I'd suggest increasing the baking time by 10-15 minutes to account for the chilled pasta dish. I haven't tried freezing. 
Chicken: this is my favorite method for cooking chicken.