With picky eaters, when you find something that works, you stick with it.
A couple of months ago, I fed my family our Stuffed Mexican Shells and they were a huge hit! My kids ate them with their hands because they thought they were “mini tacos”. We probably had them once a week for about 6 weeks straight (and I would have kept going had my husband finally asked me to try something else! Ha ha!).
Anyway, I decided to mix it up and try something a little different inside the shells. The kids didn’t even notice- they were just thrilled to have “mini tacos” again! I am thinking that I could put anything in these little shells and the kids would eat it . . . hmmm . . . what to try next?!
Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Shells Recipe
A favorite family dinner even with your pickiest eaters. These shells are stuffed with sausage and cheese and covered in a delicious sauce.
Serving
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 onion, diced
- 10 ounces Frozen Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup cottage cheese, lowfat
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 24 Jumbo Pasta shells
- 26 ounces pasta sauce
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Brown sausage and onion over medium heat in a large saucepan; when meat is no longer pink, drain grease.
- Transfer meat to a large bowl. Add in the spinach, cream cheese and egg; stir well.
- Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, all the cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper and mix until well combined.
- Stuff pasta shells with sausage mixture and place stuffed shell in prepared pan. Once all the shells are stuffed, spoon the sauce over the shells.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
- Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 706 kcal · Carbohydrates: 30 g · Protein: 37 g · Fat: 49 g · Saturated Fat: 24 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 162 mg · Sodium: 1735 mg · Potassium: 784 mg · Fiber: 3 g · Sugar: 8 g · Vitamin A: 5583 IU · Vitamin C: 11 mg · Calcium: 613 mg · Iron: 3 mg
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