Stuffed Mexican Chicken Shells Recipe (Freezer Meal)

5 from 2 votes

Stuffed Mexican Chicken Shells Recipe (Freezer Meal)

The filling in these Stuffed Mexican Chicken shells is what makes them so delicious - shredded chicken, cream cheese, peppers, onions, black beans, and cumin. Top with salsa and cheese and it is dinner perfection!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Easy dinner recipe, Freezer Meal, mexican recipe, stuffed shells

Servings: servings

Calories: 365kcal

Equipment

Large Mixing Bowl (2)
9x13 Inch Baking Dish (2)
Aluminum Foil

Ingredients

4 cups chicken breasts cooked and diced
15.5 ounces black beans 1 can, rinsed and drained
6 green onions diced
1 green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
24 ounces cream cheese 3 (8 oz blocks) softened, not melted
28 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilis 2 (14 oz cans) rotel, or store brand
¼ cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1½ cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
2 cups salsa
40 Jumbo Pasta shells

Instructions

Cook pasta shells in well salted, boiling water until al dente (still have a little bite to them- if you cook them too long, they will be difficult to stuff). Drain the pasta and set aside while you make the filling.
For the filling, add diced chicken, drained black beans, green onions, diced peppers, and cumin into a large mixing bowl. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, chicken broth and undrained tomatoes with chiles. When thoroughly combined, pour it over the chicken mixture and mix well (if you have trouble incorporating the cream cheese and tomatoes, you can heat it slightly in the microwave).
You will need either 2 9x13" baking pans OR one large baking sheet. Spread 3/4 cup salsa in the bottom of each 9x13" baking pan.
Using a spoon, fill each of your cooked pasta shells with chicken mixture, setting them into the salsa-covered pan. Continue until all shells are filled and arranged in the pans.
When the pans are full, drizzle the shells with the remaining 1/2 cup of salsa (1/4 cup per pan) and then sprinkle with the shredded cheddar cheese.
Cover the baking pan tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Notes

I did have about 1 1/2 cups of the chicken mixture leftover- we just wrapped it up in flour tortillas for lunch the next day and it was delicious!

To Make This Into A FREEZER MEAL:

Put one pan in the oven to bake for dinner and then wrap the other uncooked pan with foil and throw it in the freezer for another night. When you are ready to eat it, pull it out of the freezer 24 hours in advance and let it thaw in the fridge. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes)

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