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Twenty jumbo shells hold shredded chicken in a cream cheese, buffalo sauce and ranch filling. Half the mozzarella goes inside and half forms the topping.
Use jumbo shells intended for stuffing, not small soup shells. Cook a few spare shells separately if breakage is a concern.
Ingredients and measurements
- 20 jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup buffalo wing sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided; ½ cup ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 green onions, chopped (optional, for garnish); Non-stick cooking spray
Preparation and baking
- Stage 1
Heat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Boil twenty jumbo shells according to their package until just al dente; drain and let them cool enough to handle.
- Stage 2
Beat softened cream cheese with buffalo sauce, dressing, garlic powder, onion powder and pepper until smooth. Fold in cooked shredded chicken and half a cup of mozzarella.
- Stage 3
Divide filling among the shells without tearing their edges. Arrange open-side up in one layer. If a shell splits, place it against a neighboring shell to support the filling.
- Stage 4
Scatter the remaining half cup mozzarella across the shells. Cover with foil and bake about twenty minutes, then uncover for roughly ten minutes more.
- Stage 5
Check the center of several filled shells reaches 165°F; continue baking as needed. Let the dish stand briefly before garnishing with optional green onion and serving.
Use a prepared wing sauce with a heat level you enjoy. Straight concentrated hot sauce can make this quantity much sharper. Soft cheese blends evenly with the dressing before chicken is added. Cold lumps are difficult to remove once the filling is assembled.
Which shells should I buy?
This measured version uses cream cheese and twenty shells. Adding the ricotta from the older twelve-shell version changes both filling volume and seasoning.
Which buffalo sauce works?
Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow containers within two hours, or within one hour above 90°F. Keep at 40°F or below and reheat leftovers to 165°F.
Why soften cream cheese?
For more recipes to serve alongside, see chicken buttered noodles or healthy cowboy caviar salad. Use that recipe’s own quantities rather than mixing formulas. This is an editorial revision of the archived recipe, with clarified ingredient allocation and preparation checks. A Pinch Of Lemon has not kitchen-tested this version. The linked reference supports food-safety guidance only; it is not the source of the complete formula. Existing photographs are illustrative. Reference: FoodSafety.gov cooking temperatures.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Which shells should I buy?
Use jumbo shells intended for stuffing, not small soup shells. Cook a few spare shells separately if breakage is a concern.
- Which buffalo sauce works?
Use a prepared wing sauce with a heat level you enjoy. Straight concentrated hot sauce can make this quantity much sharper.
- Why soften cream cheese?
Soft cheese blends evenly with the dressing before chicken is added. Cold lumps are difficult to remove once the filling is assembled.
- Can ricotta be added?
This measured version uses cream cheese and twenty shells. Adding the ricotta from the older twelve-shell version changes both filling volume and seasoning.