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Home » Recipes » Pasta

Stuffed Shells {Freezer Meal}

By Karrie on December 26, 2020 | Updated December 26, 2020 | 59 Comments

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Stuffed Shells are a classic comfort food. Jumbo pasta shells stuffed with a creamy, cheesy filling flavored with fresh herbs and topped with a rich marinara sauce then baked to absolute perfection. They are perfect for a weeknight meal – hearty, delicious and a dinner everyone will love!

A glass pan with baked stuffed shells  on a wooden plank.

Have you ever wondered how to make stuffed shells? It is so easy and delicious! My favorite part about this meal is that it freezes well. You know I love me some freezer meals!!

There are so many reasons to love this Stuffed Shells Freezer Meal recipe! It is so versatile…if you like meat, use meat sauce…if not, just use marinara. You can use your own homemade sauce or use your favorite store bought sauce. It’s great to make ahead of time so you can just throw it in the oven later.

How to Make Stuffed Shells

First, prepare a 9×13 pan by lightly spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Add about half the jar of prepared sauce and 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the pan. Stir around until the bottom of the pan is coated.

Next, cook the shell pasta as direct on the package.

While the shells are cooking, in a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, basil, and parsley. Mix well. I love to use fresh herbs, but if you don’t have them on hand, dried will work just fine.

A white bowl with ingredients for stuffed shells in them - eggs, cheeses, and herbs.

Drain the shell pasta and run under cool water until you are able to handle them.

Once cooled, take the shells, one at a time, and fill with the cheese mixture. About 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture in each shell should do it…be careful not to overfill.

A white bowl with cheese filling and a hand filling a pasta shell with herbs and tomato sauce behind it.

Place each shell seam side down in the prepared 9×13 pan.

A glass pan with uncovered pasta shells in tomato sauce.

When the pan is full and all shells have been filled, pour the remaining sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella cheese.

A glass pan with uncooked pasta shells with a hand pouring a glass jar with tomato sauce on it.
A glass pan with pasta covered in shredded cheese on it.

Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes or until it gets nice and bubbly and slightly browned on top. You can garnish with a little extra parsley if you have it, just to make it pretty.

Doesn’t this look so delicious? I can’t wait to dig in…oh wait, I just did!

A glass pan with a metal fork holding a stuffed shell covered in cheese and herbs.

Freezer Directions:

Don’t you just love a good freezer recipe? I know I do, this Stuffed Shells Freezer Meal is the perfect meal to make ahead and have on hand for those busy nights! It’s best to use a disposable aluminum pan when you are planning on freezing this recipe.

Prepare the stuffed shells as directed above, but do not bake. Simply cover with aluminum foil and label the top and place in the freezer.

A pan covered in foil with the words "Stuffed Shells - bake @350 for 45 minutes." Tomatoes and herbs are on the side.

When you are ready to enjoy this delicious meal, bake uncovered at 350˚ for 45 minutes or until it gets nice and bubbly and slightly browned on top.

Such an easy, crowd pleasing recipe! Hope you enjoy!

A white plate with 3 stuffed shells on it with herbs on top. It is on a wooden plate with tomatoes and basil on it.

More Freezer Meals

  • Easy Homemade Lasagna
  • Slow Cooker Boneless Pork Ribs
  • Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
  • Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe Card
5 from 5 votes
love it? rate it!

Stuffed Shells Recipe

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword frozen stuffed shells, stuffed shells
Servings 6 Servings
Print
Pin
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 55 minutes mins
Stuffed Shells are so easy and delicious!

Ingredients
 

  • 6 oz jumbo shell pasta (about 20 shells)
  • 24 oz jar marinara sauce
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Prepare a 9×13 pan by lightly spraying with non-stick spray. Add about half the jar of prepared sauce and 2 T. of water to the bottom of the pan. Stir around until the bottom of the pan is coated.
  • Cook the shell pasta as directed on the package.
  • In a large bowl combined the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, basil, parsley. Mix well.
  • Drain the shell pasta and run under cool water. Once cooled, fill each shell with cheese mixture. Place each shell seam side down in the prepared 9×13 pan.
  • Pour remaining sauce over the shells and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.

Notes

Freezer Directions: Use an aluminum pan and follow the instructions above, but do not bake. Cover with foil and place in freezer. When ready to enjoy, thaw in fridge overnight and bake uncovered at 350˚ for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 4Shells | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 1040mg | Potassium: 571mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1178IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 470mg | Iron: 2mg

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This recipe was first posted July 6th, 2017, but has been updated with new photos and better detailed instructions and tips on Dec 21st, 2020.

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posted in: Dinner, Family Favorites, Freezer Meals, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Martha I Douglas says

    August 6, 2021

    i made this yesterday and i had 4 pan of stuffed shells and i put them in freezer for another day.

    Reply
  2. Chelsea says

    May 21, 2021

    How long should you bake it for directly out of the freezer (i.e. still frozen)?

    Reply
  3. Tara Huber says

    May 3, 2021

    thanks for the tip about the seams being down. I never really thought of it that way. I’m making the frozen shells and just going to bake with pasta gravy.

    Reply
  4. Debbie says

    April 3, 2021

    The shells are in my freezer. After cooking this, can the leftovers be refrozen? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      April 21, 2021

      Yes, but quality goes down a bit the more you freeze and refreeze I find on this recipe.

      Reply
  5. T says

    April 1, 2021

    Forgot to defrost can you cook frozen?

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      April 21, 2021

      Yes you can, but it does take longer.

      Reply
  6. Amanda says

    March 15, 2021

    If you were to put the shells in a smaller pan, would the cooking time need to decrease? Looking for meals that can be frozen for my grandpa to easily heat up. A full pan is too much for one person but a smaller pan would be perfect.

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      April 21, 2021

      It will cook about the same time, maybe 5 minutes less.

      Reply
  7. Cherree Cameron says

    February 26, 2021

    Can you freeze the leftovers. After its neen baked

    Reply
  8. Janette says

    October 3, 2020

    How long is this good for in the freezer and does the pasta get mushy because it’s cooked already?

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      October 19, 2020

      This is best used up within 5-6 months, and I haven’t found it to get too mushy! Just don’t over cook your noodles to begin with.

      Reply
  9. Sandi says

    August 2, 2020

    5 stars
    Yum. I made this but without parsley as I was out of it. However, I also made some wilted spinach then chopped it up and added it to the cheese mix. I doubled the recipe so I also have another delicious meal in the freezer for another time. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  10. Denise says

    August 2, 2020

    Have you ever just filled the shells and froze them? Then when you are ready to cook them, add the sauce and toppings?

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      August 3, 2020

      No, but that would work really well too!!!

      Reply
  11. Amy says

    July 28, 2020

    For the freezer directions, is the bake time of 45 minutes after thawing, or 45 minutes straight from the freezer?

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      July 29, 2020

      That would be after thawing. 🙂

      Reply
    • Laura says

      August 4, 2021

      Hi, the recipe I used said to freeze the stuffed shells for 10 to 15 minutes so they don’t stick together, then wrap them in a container & store in the freezer. I Made them last night and forgot to grab them remembered during the afternoon or the next day. Will the stuffed shells still taste the same when thawed and cooked?

      Reply
  12. D. says

    July 4, 2020

    Hi!

    my husband and I had your stuffed shells. we did not freeze it but had it fresh for supper. the only thing we did not have fresh was the tomato sauce (from an another website. I am all over the place) I did not turn the seam upside down- I had it up. for spices I put in the parsley, oregano, dried leaves and some pepper with the ricotta mix.— Very very good. its a keeper!

    Reply
    • Karrie says

      July 8, 2020

      Wonderful, glad you liked it!

      Reply
      • Nancy Midgett says

        December 8, 2020

        Why turn the shells upside.???

      • Karrie says

        December 8, 2020

        So the stuffing doesn’t bubble up and come out of it.

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