How to cook frozen stuffed shells

Stuffed shells seem like something an Italian grandmother would make, and it would take her all day. But the recipe below is genius. It uses frozen pre-stuffed pasta shells and jarred sauce. Layered together, topped with cheese, and baked to bubbling perfection, it looks and tastes like a dish that took hours to make.

Table of Contents Show

The Best Cheese Stuffed Shells Recipe!
Easy Red Sauce
Too Much Filling?
Stuffing the Shells
Final Thoughts
Learn more about Freezer Meal Cooking:
Should I defrost frozen stuffed shells before baking?
How do you heat frozen stuffed shells?
How long does it take to reheat frozen stuffed shells?
How long do frozen stuffed shells take to thaw?

You can use any stuffed shells you like or add additional ingredients to your layers. Try adding crispy pancetta or sauteed mushrooms or spinach for variation. This is going to become one of your pantry staple favorites.

Cooktop Cove

Stuffed Pasta Shells Casserole

10 minutes

45 minutes

55 minutes

Cooking spray

1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce, divided

1 24-ounce package frozen stuffed pasta shells

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano or basil (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Spread about 1 cup of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, spreading to cover completely. Top it with the mozzarella, and then sprinkle the Parmesan over the top. Cover it with aluminum foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Serve it hot.

If you haven't made cheese stuffed shells like these yet, you need to try them out as soon as possible! Instructions for making this into a freezer meal as well! So good, it's even worthy of special occasions.

The Best Cheese Stuffed Shells Recipe!

These 4-cheese stuffed shells are perfect as bulk freezer meals. If you know someone who enjoys homecooked meals but doesn’t have the time to make them, these are a great gift idea! I also participate in a freezer meal group and this meal worked out great for that.

Of course, these cheesy stuffed shells are wonderful without freezing too! Delicious for an everyday meal, Sunday dinner, to serve to guests, or even for a special occasion.

Easy Red Sauce

This recipe is a great one to make if you’re in a freezer meal group. I’ve made 6 8×8 pans before and each 8×8 holds 12 shells and serves about 6 people.

The sauce is from scratch but is super simple and inexpensive to make. Sometimes I’ll actually simmer up my sauce the night before if I have extra time, helps with the meal prep!

Too Much Filling?

When I made this meal in bulk, I tried to get all of the filling into my 4-quart mixing bowl, but it just didn’t fit. I transferred it all to a slightly larger bowl to finish mixing it together. So, if you’re making the 6 8×8 pans, be sure to use a bowl larger than 4 quarts for the filling, or you can try splitting it between two bowls.

Stuffing the Shells

Look at all of those beautiful shells! When I did this as a bulk meal, I had about 9 shells leftover from the two 12-ounce boxes of shells that I cooked. The filling and sauce are just the right amounts for the 6 8×8 pans though.

Stuffing the shells was actually super easy. It didn’t take very long at all. Easier and faster to make than manicotti!

Final Thoughts

There you go. A delicious freezer meal that everyone will love!

OXO Good Grips 6-Piece Measuring Cup Set

Learn more about Freezer Meal Cooking:

Freezer Meal eBook
50+ Healthy Make-Ahead Freezer Meals
Benefits of making freezer meals
115+ Freezer Meal Recipes
How to start a Freezer Meal Group
How to Prepare Freezer Meals
What Foods Don’t Freeze Well

9x13-inch pan
Large saucepan
Large bowl

Sauce:

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Filling & Shells:

24 jumbo pasta shells
16 ounces cottage cheese about 2 cups
15 ounces ricotta cheese about 2 cups
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach thawed, excess liquid squeezed out
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping about 1 1/2 cups

For the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
While the sauce simmers, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta shells al dente according to package directions. Drain and immediately place them in an even layer on paper towels or parchment.
For the filling, in a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano and basil. Add the spinach and mix until combined. Stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella.
Lightly grease your pan(s) with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.
Spoon about half of the sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan(s) and spread evenly. Fill each pasta shell with an even amount of the filling (a little less than 1/4 cup per shell) and place the shells on top of the sauce in the pan. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the shells.
Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 5 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the shells sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Preparing for the Freezer:

Before baking, cover with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. Label and freeze. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Prepare after Freezing:

Remove plastic wrap and replace the foil cover. To bake from frozen, preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15-30 more minutes, until bubbly and warmed through.

A 12-ounce box of jumbo pasta shells usually includes about 44 shells, some of which may be broken.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Should I defrost frozen stuffed shells before baking?

Stuffed shells can be frozen for 3-5 months. To bake frozen stuffed shells, you can either bake them frozen or let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or up to 12 hours. If you are going to bake shells frozen, take off the plastic wrap and cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 60 minutes.

How do you heat frozen stuffed shells?

Place frozen Stuffed Shells in dish, cover generously with more sauce. Cover dish with microwave safe lid or wrap. Microwave on high for 7-8 minutes. Cook until reaching a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F for at least 15 seconds.

How long does it take to reheat frozen stuffed shells?

Store frozen. To bake the shells, heat the oven to 350°F. Continue assembling the recipe just like I showed above but use the frozen stuffed shells, spaghetti sauce and cheese. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the stuffed shells are heated.

How long do frozen stuffed shells take to thaw?

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.

cook frozen stuffed shells