We’ve had some fun (and success) with Buffalo/European Fusion dishes before (Buffalo Chicken Geschnetzeltes, Buffalo Chicken Wellington, Buffalo Blue Cheese Pierogies, and Buffalo Cheddar Fondue to name a few)…so we figured we ought to go back to that idea. With all that in mind, while my wife and I were on a nice canal walk during my son’s football practice, she stopped suddenly and blurted out, “BUFFALO CHICKEN STUFFED SHELLS!” Yep…she had an awesome idea, and I started to get very excited about the prospect. Of course, my excitement was the result of a combination of two factors:
- Football Food (often including Buffalo sauce) is a go-to for us during Football Season.
- She is an incredible stuffed shells maker. I typically don’t have the patience for it and wind up making “Unstuffed Shells.” But she gets into the zone and goes all out…hence things like Roasted Eggplant and Ricotta Stuffed Shells being something we’ve had before (yeah, that wouldn’t have happened without her doing).
Anyway, she went about doing her thing, and I’m merely the messenger on this recipe. SO, if you don’t like it, don’t be mad at me! But, I think the more likely result is you’ll want to see more of her creations in the future. Also, GO BILLS!
Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Jumbo Shell Pasta
- Ricotta Cheese
- Ground Chicken
- Onion
- Celery
- Buffalo Sauce
- Crumbled Blue Cheese
Method:
- Boil a large pot of water, and add your shells. Cook until they soften, and then drain and set aside.
- As your shells boil, dice your celery and onion. Melt a little butter in a pan, and sauté until they begin to brown.
- Add your ground chicken to the pan, and cook it fully.
- When your chicken and veggies are cooked, add them to a large mixing bowl, and scoop in your ricotta cheese and Buffalo sauce. Stir to combine.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Give a quick oil spray to the casserole dish in which you plan to cook your shells.
- Start stuffing your shells! Use a spoon to scoop your buffalo chicken ricotta mixture into your shells. Arrange in rows in your casserole dish as you go.
- Drizzle a little more Buffalo sauce atop your stuffed shells, and sprinkle some crumbled blue cheese on to finish.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
