Cajun Chicken Shells (Print Version)

Creamy pasta shells overflow with spicy Cajun chicken and gooey cheese. Baked until bubbly. It’s pure comfort in every bite.

# Ingredients:

→ Pasta and Filling

01 - 1/2 cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, grated
02 - 1 cup (100 g) mozzarella cheese, shredded, save a bit to sprinkle on top later
03 - 1 cup (250 g) ricotta cheese
04 - 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) black pepper
05 - 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
06 - 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) paprika
07 - 1 teaspoon (3 g) Cajun seasoning
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
10 - 1/2 onion, finely chopped
11 - 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
12 - 2 cups (around 300 g) cooked chicken, pulled apart
13 - 20 jumbo pasta shells

→ Creamy Sauce

14 - Fresh chopped parsley if you wanna fancy it up at the end
15 - Salt and black pepper, toss in as you like
16 - 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) garlic powder
17 - 1 teaspoon (3 g) Cajun seasoning
18 - 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
19 - 2 cups (480 ml) milk
20 - 2 tablespoons (16 g) all-purpose flour
21 - 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter

# Steps:

01 - Let things chill out for five minutes after you pull the dish from the oven so the sauce can thicken up. Toss some parsley on top if you want. Dig in while it's hot—figure three or four shells per serving.
02 - Slide your covered dish into the oven you heated up earlier. Cook it for 20 minutes, then take the foil off and bake another 10 so the cheese gets bubbly and kind of golden.
03 - Pour the rest of your creamy sauce over the stuffed shells—make sure nothing's left high and dry. Sprinkle a bit more mozzarella all over the top. Wrap the baking dish with foil, careful not to let it stick to the cheesy bits.
04 - Pour half the sauce you just made into a 33 x 23 cm pan. Grab your cooked shells and fill each one with a hearty scoop (maybe one to two tablespoons) of your chicken and cheese mixture. Line 'em up in the dish with the open side facing up.
05 - Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium. Whisk in the flour for about one minute so you get a smooth paste. Pour in milk and heavy cream bit by bit, whisking as you go. Mix in your Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and as much salt and pepper as you like. Let it simmer gently and keep stirring until it gets thick—should take 5 to 7 minutes. You're aiming for it to coat your spoon.
06 - Move the chicken mixture into a big bowl. Throw in ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Stir until it's all nicely mixed together.
07 - Add torn chicken into the skillet. Sprinkle in Cajun seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir so everything's covered with spices. Take it off the heat and let it cool off for a few minutes, around five.
08 - While your pasta's boiling, warm olive oil in a big skillet over medium. Toss in chopped onion and diced red pepper; cook them until they're soft and see-through, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic now and stir for just a minute.
09 - Fire up your oven and set it to 190°C. Fill a big pot with salted water, bring it to a boil, and cook the jumbo shells till they're just done—should take 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, then set the shells out on a baking sheet so they can cool and so they don't stick together.

# Notes:

01 - Grabbing rotisserie chicken makes things way faster and bumps up the flavor.
02 - You want your sauce nice and thick, or it'll come out soupy—keep an eye on that.
03 - If your sauce gets chunky or too thick, just pour in some more milk and whisk it till it's how you like.
04 - This dish is awesome as leftovers—just cover and bake at 165°C for about 20 minutes to warm it up.

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