5 Great Stuffed Recipes

5 Great Stuffed Recipes

Everything's getting stuffed these days - it's a user-friendly trend we're happy to get on board with. Besides, stuffing something great into something else is just about the nicest gesture you could make, and we're not just talking about food into stomachs. Stuffed shells are the perfect example of Italian-American food, reminiscent of the first restaurants serving up plates of comfort food doused with homemade red sauce.

Related: Cheese-Stuffed Meatballs Recipe »

Try this recipe for an easy weekday dinner that's easy to make for a crowd (and freezes beautifully), then check out some of our other favorite stuffed recipes below.

Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe

Ingredients:
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 26-ounce jar good-quality tomato sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil over high heat. Add pasta shells and cook for about 10 minutes, or until al dente.
3. While the pasta is cooking, mix together ricotta, eggs, parmesan, mozzarella and parsley in a large bowl.
4. Drain shells and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into each cooked shell and arrange on a baking sheet.
6. Pour 1 cup of pasta sauce into a 9 x 12 casserole dish and spread so that it covers the bottom of the dish. Transfer stuffed shells to the casserole dish, arranging them side-by-side, and pour the remaining sauce on top of the shells.
7. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

*These freeze very well. Simply store the extras in a heavy-duty freezer bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake at 375 for 45 minutes (no thawing necessary).

Take a look at some of our other favorite stuffed recipes below, and prepare to get stuffed!

5 Stuffed Burger Recipes (otherwise known as Juicy Lucys)
Stuffed Meatballs
Spicy Sausage-Stuffed Mushrooms
Mario Batali's Italian Meatloaf