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Spinach Stuffed Shells

4.34 from 3 votes

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These Spinach Stuffed Shells are the perfect weeknight dinner. Made with pantry staples, this one needs to be on your meal rotation!

spinach-stuffed-shells

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Nancy’s Yogurt

Winter is coming quickly here in Oregon and chilly weather always makes me want to cuddle up with a good book, a warm cup of coffee and the smells of marinara sauce bubbling on the stovetop. One of my favorite ways to use up that sauce is to make spinach stuffed shells. They are super easy and a great way to sneak spinach into my kids without them complaining.

spinach-stuffed-shells-sauce

Using Nancy’s cottage cheese is one of my favorite tricks to making our spinach shells with what we have on hand. Ricotta is something I only really buy if someone requests it because I really don’t care for the texture that much, but cottage cheese is always in the house. And spinach is a mainstay. You can even use this same concept as a lasagna or a layered spaghetti dish if you don’t have shells on hand.

spinach-stuffed-shells-recipe

This recipe is one that I make with very few measurements and it’s super forgiving in that sense. A little extra of any of these ingredients won’t hurt anything so it’s one that I never even use a recipe for.

Using a good chunky marinara sauce is my favorite way to make this dish,  but I’ve also made this with jarred sauce that I spiff up with a pound of ground beef or sausage in a pinch. I’ll be sharing this homemade marinara sauce tomorrow on the blog so be sure to check back to get that recipe if you don’t have a family fav!

homemade-marinara-sauce

Here is to couch snuggles and delicious easy recipes bubbling in the oven this year.

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Spinach Stuffed Shells Recipe

These Spinach Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce are the perfect weeknight dinner. Made with pantry staples, this one needs to be on your meal rotation!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings
Print Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 box shells I don’t usually use all of them–12-20 are adequate for a large pyrex
  • Filling:
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen spinach
  • 1/2 cup Nancy’s cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese optional
  • 2-3 cups chunky marinara sauce
  • shredded cheese to top

Instructions

  • 1. Cook noodles 2 minutes under package directions so they are flexible but not quite al dente.2. Mix filling ingredients together.3. Stuff shells with mixture.4. Add a layer of sauce to the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. Add shells and top with remaining sauce.5. Add shredded cheese to the top of sauce. Cover in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.6. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 1543mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g
Cuisine : American
dinner, spinach, easy dinner, easy dinner recipe, weeknight recipe, stuffed shells recipe, family recipe, homemade dinners

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Nancy’s Yogurt. We are proud to work with companies we believe in to bring you free content every week. 

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About Dani Meyer

Hi, I’m Dani! I’m most importantly mama to 3 wild little dudes. I spend my days cooking, photographing and exploring the Pacific Northwest. I'm a full time food blogger and online business coach.

I’m the author of Stress Free Camping, a 120+ page guide on making epic food in the woods. I’m also the founder of Food Blogger Entrepreneurs, the leading online academy and private community for food bloggers. → More About Dani

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1 thought on “Spinach Stuffed Shells”

  1. 4 stars
    I make this using half ricotta and half crumbled feta. Instead of marinara sauce I use one or two tablespoons of tomato paste and a few drops of water (a pinch of sugar neutralizes the acidity). Then I make a bechamel sauce using 2 tbs butter & flour, 2 c. milk, temper and whisk in two beaten eggs and a cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Pour this on top, sprinkle with parmesan and dust lightly with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
    It’s kind of a variation of Greek Pastitsio.
    It’s also very delicious.

    Reply

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