Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

HAHAH The monkey's face really just cracks me up every time I see this picture. I am not really sure why I find this so funny, but I do! My sister and I get a kick out of it every single time we see it! I thought it may bring some others a laugh and thought I would share! How do they capture moments like these?! Priceless!

Now down to business-onto the recipe from last night... I made this for everyone and they all seemed to really enjoy it! I would of liked it to be a little more chunky and taste the pieces of chicken more, so if you want go ahead and increase the amount of chicken! I kind of advise it :) Unless you aren't a fan of meat.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells:

• 1 box of Jumbo shells
• 1 lb of Chicken breast, shredded
• 2 cups Mozzarella
• 2 cups Italian Cheese
• 4 cups Ricotta cheese (I used fat free)
• 1/2 cup Cream Cheese (I used 1/3 fat)
• 2 Tbs Sour Cream (take it or leave it. Its just for a tangy taste)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Spinach (I wish I would of added more so maybe do a cup)
• 1 small onion, minced
• salt/pepper (to taste)
• powdered garlic/oregano/basil (to taste)
• 1 jar of marinara sauce

To start, I boiled my chicken in salt and pepper water while I also boiled the box of shells. (Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.) While these were cooking, I combined the cream cheese, ricotta, and sour cream until it was blended well. Then I put in 1 and 3/4 cups of the Mozzarella and 1 and 3/4 cups Italian Cheese (give or take- the extra is for the top so do however much you want). I then incorporated one egg and the whole onion into the mixture. I hand shredded the spinach into just various different sizes, they cook down so a little big is ok, and then threw them in and stirred. I added the salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and basil- I was heavy handed and put a lot, but I love a lot of flavor too! After that is all combined I sat it aside and checked the chicken, once it is cooked fully, I let it cool for just a minute or two so that I wouldn't burn my fingers when i went to shred it! I took two forks and just started tearing into each piece! After it was shredded completely, I sat it aside for another minute or two; you don't want it too hot or it could heat the egg in the mixture. Drain your shells and run a little cool water over them so you can hold them, again without burning your fingertips! Go ahead and throw the chicken into the cheese mixture and stir it up well. Now it is finally time to assemble!! This is the fun part! With a 13x9 inch pan (I actually had a few extra shells and used a small pan on the side, so play it by ear and use any size you think works best for you!) put a few spoonfuls of marinara on the bottom of the pan to prevent the shells from sticking. Then take a shell and stuff the mixture on into it. I probably had anywhere from 1-2 Tbs of mix in each, it may of even been more. (Remember I am not a measuring type of person ha!) Line them all up in the pan, top it off with the Marinara sauce and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over it. Then pop that sucker into the oven for 30 or so minutes, or until the cheese starts to crisp up! Finally, they are ready to eat! Enjoy :)