Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells

Makes My Monday: Synchronized Cooking – Virtually

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Nancy

My friend Lori created a Recipes group on FB for those of us who have come to a stalemate with what to make for dinner. She figured we’d all just post recipes to share and have some more cool ideas to run with.

What we didn’t anticipate was the brilliant idea of another member: a Group Cooking Party. Or, Synchronized Cooking. What a cool idea! Everyone does the same recipe on the same night (or weekend, as the case was this time around). Then we all post pictures and describe how it went…and if we changed stuff around and all that.

Even better? Having a neighbor who is doing the same thing and then heading to her house to swap the final results. Especially since she used a different sauce on top than I did. 🙂 (Although, that was also a bit intimidating – she’s a much better cook than I am! LOL!)

The kids didn’t love it. Maggie – my spicy girl – ate a bit…and then turned to the pizza. Burke and Logan ate a bite and turned their noses up at it. All of the adults LOVED it though.

What’d we cook? Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells with Creamy Ranch Sauce. I got the ranch sauce from Astrid’s blog except, her’s is a much healthier version ;). (Mel made Blue Cheese Sauce instead). Both were *so good* – but I think I liked the Blue Cheese sauce one a bit better. Although, if I were to do the ranch one again, I’d add more milk or double the recipe or something so that there would be more to put over the top.

Here’s the recipe if you’re interested.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells with Creamy Ranch Sauce

1 package jumbo shells
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into very small pieces (bite size)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2/3 c hot sauce (I used Frank’s)
1/3 c blue cheese crumbles
1/3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 c shredded Parmesan cheese
2 c ricotta cheese

For Creamy Ranch Sauce

3 oz cream cheese
1/2 c milk
1/3 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1 packet ranch dressing seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Boil a big pot full of water and cook pasta shells according to directions. Drain and set aside. (You’ll probably end up with a lot more shells than filling, just FYI)
Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Put the bite sized chicken pieces into the pan and cook until no longer pink in the center.
In a bowl, mix together the hot sauce and cheeses.
Stir cooked chicken into the cheese and hot sauce mixture.
Stuff the shells with the mixture and fill a 9×13″ baking pan with them.
In a small skillet, melt the cream cheese. Stir in the milk and the shredded Parmesan cheese into the melted cheese, and then stir in the ranch seasoning packet.
Spoon this sauce over the stuffed shells.
Bake the stuffed shells for 20-30 minutes.