Stuffed Shells Recipes Without Ricotta Cheese

If you have any "I hate ricotta cheese" people in your family like I do, you are going to love these easy recipes for stuffed shells without ricotta cheese !!

Stuffed shell recipes are one of my all-time favorite dinners to make that I know my whole family will love.

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Easy stuffed pasta shells are one of my favorite dinners to make. I mean, it's hard to go wrong with tender pasta stuffed with cheese and covered in a savory sauce.

Not to mention it is an easy healthy family dinner that won't break the bank.

10 Cheap Healthy Meals For The Whole Family

You can stuff shells with just about anything you have on hand: spinach, meatballs, pepperoni, chicken, ground beef, or even just cheese and sauce. (Yum!)

And a yummy pasta sauce can help if your kids are not so fond of veggies, but you want to sneak in some spinach😋.

How To Make Stuffed Shells Without Ricotta Cheese 

If you have someone in your family that does not like ricotta cheese, you can still make yummy stuffed shells without the ricotta cheese. 

There are other tasty ricotta cheese substitutes you can use to make stuffed shells, and taste just as delicious.

Probably the most common substitute for Ricotta cheese is cottage cheese. 

Stuffed shells with cottage cheese actually have less fat and calories than stuffed shells with Ricotta Cheese. Especially if you use low-fat or no-fat cottage cheese.

So there is that added bonus!

However, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese have similar tastes and textures. So if someone does not like ricotta cheese because of the way it tastes, there is a good chance they will not like cottage cheese as a substitute either.

But you can also substitute ricotta with mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, queso cheese, and even goat cheese instead of ricotta cheese in most stuffed shell recipes.

I love to use extra mozzarella cheese as a substitute for Ricotta cheese in lasagna recipes and other pasta dishes. Everyone in the family loves the cheesy filling and no one complains about the "bumpy' cheese (aka, ricotta.)

What is an Easy Way to Stuff Shells?

The best way to keep pasta shells from falling apart as you stuff them is to make sure you do not let the pasta shells boil too long and get too soft. 

The softer the pasta shells, the easier they will fall apart. 

And keep in mind that the pasta shells will bake more in the oven as well. 

What are the best Pasta Shells to Use?

It is easier to stuff jumbo Pasta shells, plus you can stuff more yummy filling into Jumbo shells. 

If you use manicotti for a stuffed shell recipe, an easy way to way to keep the manicotti from breaking when you fill them is to put the cheese filling inside a pastry bag or a resealable plastic bag for piping the filling into the pasta shell.

You can also try using a small narrow spoon to fill manicotti shells. 

A quick way to make easy stuffed shells is to use lasagna noodles. Use the no-boil noodles and just put them in hot water for a few minutes so the noodles get soft. 

Then simply layer the cheese filling on top of the noodles. Roll the noodles into tubes and pop them in the oven to bake!

(If you need a new baking dish for this recipe or for the winter casseroles you plan on making when the weather gets cooler, here is a favorite from Amazon~)

1. Taco Stuffed Shells With Enchilada Sauce

Photo: LoveBakesGoodCakes.com

Everyone in my family loved, loved, loved this recipe! You fill the partially cooked jumbo shells with ground meat, enchilada sauce, cheddar cheese, and refried beans.  

I substituted the meat with veggie crumbles, and it was delicious!!

Add whatever spices and extras you like to create an easy kid-friendly pasta dinner that is delicious and easy on the budget.

Get the complete recipe at Love Bakes Good Cakes.

2.  Skinnier Stuffed Shells Without Ricotta 

Photo: Food Folks and Fun.Net

 You will not miss the ricotta cheese when you make these cheese-stuffed shells. You use fat-free cottage cheese instead of ricotta, so you get a yummy pasta dish with fewer calories and fat!!

(you can have guilt-free seconds 😏.)

The filling also has part-skim Mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, basil, and garlic. 

Grab the Recipe

3. Pizza Stuffed Shells Without Ricotta Cheese

Giant cheese-stuffed pasta shells filled with pizza sauce and other favorite pizza ingredients are one of those cheesy recipes even picky kids will love. 

Even picky grown-ups will love this recipe!

And you will love just how easy it is to make this jumbo shells recipe!

Basically, you stuff the jumbo pasta shells with your favorite pizza ingredients. cover the shells with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese and bake. Voila!

Get the Recipe at The Girl Who Ate Everything

4. Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Shells

The only ingredients you need to make yummy kid-friendly chicken stuffed shells are cooked chicken strips, spaghetti sauce, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. 

Get the Recipe at Favorite Family Recipes.

5.  Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells

Life In The Lofthouse

No one will miss the ricotta cheese when they bite into pasta shells stuffed with chicken and broccoli and smothered in Alfredo sauce. 

Seriously, what more could we wish for on a cool fall night than a mouth-watering pasta casserole ??

If your kids eat veggies without blinking an eye, then the whole family will love this amazing stuffed shells recipe without ricotta cheese.

And if they squirm at the thought of eating veggies, you can always fill some pasta shells with just chicken and Alfredo sauce for the kids to eat.

Get the recipe from Lauren over at Life in The Lofthouse.