Buffalo Ranch Chicken Stuffed Shells

If you love Buffalo chicken with just a hint of ranch, then you’ll flip over these cheesy stuffed shells.

Love Buffalo Chicken?

There’s many who do!

This recipe takes Buffalo chicken a bit out of the box by using it as a pasta filling. To be honest, Buffalo chicken is one thing I can take or leave, which is surprising since I’m a huge “chicken head” and generally flip over anything that contains poultry.

But sometimes something catches your eye. When I saw Michelle from Flavor Mosaic’s Buffalo shells, they looked so good, I knew I’d have to try them.

Traditional Flavor….Or Not

Michelle’s recipe used bleu cheese, which is a traditional flavor with anything Buffalo.

I happen to love bleu cheese and would have made them just as Michelle did, but I did promise a friend that when I made them I’d give him some. He doesn’t like bleu cheese so I had to think of a substitute.

Monterey jack was what I used and coupled with the slight ranch flavor, it was a good choice. However, I think a mild cheddar or swiss would be nice in this as well, so if you’re feeding anyone who doesn’t do bleu cheese, you can substitute and get a delicious dish.

Sauce It Up

Unlike traditional stuffed shell recipes, these shells do not cook in a sauce.

They are drizzled with a bit of hot sauce,  but using large amounts of this wouldn’t be good. It may mask the flavor of the shells. Plus it would be extremely hot.

If you love saucy pasta, you might find these a bit dry. What you could do is make a mild cheese sauce–like a basic white sauce with a complementary-flavored cheese. I’d use mild cheddar or Monterey jack. If you want to get bold, a mild alfredo sauce with just a touch of bleu cheese would be lovely.

These shells would also be a good meal to make in the slow cooker. Sans sauce, they wouldn’t be dry because of the cooking method. I’d do them on low for 4-6 hours, checking for doneness at the minimum time.

The Recipe

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Buffalo Ranch Chicken Stuffed Shells

If you love Buffalo chicken with just a hint of ranch, then you’ll flip over these cheesy stuffed shells.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Chicken, Comfort Foods, pasta

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer chicken wings, buffalo ranch, stuffed shells

Servings: 4 -6

Calories: 546kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 3 tbsp ranch seasoning mix -OR- 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbs buffalo wing sauce
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 15-20 cooked jumbo shells see NOTES
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella for topping
• additional sliced green onion for garnish

Instructions

• Cook shells per package directions.
• Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, green onion, jack cheese, ranch seasoning, 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce and the egg;
• Stir in the shredded chicken.
• Divide chicken mixture between the shells—I usually put about 1/4 cup in each shell and use about 15 shells. Place shells in prepared pan. Top with the shredded mozzarella and drizzle the remaining 2 tbs of buffalo wing sauce over the top of the shells.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Notes

Crock Pot-- cook for 4-6 hours on low, checking for doneness after the minimum time. This is without any sauce I suggested in the post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 1942mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1030IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 591mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @midnitebaker or tag #midnitebaker!

*Adapted from Flavor Mosaic