The key to happiness oftentimes is to count your blessings: family, friends, health, winning a game of Scrabble, whatever matters to you. Now you can add Blessing Casserole to that list. It’s hard not to feel lucky in life when you see the jumbo pasta shells submerged in a creamy, rich, and herbaceous sauce and filled with a tangy chicken and ricotta mixture plated up in front of you. Each bite is like the best parts of chicken alfredo all at once. Blessing Casserole makes plenty for everyone, so you can share the good times with those who matter most and find new blessings to count!
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- olive oil, for grilling and frying
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated and divided, plus more for topping
- 2 cups parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for topping
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced and divided
- 1 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
- 20 whole jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2 –Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
Step 3 –Heat a grill pan or an iron skillet over medium heat, and drizzle it with olive oil.
Step 4 –Add the chicken to the pan and cook, flipping once, until cooked through at 165 degrees F internally, about 5 minutes per side.
Step 5 –Transfer the chicken to a plate and shred it with 2 forks, then allow it to cool.
Step 6 –In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella, 1 cup of parmesan, eggs, 2 tablespoons of parsley, salt, pepper, and the shredded chicken, stirring to combine. If the mixture seems too thick, add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
Step 7 –In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 8 –Add the flour to the melted butter, whisking and cooking until it becomes a golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Step 9 –Pour in the milk and 1 cup of heavy cream, whisking constantly and cooking until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 10 –Add the garlic, remaining parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and basil, stirring until combined.
Step 11 –Taste the mixture for seasoning.
Step 12 –Add 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 13 –Using a spoon, fill each of the jumbo shells generously with the chicken mixture.
Step 14 –Place the shells face down in the pan.
Step 15 –Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the shells.
Step 16 –Sprinkle the extra mozzarella and extra parmesan over the top.
Step 17 –Bake until bubbly and golden, about 25 minutes.
Step 18 –Serve.
