Turkey Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Turkey Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells combine lean turkey sausage, frozen spinach, part-skim ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and jumbo shells. I used store-bought sauce but you could use a homemade version as well.
Pasta isn’t a go-to meal for us anymore now that the boys aren’t around as much to eat it. But every now and then, I love a nice plate of it. I usually pair it with a giant green salad of some sort, and if I have some handy, a chunk of my Mom’s Chewy French Bread.
There are several ways to lighten up pasta, and this is how you do it with this recipe.
- Use lean turkey sausage links (and removed the meat from the casings) instead of regular ‘ole sausage.
- Add plenty of spinach which is a super food and full of nutrition, as are mushrooms.
- Go with part-skim ricotta cheese instead of the full fat version. Nobody will notice.
The green in the stuffing just makes this dish look healthy. I love it when that happens.
Make some to eat. Make some for your freezer!
Regarding the size of this recipe, you read it right. It makes –>
- TWO casseroles,
- OR one large casserole plus two square tins for the freezer,
- OR approximately 42 shells.
I am a huge freezer cook. Just like my mom, I like to have a few meals in there at all times for “just in case”.
Stuffed Shells freeze wonderfully. As long as you’re making a mess in your kitchen, you might as well make enough to keep for a rainy day, or just a day when you don’t want to cook. Yes please.
If you just want to make ONE casserole (or approximately 21 shells), just cut this recipe in half. You can change the serving sizes in the actual recipe itself, and it will calculate the ingredients for you.
Happy stuffing (of the shells)! 🙂
Make this pasta recipe next: Classic Lasagna Roll Ups
Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.
xoxo ~Sue
Turkey Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
- THIS RECIPE MAKES TWO CASSEROLES! CUT IN HALF IF DESIRED!
- 12 oz. frozen spinach – thawed and squeezed dry
- 24 oz. ricotta cheese, part skim
- 8 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
- 12 oz. mozzarella cheese – divided
- 1 large egg
- 12 oz. jumbo shells
- 48 oz. Classico Spaghetti Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion – chopped
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 8 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms
- 1 1/4 pound lean turkey sausage – removed from casings
- salt and pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- ** This recipe makes two casseroles. Each one holds about 21 stuffed shells. I like to put half in the freezer for a rainy day. You can put the freezer amounts in two square throw-away tins and store in freezer bags. **
- Cook shells according to package directions. Make sure they are slightly under-cooked because they will cook more in the oven. Dry on a clean dish towel or paper towel.
- In a medium bowl, combine the squeezed-dry spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, and the egg.
- In a large stock pan, heat olive oil to medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, mushrooms, and seasonings (salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and onion powder) and stir for 30 seconds.
- Remove turkey sausage from casings, and combine with onion mixture. Brown sausage and then drain. Let cool slightly and add to the cheese and spinach bowl. Stir to combine.
- Prepare two 9×13 casseroles by pouring 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pans. Stuff shells with the turkey sausage and cheese mixture and lay on top of the sauce. Top shells with remaining spaghetti sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and wrap one casserole for the freezer. Or use two square throw-away tins.
- Bake the other casserole for 30 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.
This is amazing! Even the kids couldn’t get enough!! And I love that it makes two.
Hi Kelly! Thanks so much for your feedback on these shells! So glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
The fresh batch came out delicious! Now how long do I cook the frozen batch? Is it the same temp?
Hi Madavi! It’s best to let the frozen batch thaw out before baking. Then just use the same baking directions. I’m glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
Noticed that to there is no bake degrees? We just ended up putting it at 350 and hoped for the best.
Yes, bake at 350 degrees. Sorry about that Kam. Just updated it!
This recipe is amazing and is perfect for feeding a large group. Great for parties and large families.