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Chicken Alfredo Shells [UPDATED]
Published 10:13am Monday, November 19, 2012 Updated 10:13am Monday, November 19, 2012There are just moments in life when a parent feels so proud. One of mine came this week when my oldest daughter, Lauren, who is living on her own for the first time going to college…prepared a great meal from scratch! I’m pretty sure that since she’s addicted to Pinterest, that she found this recipe there. Lauren said it was tasty, simple, and “pretty”.
She was so excited that she even posted a photo on Facebook. It’s nice to know that she paid attention while I was cooking all those meals all those years, and learned how to cook on her own. Now, about that laundry….
Chicken Alfredo Shells
Makes 12 servings of 24 shells
24 dry jumbo pasta shells, (about 6 oz.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, seasoned with salt and pepper
Sauce:
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 stick unsalted butter (4 Tbsp.)
1 1/2 c. grated Parmesan, divided
2 tsp. black pepper
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, divided
Preheat broiler with rack 5 inches from element. Spray two 24-cup mini muffin tins with nonstick spray; set aside. Bring a large post of salted water to a boil.
Cook shells in boiling water until al dente, 12-15 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through, 8-9 minutes per side; cool slightly, then chop into small pieces.
Warm cream and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming. Whisk in butter until melted. Add 1 c. Parmesan, 2 tsp. pepper, and 2 Tbsp. parsley. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Stir in chicken and remove from heat.
Fill each shell with 1 heaping Tbsp. chicken mixture. Stagger filled shells, open ends up, in every other muffin tin well to prevent them from sticking to each other. Sprinkle shells with remaining 1/2 c. Parmesan.
Broil shells until sauce bubbles and Parmesan melts and is golden, about 2 minutes. Garnish shells with remaining 2 Tbsp. parsley.
