Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

How have I not made these before? I love chicken alfredo. What a fun new twist! My husband Toby told me at 3pm on Monday that he had a pot luck at work the next day. Right....Ok.  It didn't help that the amazing people in his department were already bringing pulled,pork,enchilladas,chilli, desserts. I had zero ideas. So I took to the internet to see what I could bring. Then I hit the mother load. Chicken Alfredo Stufed Shells. The original recipe did not have broccolli or bacon in them, but I figured it couldn't hurt. These would even be great with artichokes and spinach too. 

Here is the recipe I adapted from In the Long Kitchen You can make the sauce lighter if you would like. I used a mixture of heavy cream and 1% milk to lighten it up a bit. Also, I grated the garlic into the sauce. Since I was making these when I was cooking dinner I seared the chicken then baked them in the oven so I didn't have to watch it. 

Baked 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 stick unsalted butter (8 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 oven safe dish with cooking spray ( I used tin foil throw away pans); 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. 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.