Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli Alredo Stuffed Shells

Cooking actual meals and pregnancy don't mix. At least not for this preggo. Most nights I have no desire to eat a meal, let alone cook one. I've been settling for easy foods, such as cut up fruits and veggies, and have had quite an aversion to meats. For some reason, the texture of most chicken and steak just makes me gag. Sweets however have been more of a craving. So with the rarity of meats and increased sweets consumption I know that pregnancy can really throw off your normal meal habits.

Last night I made a BBQ beef and biscuit casserole, which is a variation of a dish I've made numerous times, so nothing to really blog about. I was able to eat a bunch of ground beef, so that was pretty good since I haven't eaten too much meat lately. Tonight, there was some chicken in my shells, so another way I've added some meat back into my diet. Although, as I was eating dinner, I was mostly thinking about the bowl of cherries and blackberries I'm about to have as my nighttime snack. Basically, if it's fresh and cold, I'll eat it.

I LOVE stuffed shells. Traditional, ricotta-filled, red sauce smothered shells. Dan, however, isn't much of a red sauce guy. Every now and then he'll eat some lasagna or pasta with red sauce, but it's rare. He's more of an Alfredo or butter/oil and garlic kind of guy. I'll eat anything, so I can usually be accommodating. These shells have everything he will eat, chicken, bacon bits, cheese, Alfredo sauce and broccoli (one of the 4 veggies he'll eat). They're also pretty easy to throw together if you use a rotisserie chicken (like I did) and some steamer broccoli florets (like I did) and just have to chop them up.

It was also 90 degrees today. So I only ate a few, because the heat and my general disliking of heavy hot foods lately wouldn't let me have any more than that.

Now I'm off to go get my bowl of blackberries and cherries...

Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli Alfredo Stuffed Shells
adapted from Sweet Dash of Sass

25 or so jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente and drained
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups chopped cooked broccoli
2 (16 oz) jars Alfredo sauce divided
Chopped bacon (optional)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup shredded Mozzarella
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, broccoli, 1 jar of Alfredo sauce, cheeses, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Spread the other jar of Alfredo sauce on to bottom of the prepared baking dish.
4. Stuff the shells and arrange in the dish.
5. Cover with foil and cook for 35 minutes.

 

 

A little extra Alfredo sauce for the top would have been better!