Here’s some more fast weeknight dinner inspiration for you! Today’s recipe is Vegan Chicken Parm Stuffed Shells. These aren’t your traditional stuffed shells. There’s no ricotta filling here, but dang…they’re so delicious.
These vegan and vegetarian stuffed shells have no cashews, so if you have picky eaters this recipe is sure to be hit with them! It really tastes just like the real deal.
The Vegan Cheese
For this recipe, the shells are stuffed with two different types of vegan cheese. You’ll be using a vegan mozzarella and a vegan parmesan. The brand of vegan mozzarella that I’m using here is Daiya. It melts super well, plus it adds saltiness and creaminess to the inside of the shells.
The vegan parmesan that I’m using in today’s recipe is by Violife. This vegan cheese is SO good. It honestly tastes so similar to dairy parmesan. The only downside is that it doesn’t melt super well. It just gets a bit crusty when heated in the oven. This is why the recipe calls for vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan. The mozzarella is for creaminess and the parmesan is for that flavor!
Prepping the Filling
To make these shells, you first need to make the filling. The first step is to thaw your vegan chicken so you’re able to cut it into small pieces. The vegan chick’n I’m using today is by Gardein. I’m using their Plant-Based Chick’n Scallopini which I slice into 1″ strips. I love using these because they’re fast for weeknight meals like this one.
If you’d like to make your own vegan chicken or you don’t have access to this brand, I have an amazing vegan seitan chicken recipe that you can make!
For the rest of the filling, all you need to do is saute the onions, garlic, and bell pepper in olive oil until translucent and fragrant. Then you’ll combine half the marinara sauce with the onion mixture. This is the mixture you’ll put inside of the shells. The remaining marinara is what you’ll use to spread on the bottom of the pan to keep the shells from sticking, and what you’ll pour on top to keep the shells from drying out in the oven.
The Best Vegan Stuffed Shells
These vegan chicken parm stuffed shells are savory, cheesy, herby, and completely filling. Plus, they only take around 30 minutes to make! They’re free from cashews, and I promise you won’t even know they’re vegan! Tried and tested, these stuffed shells are completely omnivore approved and loved.
If you’re looking for some more weeknight meal inspiration, check out these amazing vegan recipes!
- “Ham” & “Cheese” Stuffed Peppers
- Super Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese
- The Creamiest Vegan Alfredo
- Basil Bechamel Lasagna
- Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
Happy Cooking!
Vegan Chicken Parm Stuffed Shells
These vegan and vegetarian stuffed shells are loaded up with a savory non-dairy 'chicken' parmesan filling. They make a delicious and fast weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
- 12 oz Dried Jumbo Shells
Filling
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 10 oz frozen vegan chick’n, GardeinÂ
- 20 oz premade tomato sauce, or homemade marinara (see below)
- 1 cup shredded vegan parmesan cheese, Violife
- 3/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella cheese, Daiya
- 1 cup spinach, optional
- 2 tsp dried basil
- Finely chopped parsley for topping
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Homemade Marinara (if not using store-bought)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Prep your jumbo shells per the box’s instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In the meantime, while the shells cook, prep the filling. Heat the frozen vegan chick’ns in a non-stick skillet for 3-5 minutes until thawed. Remove from the pan and cut into 1 inch by ½ inch strips.
- In the same pan, saute the onion, garlic, and green bell pepper in 1 tbsp of olive oil until translucent and fragrant (about 7 minutes). Add half the marinara sauce to the pan and mix to combine.
- In a 9x13” baking dish, pour ¼ of a cup of the marinara sauce (without the onion mixture) into the bottom. Layer the spinach on top.
- Stuff the shells by spooning a teaspoon of the sauce with the onions and 2-3 pieces of vegan chicken inside. Top each shell with a sprinkle of vegan mozzarella. Repeat until all the shells are stuffed and place them into the pan in a single layer. You may need to use 2 pans.
- Spoon the remaining pasta sauce without the onion mixture in between the shells and on top of the shells. Sprinkle the vegan parmesan and dried basil on top of all of the shells.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or golden on top.
- Serve warm with fresh chopped parsley on top and any salt & pepper to taste.
To Make the Marinara Sauce (if not using store-bought):
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Saute the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, and mix until the onions are coated. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Add the spices (Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, salt & pepper) and the sugar.
- Simmer on low for 20 minutes while prepping the other components.
Notes
If you'd like to make your own vegan chicken from scratch, this recipe will walk you through exactly how to make it!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 8gSugar: 16gProtein: 17g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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