• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Stress Baking
  • Recipes
  • Baking Basics
  • Resources
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Baking Basics
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Desserts
  • About
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Baking Basics
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Desserts
    • About
    • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Pasta

    Ground Turkey Stuffed Shells

    Published: Feb 18, 2013 · Last modified: Apr 19, 2022 by Leslie Kiszka / This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.9 from 16 votes
    A baking dish of golden cheesy stuffed shells topped with parsley

    These ground turkey stuffed shells are one of my most popular recipes of all time! Large pasta shells stuffed to the brim with ground turkey and cheese and covered with tomato sauce and yes, even more cheese. Serve with a basket of rosemary sea salt dinner rolls or addictive cheddar bay biscuits!

    A baking dish of golden cheesy stuffed shells topped with parsley

    The best thing about stuffed shells (besides how freaking delicious they are) is that with 20 minutes of prep work you can feed a crowd, or you can equip yourself with plenty of leftovers to save time during the week!

    Stuffed shell recipe ingredients

    • Jumbo pasta shells: The star of the show! Jumbo shells are large and concave, and perfect for filling with deliciousness. You’ll boil them to al dente before stuffing and baking them.
    • Ground turkey: You’re going to combine this meat with the rest of the ingredients to fill each shell, but this can easily be substituted for ground beef, ground pork, chicken sausage, Italian sausage, shredded chicken, or your favorite meat substitute. Or you can swap it for spinach!
    • Spaghetti sauce: To make things easy, I call for a jar of your favorite spaghetti/marinara sauce – but your favorite homemade spaghetti sauce recipe is more than welcome! You’ll want 24 ounces worth.
    • Garlic: I call for one clove of garlic, but if you’re like me and believe the limit of too much garlic doesn’t exist, feel free to use (much) more ;)
    • Egg: The egg is going to get lightly beaten and used to help all the ingredients adhere together and provide moisture.
    • Parsley: Make sure you grab flat-leaf parsley and not curly-leaf parsley. In my opinion, flat-leaf parsley has a more pleasant flavor – I find curly to be a tad bitter.
    • Ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese: We’re doing a mix of three cheeses for this mixture much like you’d find in lasagna. I also enjoy adding some Asiago cheese, or swapping the parmesan for it.
    Bowls of ingredients in preparation for making ground turkey stuffed shells
    A bowl full of ground turkey, ricotta cheese, egg and parsley

    How to make stuffed shells

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 9×12″ baking dish with nonstick spray – set aside.
    • Cover the bottom of the baking dish with half the spaghetti sauce (12 ounces’ worth). Set aside.
    • While the oven is warming up, cook pasta al dente according to the directions on the box (typically around 9 minutes). Once cooked, drain and set aside to cool.
    • In a large pan, cook ground turkey until browned, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir for a minute or two until fragrant. Remove from heat.
    • In a medium bowl, lightly beat one egg. Add the cooked ground turkey, ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Add a little salt and pepper if you’d like, and mix well.
    A baking dish full of stuffed shells prior to baking
    A baking dish of golden cheesy stuffed shells topped with parsley
    • Using a large spoon, stuff each shell with the ground turkey mixture. It can be kind of tricky, depending on how “curly” your noodles are, but I promise it’s worth it! I usually spoon mixture up under one of the curves and then fill the rest – it seems to be the easiest.
    • As you’re stuffing the shells, place each shell in the glass baking dish. Place them closely together so they don’t tip over.
    • Pour the remaining 12 ounces spaghetti sauce over the shells, then cover in the remaining half of mozzarella cheese.
    • Bake for 20-25 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling on the top).
    • Serve immediately with a side of garlic bread or cheesy biscuits and enjoy!
    A baking dish of golden cheesy stuffed shells topped with parsley

    Substitutions for ground turkey stuffed shells

    • Feel free to substitute the ground turkey for ground beef, ground pork, Italian sausage, or shredded chicken. You could also swap in your favorite meat substitute. Or you can remove the meat altogether and add spinach instead! Not gonna lie, sometimes I like the vegetarian way even better.
    • If you don’t have garlic cloves, you can substitute any of the below:
      • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
      • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
      • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
    • You can use reduced fat ricotta or 2% mozzarella to help cut down on the calorie count a little.
    • You can also add Asiago cheese, or substitute the parmesan cheese with it.
    • Want to add a little spice? Add some red pepper flakes to the ground turkey mixture!

    How to store stuffed shells

    Cover your baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or put in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

    How to reheat stuffed shells

    You’ll reheat them the same way you initially baked them – in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through. But this time, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

    Golden cheesy stuffed shells topped with parsley

    Can you freeze stuffed shells?

    You can! After you’ve done all the prep and assembly in your baking dish, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer.

    To thaw, put the dish in the fridge the night before (or the morning of). Then let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then bake according to the recipe instructions.

    Stuffed shells serving suggestions

    • Rosemary Sea Salt Dinner Rolls
    • Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
    • Rosemary Sea Salt Dinner Rolls

    After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!

    A baking dish of golden cheesy stuffed shells topped with parsley

    Ground Turkey Stuffed Shells

    4.94 from 16 votes
    Large pasta shells stuffed to the brim with ground turkey and cheese and covered with tomato sauce and yes, even more cheese! Serve with a basket of addictive cheddar bay biscuits!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 16 large shells
        ✓ Read the recipe from beginning to end
          ✓ Check oven calibration
            ✓ Check expiration dates
              ✓ Properly measure ingredients
                ✓ Check butter temperature

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce, choose your favorite brand, or use homemade
    • 16 jumbo pasta shells
    • 1 pound lean ground turkey
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • 1 large egg
    • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
    • 8 ounces ricotta cheese, or reduced fat ricotta cheese
    • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (or shredded 2% mozzarella cheese)
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
    • Salt and pepper, to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray an 9×12" baking dish with nonstick spray – set aside.
    • Cover the bottom of the baking dish with half the spaghetti sauce (12 ounces' worth). Set aside.
      1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
    • While the oven is warming up, cook pasta al dente according to the directions on the box (typically around 9 minutes). Once cooked, drain and set aside to cool.
      16 jumbo pasta shells
    • In a large pan, cook ground turkey until browned, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir for a minute or two until fragrant. Remove from heat.
      Note: If you don’t have garlic cloves, you can substitute: ½ teaspoon minced garlic,⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, or ½ teaspoon garlic salt.
      1 pound lean ground turkey | 1 clove garlic
    • In a medium bowl, lightly beat one egg. Add the cooked ground turkey, ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Add a little salt and pepper if you’d like, and mix well.
      1 large egg | ¼ cup parsley | 8 ounces ricotta cheese | 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese | ½ cup parmesan cheese | Salt and pepper
    • Using a large spoon, stuff each shell with the ground turkey mixture. It can be kind of tricky, depending on how “curly” your noodles are, but I promise it’s worth it! I usually spoon mixture up under one of the curves and then fill the rest – it seems to be the easiest.
    • As you’re stuffing the shells, place each shell in the glass baking dish. Place them closely together so they don’t tip over.
    • Pour the remaining 12 ounces spaghetti sauce over the shells, then cover in the remaining half of mozzarella cheese.
      1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce | 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
    • Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbling on the top).
    • Serve immediately with a side of garlic bread or cheesy biscuits and enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • Feel free to substitute the ground turkey for ground beef, ground pork, Italian sausage, or shredded chicken. You could also swap in your favorite meat substitute. Or you can remove the meat altogether and add spinach instead! Not gonna lie, sometimes I like the vegetarian way even better.
    • If you don’t have garlic cloves, you can substitute any of the below:
      • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
      • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
      • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
    • You can use reduced fat ricotta or 2% mozzarella to help cut down on the calorie count a little.
    • You can also add Asiago cheese, or substitute the parmesan cheese with it.
    • Want to add a little spice? Add some red pepper flakes to the ground turkey mixture!
    • Storage: Cover your baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or put in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
    • Reheat: You’ll reheat them the same way you initially baked them – in the oven at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through. But this time, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
    • Freezing: After you’ve done all the prep and assembly in your baking dish, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place in the freezer. To thaw, put the dish in the fridge the night before (or the morning of). Then let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, and then bake according to the recipe instructions.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course Dinner, Entree
    Cuisine Italian
    Author Leslie Kiszka
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating!

    Related Posts

    • Thanksgiving Dinner for Two
    • Stuffed Pepper Dip
    • Ground Turkey Baked Rigatoni
    • Essentials for Hosting a Stress-Free Thanksgiving
    • Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread

    More Pasta

    • Air Fryer Pasta Chips (Viral TikTok Recipe)
    • Pesto Pasta Salad
    • Quick and Easy Pantry Pasta
    • Pan Fried Gnocchi and Brussels Sprouts
    Leslie Kiszka in a red dress

    About Leslie

    I'm the hot mess behind every recipe you see here! I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with approachable homemade recipes and a little humor, for good measure.

    learn more about Leslie →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a rating and comment (and always be kind)! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Megan M

      October 27, 2022 at 9:32 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for dinner the other night, followed the entire recipe as-is except I used ground beef instead of ground turkey (maybe a bit more garlic too!) It was delicious! It was a nice weeknight meal to make while enjoying a glass of wine! It kept nice for leftovers as well! Definitely will make a again!

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        October 28, 2022 at 8:23 am

        I love to hear that – thank you for sharing, Megan!

        Reply
    2. Sykes

      October 03, 2022 at 10:10 pm

      5 stars
      I prepared this dish tonight, and my picky daughter devoured her dinner. I get anxious when preparing a new meal for my daughter because she is selective about what she eats. I thank God the ground turkey stuffed shells passed the test. Thanks for posting this receipe.

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        October 04, 2022 at 10:13 am

        So happy to hear this, thanks for coming back to share!

        Reply
    3. Collette

      July 14, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      I didn’t have fresh parsley and used 2 1/2 tablespoon of dried instead and work fine with the recipe.

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        July 15, 2020 at 1:23 pm

        So glad to hear!

        Reply
    4. Tenneh

      April 23, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      5 stars
      Love your recipe! I have been using for years ;) Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        April 24, 2020 at 9:21 am

        That makes me so happy – thanks for coming back to leave a comment and a rating!

        Reply
    5. Susan

      January 11, 2020 at 6:24 pm

      I dont understand the calorie count. Is this for one shell??

      Reply
      • Leslie Kiszka

        January 12, 2020 at 9:13 am

        Correct, but keep in mind it’s roughly calculated by an online calculator.

        Reply
    6. Anonymous

      August 22, 2018 at 9:00 pm

      ** Dished into the shells. Sorry.

      Reply
    7. Anonymous

      August 22, 2018 at 8:59 pm

      Used 3 cloves garlic and 1/4 of an onion in with the turkey while browning.
      Also fished into the shells using tongs. Was very easy to get under both sides of the shell, even on the curlier ones!

      Reply
    8. K

      December 11, 2017 at 8:33 pm

      Made this tonight but didn’t have ricotta and was low on mozzarella. Melted cream cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Romano, some milk, and added red pepper flakes and garlic to make a cheese sauce. Mixed that with the turkey before stuffing and it was amazing! Thanks for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        December 13, 2017 at 12:46 pm

        Sounds like you did a great job with the substitutions!

        Reply
    9. Leslie Haasch

      May 20, 2017 at 3:58 pm

      So glad that you liked it!

      Reply
    10. Alesia

      May 19, 2017 at 8:23 pm

      I added fresh spinach to a pan with diced onions and minced garlic. Added that mixture to thw cheese and ground turkey. Got a store brought sauce that was tomatoe basil. Everything was delish! I would have never thought to add an egg …actually made stuff shells a couple of times before and never added an egg oops. I will be making this here recipe from now on. Thanks!

      Reply
    11. jarrod ellis

      July 06, 2016 at 10:10 pm

      Made it for the family tonightcand they loved it. Used ground turkey instead of ground beef use shredded mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese and shredded parmesan cheese and fresh spinach. Mmmm good????????????????????????

      Reply
    12. rachel ward

      May 02, 2014 at 9:42 pm

      Just made this for dinner. I used 2% small curd cottage cheese instead of the ricotta and sliced parmesan instead of grated. I also added chopped fresh spinach to the mixture. Very delicious! Will be adding this to the recipe book for sure!

      Reply
      • Leslie Haasch

        May 08, 2014 at 1:28 pm

        Mmm sounds delicious – glad you enjoyed it! :)

        Reply
    13. Leslie Haasch

      January 23, 2014 at 8:22 pm

      Oo that sounds great – I’ll have to try that!

      Reply
    14. Anonymous

      January 23, 2014 at 2:51 am

      Wow! I just made these with only mozzarella, but I added three carrots to the sauce and four cloves of garlic mixed in with the turkey. It was life changing! I’ll make this weekly. Thanks :)

      Reply
    15. Leslie Haasch

      September 23, 2013 at 12:26 pm

      That sounds great – glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
    16. Claire Bear

      August 31, 2013 at 3:57 am

      Yum did this tonight except with ground beef really good!! Used nice Italian shredded cheese and broiled till it was golden brown and bubbly! Hubby loved it :> thank you

      Reply
    17. Claire Bear

      August 31, 2013 at 3:56 am

      Yum did this tonight except with ground beef really good!! Used nice Italian shredded cheese and broiled till it was golden brown and bubbly! Hubby loved it :> thank you

      Reply
    18. Leslie Haasch

      August 30, 2013 at 12:40 pm

      That sounds delicious – glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
    19. Anonymous

      August 29, 2013 at 12:29 am

      Thank you for the recipe! Will definitely make this again! Made this tonight, and it was delicious! The hubby loved it too which is always a plus. I did make a couple of small changes though – I added chopped fresh spinach, and I substituted cottage cheese for the ricotta. It turned out really well.

      Reply
    20. Anonymous

      May 03, 2013 at 1:58 pm

      Thanks, look forward to trying this tonight.

      Reply
    21. Leslie Haasch

      May 02, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      They actually were, but I ran out of sauce so I only had about 1/4 of what I needed and you can barely see it in the pictures :) It’s just to keep the shells from sticking to the pan, while adding a bit more flavor than if you were to just spray the pan with non-stick spray. You could also use butter instead!

      Reply
    22. Anonymous

      May 02, 2013 at 4:49 pm

      3) Cover the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish with half the spaghetti sauce. Set aside (read: put it in a timeout).

      What was this sauce used for? It doesn’t appear that the shells were baked in this dish…thanks!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there, I'm Leslie! I use baking as an outlet for relieving stress and anxiety to provide you with approachable homemade recipes and a little humor, for good measure. About Leslie ⟶

    FAN FAVORITES

    • Easy Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
    • The Perfect Banana Bread
    • The Best Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting
    • Copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad

    BAKING BASICS

    • How to Make a Lemon Twist Garnish
    • How to Store Leftover Champagne
    • How to Make Simple Syrup
    • How To Freeze Cookie Dough

    My Favorite Thermometer

    Thermapen ONE

    Footer

    List of different websites that Stress Baking has been featured on

    About

    • What is "stress baking"?
    • Meet Leslie
    • Work With Me

    Disclaimers

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimers

    Resources

    • Recipes
    • Baking Basics
    • Tips & Recommendations
    • Shop my favorites

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for email updates
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
    Blue Stress Baking logo

    Not responsible for computer or phone repairs caused by excessive amounts of drool ;)

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases - see disclaimers.

    COPYRIGHT © 2015-2023 Stress Baking

    3.8K shares