Crockpot French Onion Stuffed Shells are the twist on an Italian classic you didn't know you needed. It tastes just like the soup!
Forgive us for a moment, as we crow about the genius of this meal prep recipe. It's going to make your house smell like French onion soup, but with a pasta-oriented vibe! And it comes together with lots of onions. We mean lots of them! A combination of several cheese—ricotta, Gruyere, and Parmesan—make it even better. Trust us when we say that you've never had stuffed shells quite like these! The onions soften as everything slow cooks and the chicken stock you pour into the pot helps cook the shells. It's genius, we tell ya!
Crockpot French Onion Stuffed Shells Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 3 large sweet onions
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pats
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 4 cups spinach sauteed, optional
- 2 cups mushrooms sauteed, optional
- 1 tsp garlic powder, optional
How to Make Crockpot French Onion Stuffed Shells Meal Prep
Ok, so this is a tad on the atypical side when it comes to making stuffed shells. You layer onions and butter on the bottom, add some chicken stock, and then layer the stuffed shells, uncooked. Those stuffed shells you've stuffed with a combination of ricotta, Gruyere, Parmesan, an egg (of course) and some seasonings. And then the cheese. Oh, the cheese. Let it go for a while in your slow cooker. When it's almost done, add in more mozzarella cheese, the heavy cream, and then the breadcrumbs. And then in another half hour or so, it's ready!
There's one optional aspect of this dish, and it's easy if you want to add it on. It involves sauteeing mushrooms and spinach in a little olive oil and garlic powder. It makes for a great side that works really well with the French onion stuffed shells. But feel free to skip it if it doesn't speak to you!
How to Store and Serve French Onion Stuffed Shells
These meal prep great! Just transfer to meal prep containers and seal them tightly. Keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave or in a moderate oven (about 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes) until totally heated through.
If you're going to skip the mushrooms and spinach as the side dish, we recommend something like green beans, broccoli, or even Brussels sprouts. Or if you can't be bothered to actually cook something to go with it, just throw together a great salad with some baby spinach, red onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a red wine vinaigrette and you are good to go. Crusty bread? Optional, but never a bad idea when it comes to a pasta dish!
Substitutions for French Onion Stuffed Shells
Well, it's a slow cooker recipe, which means you're a bit limited in what you can swap out. However, you could change a couple of things. You could use a different kind of pasta, like manicotti. Or you could use Romano cheese instead of Parmesan. But you'll need the ricotta (although cottage cheese might work, since this particular cheese seems to be having a moment), along with the mozzarella. You can use water instead of chicken stock, but it won't be as flavorful. But it will still work. Just don't change the amount. That's important.
Feel free to sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over the top of this dish before serving. It will perk everything up and balance some of the savory richness of the stuffed shells.
You'll want sweet onions if at all possible. If you can't find those, we recommend red onion, because it's a little sweeter than yellow onions. But the sweet onions make this whole thing just come together perfectly.
More Awesome Pasta Dishes to Meal Prep!
- Low Carb Lasagna Meal Prep
- Eggplant Lasagna
- One Pot Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
- Slow Cooker Beef Ragu Pasta Meal Prep
- 20 Minute Chicken, Lemon and Broccoli Pasta Skillet
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 12 ounces jumbo pasta shells
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese grated
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 large sweet onions thinly sliced
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into pats
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese divided
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 4 cups spinach sauteed, optional
- 2 cups mushrooms sauteed, optional
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder optional
Instructions
- Combine ricotta cheese, gruyere cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, and seasoning in a small bowl. Spoon into raw pasta shells.
- In the crockpot place the onions and cover with chicken broth and butter slices. Line with the stuffed shells, layering as needed.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese, cover with lid, and cook on high 3-4 hours or low 5-6 hours.
- With the last remaining 20 minutes of cooking, add in the cream, stir to combine, and top with ½ cup mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Sautee garlic powder, mushrooms, and spinach in a skillet over medium heat, if using, and place in the side compartments of meal prep containers.
- Into the main compartment of the meal prep container, place stuffed shells and garnish with parsley, if desired.
