a baking dish of jumbo shells stuffed with cheese with a warm brown baked cheesy topping

The Farmhouse Kitchen: Teach Them When Nobody's Looking

Cheese Stuffed Jumbo Shells

By Vicki Leach

September 2025

Makes 30 cheese stuffed shells — serves 10 to 12 folks

Ingredients

For Filling

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
4 eggs
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder

For Shells

1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 box jumbo pasta shells (I like 12-ounce boxes)
4-6 cups pasta sauce, homemade or your favorite store brand (2(two) 24-ounce cans of Hunt’s spaghetti sauce works well)

Directions

Mix cheeses, eggs, herbs, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.

Cook pasta shells in a gallon of boiling water to which 1 tablespoon of salt has been added. Cook al dente, or according to package directions. Drain.

Spray 2 casserole dishes that will hold 15 shells and a can of sauce each. Spray with pan spray and spread 24 ounces evenly across the bottom of each.

Stuff each shell with a scant ¼ cup of cheese mixture. A portion/cookie scoop works well here. Nestle the stuffed shells into the pasta sauce. Bake at 375 degrees, covering with foil for the first 20 minutes or so; uncover and continue to cook for 20 minutes to 30 minutes more — until the cheese mixture is done and tomato sauce is bubbly.