I think these pictures look kind of gross, but the shells tasted pretty good. I think I really need to stop cooking with frozen spinach though. I just don’t like it and I think it adds a watered-down flavor to anything I add it to. I think that if I took the spinach out of this recipe, I would have liked it much, much more. There was nothing wrong with them and they tasted good, just slightly watered down.
Cheesy Chicken Shells Makes 4 servings – 9 WW Points each
Ingredients
12 shell(s) uncooked jumbo shells 1 1/2 cup(s) canned tomato sauce 2 medium egg white(s), lightly beaten 1 3/4 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese 4 oz chicken breast, cooked, skinless, diced 3/4 cup(s) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tbsp ground oregano, or other Italian seasoning 3/4 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded 1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cook manicotti shells in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.
Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.
For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, ricotta cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder and seasoning. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into manicotti shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 30 minutes. Yields 3 shells per serving.