Chicken Cannelloni With Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Name: Chicken Cannelloni With Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce
Ingredients: 1 (8-ounce) package cannelloni or manicotti shells; 4 cups finely chopped cooked chicken; 2 (8-ounce) containers chive-and-onion cream cheese; 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained; 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese; 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs; 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper; 2 (7-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers, drained; 1 (16-ounce) jar creamy Alfredo sauce; 1 (3-ounce) package shredded Parmesan cheese; Garnish: chopped fresh basil or parsley

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A fantastic make-ahead meal for when weeknights are just too busy for anything else.

By Southern Living Editors

Updated on April 9, 2023

Chicken Cannelloni with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Servings:

6 to 8

Stuffed cannelloni is one of the most comforting dinners, and it's also one of the fanciest. (But we won't tell anyone else how easy it is).

This recipe for cannelloni is stuffed with chicken, cream cheese, spinach, and mozzarella. To make it fast enough for a weeknight, rotisserie chicken is used, but you could also use leftover chicken or cook your own. Just be sure to shred it well so it's easy to eat inside the pasta.

How To Make Ahead

For quick weeknight solutions, prepare and stuff cannelloni shells. Wrap tightly with wax paper; freeze until ready to serve. Let thaw in the refrigerator. Unwrap and place in a baking dish; top with your favorite supermarket pasta sauce, and bake as directed.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cannelloni or manicotti shells
4 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
2 (8-ounce) containers chive-and-onion cream cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon seasoned pepper
2 (7-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers, drained
1 (16-ounce) jar creamy Alfredo sauce
1 (3-ounce) package shredded parmesan cheese
Garnish: chopped fresh basil or parsley

Directions

Cook cannelloni:

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Make pasta filling:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.
Stuff pasta:

Cut pasta shells lengthwise through the other side. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each shell, gently pressing cut sides together. Place, cut sides down, in 2 lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dishes.
Make roasted red bell pepper sauce:

Process roasted red bell peppers, Alfredo sauce, and Parmesan cheese in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour evenly over stuffed shells.
Bake cannelloni:

Bake, covered, at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish, if desired.