After learning all day with Experience Counts, I have learnt to get out my slow cooker so that dinner is ready when I get home. With the weather still being cold, this recipe is perfect for a snowy day. Please enjoy!

Ingredients you’ll need for these Stuffed Shells with Spinach:

The filling for this recipe is super easy to make and the only “work” you’ll need to do because the Crock Pot will do the rest of the work for you. To make these easy crock pot stuffed shells you’ll need the following ingredients.

  • Jumbo Shells – Make sure they are jumbo and not the smaller version, you’ll need plenty of space for the filling because you’ll be stuffing these shells dry so they will not be pliable.
  • Ground Turkey – I used ground turkey for a leaner meat, however you could use ground beef or Italian sausage in this as well.
  • Aromatics – Onion and garlic are key to any italian pasta recipe. 
  • Fresh Spinach – I prefer fresh spinach, however if you have frozen you can use that as well. Just thaw, squeeze out any excess liquid from the spinach and add to the filling.
  • Italian Spices – The key to any good dish is the spices you use for flavor. In these stuffed shells I focus on the Italian spices like oregano, parsley, basil and garlic powder. As always, make sure you have salt and pepper on hand to season as well.
  • Ricotta Cheese – This adds such a nice creamy element to the shells. If you don’t like ricotta you could sub with cottage cheese or cream cheese.
  • Marinara Sauce – I like to use two different brands of marinara sauce because each brand has a different flavor. (For this recipe I used Muir Glen & Raos Marinara)
  • Mozzarella Cheese – Is it an Italian dish if it’s not covered in cheese? I think not. You’ll need shredded mozzarella to finish this dish at the last 5 minutes of cooking.

What to do: 

  1. Sauté Turkey & Spinach. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add avocado oil and diced onions. Cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Next add in the ground turkey. Cook turkey until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the fresh spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
  2. Make Filling. In a large bowl add ricotta cheese, turkey spinach mixture, oregano, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to combine everything.
  3. Stuff Shells: Stuff each jumbo shell with spinach turkey ricotta mixture. I like to use a small spoon for this part.
  4. Layer Crock Pot with Prepared Shells: Add 3 cups of marinara sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker. Place 14 stuffed shells on top of the sauce. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce over shells. Top with remaining stuffed shells and finish with the rest of the sauce.
  5. Cook in Crock Pot: Cover slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 until shells are cooked and tender.
  6. Top with Mozzarella: When shells are cooked sprinkle mozzarella cheese over shells. Wait 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley. Serve!