It seems like everyone is OBSESSED with protein right now. Watch any amount of foodie Tik Tok and you’ll be assaulted with ways to increase the protein in your meals/snacks/life. One of the ways to do this is via an ingredient I’ve avoided for my entire life: cottage cheese. I remember my Mom would sometimes have containers of it in our fridge, and I think she would eat it with fruit, which I found absolutely revolting, primarily due to the lumps.

But ever since I made those Cheddar Chive Egg Bites, which asks you to blend the cottage cheese until smooth, I realized maybe I could actually get over this food aversion. Since I had a half container of cottage cheese leftover from that recipe, I decided to try these stuffed shells that I also saw on Tik Tok.

I made a few adjustments to the recipe so it would work for me, starting with cutting it in half to make a 8×8″ pan instead of a huge 9×13″ that I’d be eating for a week. I also substituted fresh spinach for frozen as I always have it on hand for smoothies. Finally, I left out the mozzarella cheese entirely as I’m ready to admit I that don’t like (except on pizza).

With all those changes, this worked out perfectly for me! And of course now I have a box of jumbo pasta shells to use up, so I’ll be making this again. I’ll also take any excuse to open a jar of Rao’s, which is the only pasta sauce I ever buy now that you can get it in Canada.

*I know you can barely see the shells in this pic, but I’ll replace it soon! (I was staying at a friend’s and trying to show her my set-up at her table while I watched The Bachelor on my iPad)*

Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Shells

Source: Munchin’ with Maddie

Ingredients

  • 12 jumbo pasta shells
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 1 garlic cloved, minced or grated
  • 1/2 lb ground turkey (I know this is weird, I just used the rest for tacos)
  • 1/2 tsp oregano (or italian seasoning)
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 big handfuls of baby spinach
  • 1 cup cottage cheese (blitzed a bit in a blender if you don’t want it too chunky)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 – 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (Rao’s is top tier, in my opinion there is no substitute)

+ more parmesan for topping

Directions

  1. Cook the shells until al dente, drain and rinse with cold water, and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  3. Add the turkey, oregano, red pepper flakes, plus salt and pepper, and cook until the turkey is cooked through.
  4. Add the spinach, stir, and cook until the spinach wilts down. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a bit.
  5. In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese and parmesan and season with a bit of salt. Add the cooled turkey mixture and stir to combine.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375. Get an 8×8 baking dish out, and spread a later of marinara across the bottom (I like a lot of sauce, so measure with your heart). Use a spoon to stuff the shells with the filling and place into the baking dish. Dollop more marinara over top of the shells, and sprinkle with some extra parm.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes until bubbling and golden around the edges.