Italian food can be delicious, but it’s not always healthy. But these turkey and veggie stuffed shells are delicious and healthier than traditional stuffed shells. These are only 9 SmartPoints per serving on Weight Watchers, 4 stuffed shells!
I have a severe craving for Italian food often. If you don’t believe me, look at this chicken parmesan recipe or this ziti with grilled chicken – I really can’t get enough. I often crave all kinds of foods, but Italian food is one of my all time favorites. I just can’t get enough. Can you?
I feel like this recipe is like comfort food. It reminds me of growing up and home life (a lot of casserole type recipes make me feel that way). I love that it’s a healthy recipe that uses lean ground turkey instead of beef. I also love that it uses marinara sauce – everything is better with marinara sauce. Am I right?
These things combined make a perfect combination and an awesome portion controlled meal.
This recipe is a little bit more labor intensive than my usual recipes, but it’s so worth the little bit of extra work. I promise!
To make this turkey and veggie stuffed shells recipe:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook the jumbo shells according to the package directions. Once the shells are cooked, drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick skillet to medium heat. Add the lean ground turkey and the garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the oregano and cook until the meat is cooked through. Set aside.
In a large non-stick wok style skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and zucchini and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Once the veggies are cooked, add the seasoned and drained turkey meat. Then add the drained tomatoes. Mix and add the remaining salt and 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce. Mix to combine.
Using a 9×13 Pyrex, add 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan. Then carefully add the meat and veggie mixture to each cooked shell. Add them to the Pyrex pan one by one. Once the pan is filled, sprinkle with the Italian blend cheese.
Add the pan to the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
Turkey and Veggie Stuffed Shells
This recipe is 9 per serving, 4 stuffed shells.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 3 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 medium zucchini finely chopped
- 1 large red pepper chopped
- 15oz can diced tomatoes drained and rinsed
- 1 jar Organic marinara sauce of your choosing
- 4 ounces Italian blend cheeses shredded
- 1 box jumbo shells
Instructions
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Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
-
Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook the jumbo shells according to the package directions. Once the shells are cooked, drain and set aside.
-
Meanwhile, heat a small non-stick skillet to medium heat. Add the lean ground turkey and the garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and the oregano and cook until the meat is cooked through. Set aside.
-
In a large non-stick wok style skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper, and zucchini and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8-10 minutes. Once the veggies are cooked, add the seasoned and drained turkey meat. Then add the drained tomatoes. Mix and add the remaining salt and 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce. Mix to combine.
-
Using a 9x13 Pyrex, add 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan. Then carefully add the meat and veggie mixture to each cooked shell. Add them to the Pyrex pan one by one. Once the pan is filled, sprinkle with the Italian blend cheese.
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Add the pan to the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy immediately.
