Cheesy Jumbo Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Mmmm....nothing says comfort food like Italian Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells! I am NOT a fan of ricotta cheese, but this recipe may have converted me to one. I adapted this recipe from a Weight Watchers recipe that I found online, but my version is supreme. I substituted half of the ricotta for FF cottage cheese (since I don't love ricotta!) and I doubled the spices in some cases and added a slew of others--it's worth digging through the spice shelf for this one! Because it's a light recipe, you need to give it some kick to keep it flavorful. I also used preseasoned chicken breasts that I found in the frozen food aisle, this is not only a time saver but also enhances the overall flavor of the dish. Enjoy my new favorite!

Cheesy Jumbo Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

12 jumbo, uncooked pasta shells
2 jumbo egg whites
3/4 cup chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water (squeeze the spinach in the plastic bag as hard as you can...excess moisture can ruin it).
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp ground oregano
1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can tomato sauce (I added 1 T garlic, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp parmesan chicken seasoning to this...you could also just buy one jar of seasoned tomato sauce instead )
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 jar marinara sauce, prepared, from the grocery store
1 can (12-15 oz) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion or fire roasted tomatoes (either will work, I used the garlic ones...very tasty!).
8 oz. to 12 oz. chicken breast, seasoned with garlic and herbs, cooked, skinless and diced. (I used 2 chicken breasts, but I think three 4 oz. chicken breasts would be ideal....)
1 1/8 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2/3 cup FF cottage cheese
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Cook jumob pasta shells in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasonings to a small pan over med-high heat. Heat through, simmer on low for at least 5 minutes to blend sauce and seasoning.

Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.

For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder and other seasonings. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 25-30 minutes. Yields 2 shells per serving, serves 6.