With a few minutes prep, slow cook a dish everyone will think you spent hours slaving in the kitchen for

For an Italian feast that is sure to impress, look no further than this outstanding recipe for slow cooker stuffed shells. This brilliant dish is so easy, you'll wonder how you managed to go so long without it! In this delicious recipe, four different cheeses are mixed with savory basil pesto and stuffed into dreamy pasta shells before being cooked to perfection in the comfort of your own slow cooker.

Stuffed shells are one of those dishes that can often seem prep-heavy, requiring more ingredients than we care to use in one dinner. But with this slow cooker adaptation, you can prepare your own extravagant stuffed shell dinner in under 20 minutes, leaving it to cook away as you go about your day.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

10 to 15 large pasta shells, cooked according to package
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
12 ounces ricotta cheese
6 ounces cottage cheese
6 ounces powdered Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pesto (store-bought)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Pour half the jar of tomato sauce into the bottom of your slow cooker.

2. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, pesto, salt and pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the cooked pasta shells, and place the filled shells on top of the sauce in the slow cooker.

3. Pour the remaining half jar of tomato sauce over the shells and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours.

Pro tip: Add some secret greens to this recipe by chopping up 2 cups of fresh or frozen baby spinach and mixing it in with the cheese filling. The kids won't even realize that they're eating their daily dose of veggies!