Stuffed Shells

I've served this dish many times to company over the years, and it's always been a hit. Since it makes two, 9x13 dishes, you can always bake one for dinner and freeze one for another time. And I have to add that it has much more flavor if you use your own Meat Sauce for Pasta rather than store-bought sauce, (but store-bought is just fine if you're in a pinch).

Here's what you need:

• 1 box (12 oz.) jumbo pasta shells
• 3 c. ricotta cheese
• 2-1/2 c. shredded mozzerella cheese
• 1 c. shredded provolone or other complimentary Italian cheese
• 3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese + extra for sprinkling over the top
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 recipe Meat Sauce for Pasta, or 2 jars of store-bought spaghetti sauce

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Coat the insides of two, 9x13 baking dishes with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook jumbo shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cheeses, eggs, salt, and pepper. Mix well to make the cheese filling.

Strain the cooked pasta shells and organize your workspace so that your baking dishes, shells, cheese filling, and sauce are nearby. Cover the bottom of each greased baking dish with 2 ladlefuls of sauce.

Begin filling your shells. Take a cooked shell in hand and stuff about a 1 Tbsp. of cheese filling inside. I do this by using a teaspoon (not the measuring kind; the kind you would use at the table). I take a heaping spoonful of the filling and push it off the spoon into the shell. (You can also put the filling in a large plastic bag, snip off one end of it, and using it like a piping bag, pipe your filling into each shell.)

Repeat with remaining shells until the baking dishes are full. Shells should be arranged in a single layer.

Top each dish of shells with the remaining sauce. Be generous - it will prevent the shells from drying out. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Serves 8 to 10.

Serve with a Caesar salad and garlic bread for an awesome meal.... enjoy!

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Meat Sauce for Pasta

I honestly can't remember the last time I bought jarred spaghetti sauce. And I'm not trying to sound like a food snob - it's only because my family of picky eaters never cared for it. I tried every brand out there, and neither my husband, nor my kids really liked any of them. So I started experimenting with a can of plain tomato sauce - adding things to it to "doctor it up". I now have two versions of sauce that I use. This one here, which is a deliciously flavorful meat sauce, is perfect for lasagna, stuffed shells (which will be the next recipe coming up), ziti, or just to pour over a bowl of plain pasta. Using two different types of meat gives it a depth of flavor you won't find in jarred sauce, and making it from scratch gives you control over the seasonings.

The other version is a simple, meatless sauce that I use for pizza and meatballs - I will post that recipe in the near future.

Now, I should explain....since my kids are picky eaters and don't like a chunky sauce with lots of veggies in it, I chop my veggies very large. I basically just quarter the onion and pepper, throw them in the pot, and leave them there throughout the whole cooking time. They do a great job of adding flavor and sweetness to the sauce. Then, right before I serve it, I grab my tongs, and fish them out. It's a compromise - we get a sauce with good flavor and some of the nutrients have cooked out of the veggies, but my family doesn't have to deal with the texture they don't like. So, if you don't mind a chunky sauce, by all means, chop your veggies to bite-size and keep them in.

This recipe makes a nice big batch - about 6-1/2 cups or so. It freezes well too, so you can use some now and keep some in the freezer for future use.

Here's what you need:

• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 8 oz. (about 2 to 3 links) of mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cans (28 oz.) tomato sauce (Be sure to use a brand that does not contain any corn syrup, sugar, or other sweeteners.)
• 1/2 c. water to rinse out the tomato sauce cans
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven or large pot and preheat over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, ground beef, sausage, and garlic.

Break up the meat into chunks, but don't move it around too much so that it can brown a bit. Allow the meat to cook through until no longer pink.

Drain off any excess fat. Add the tomato sauce. Rinse each tomato sauce can with about a 1/4 c. water and dump that in the pot as well.

Add the salt and sugar.

Add the Italian seasoning.

Stir all the seasonings into the sauce. Turn heat down to low and allow the sauce to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Using tongs, remove the large pieces of onion and pepper (or leave them in if you prefer a chunky sauce). Use this sauce as a substitute for any jarred spaghetti meat sauce. Yield: 6-1/2 cups.

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Chicken Cheddar Casserole

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I posted.... had a very busy week, and also have had a new (happy) development in my life that's been distracting me a bit.....

Anyway, I just had to post this casserole recipe. I've been making it for years. It's a great one for picky eaters. If you have leftover chicken (or turkey) on hand, this is a great way to use it up. It makes enough for a 9x13 baking dish, but for our small family, I split it into two smaller square casseroles - I bake one for our dinner, and then I freeze the other to have on hand for later. It's a great dish to take to a potluck or to give to a new mom or someone dealing with an illness. I adapted the recipe from the More-With-Less Cookbook, by Doris Janzen Longacre.

Here's what you need:

• 1 box (12 oz.) Farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 5 Tbsp. butter plus 2 Tbsp. butter, divided
• 5 Tbsp. flour
• 1-1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1-1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 c. cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, and place in the bottom of the greased baking dish. Add the cooked chicken and and stir into the pasta.

In a medium saucepan, melt the 5 tbsp. of butter over medium-low heat. Note: feel free to add some chopped onion or pepper in at this point, or some sliced mushrooms, if you prefer. Next, stir in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the milk, chicken broth, dry mustard, salt, and pepper.

Turn heat to medium-high. Stirring constantly, cook until the sauce has thickened. Taste-test and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pour the white sauce over the pasta and chicken, mixing thoroughly so everything is combined. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese, pushing it down into the casserole in places, so you'll have pockets of melty goodness when it bakes.

Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter and mix into the bread crumbs so they are coated well. Sprinkle the buttered bread crumbs over top of the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees, for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serves 8. Enjoy!

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Apricot Coconut Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is such a treat... perfect for a brunch or dessert for company. It's moist, with a ribbon of apricot filling through it, and the topping is a combination of toasted coconut and caramelized brown sugar. Very comforting! Recipe comes from Taste of Home.

Here's what you need:



Cake Ingredients


• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese (or low-fat Neufchatel cheese), softened
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1-1/4 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 can (12 oz.) apricot filling



Topping Ingredients

• 1/3 c. butter, softened
• 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar until fluffy.



Add the eggs, one at a time, beat well after each one. Add milk and vanilla; mix well.



Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Beat just until moistened.

Spread half the batter into the greased baking dish. Then carefully spread the apricot filling over the batter.

Spread the remaining cake batter over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Prepare the topping: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in the coconut.

Spoon the topping over the baked cake. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 12 to 15 servings. Enjoy!

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St. Patty's Day Treats

LEPRECHAUN HATS



IRISH POTATO CANDIES



These St. Patty's Day treat ideas/recipes come from my Mom. She and my daughter spent an afternoon together making these adorable Irish-themed candies. I don't have step-by-step photos, but I'm going to explain how they were made the best I can.

First up are the Leprechaun Hats....
You will need:

• a bag of Rolo candies
• a bag of green chocolate candy melts
• a box of Nilla wafers
• sprinkles
• yellow icing

Note for the local followers: My Mom gets her sprinkles and melts at Bev's Cake & Candy Shop in Whitehall (Fullerton).

So, first unwrap your Rolo candies and put them in the freezer for about an hour to get them nice and cold. Next, melt your green candy melts according to package directions. Dip the Rolos in the melted green candy and place on a cookie sheet to harden/chill in the fridge. While they are hardening, dip the Nilla wafers in the same melted green candy. After you dip each Nilla wafer, lay them FLAT SIDE UP on a cookie sheet. Get your candy-coated Rolos out of the fridge, and while the Nilla wafers are still wet, place a candy-coated Rolo on top of each Nilla wafer, centered. Decorate with sprinkles. Allow to dry/harden. Use the yellow icing to draw around the base of the hat.

Next up are the Irish Potato candies....
You will need:

• a 1lb. box of confectioner's sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 c.) butter, softened (and possibly an extra Tbsp. or 2)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• cinnamon

Combine the above ingredients and knead into a dough. If the dough seems to be cracking and dry, add an additional tablespoon of butter. Depending on the climate in your home, it may be necessary to add up to 2 tbsp. butter to get a good consistency of dough.

Take small amounts of the dough and roll into an egg shape (mini-potato shape). Roll them thoroughly in cinnamon, and that's it! Easy!

Many thanks to my Mom for always taking time to do these fun projects with my kids!