Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Spinach Recipe After taking the photo for our sausage stuffed shells recipe, I scrambled into the kitchen to grab plates, knifes, forks and napkins — you know, like any normal person would do before sitting down to have a nice meal with their husband. Just as I was leaving the kitchen, I realized something. I left the shells with Adam. Alone. How he did it, I’m not sure, but in the time it took me to go to the kitchen, grab our supplies and get back to him, he had finished at least half of the shells. Being someone who likes to look on the bright side of life, that made me think the recipe was a success and as Adam mentioned to me just after his last stuffed shell, hey, maybe we can say these are finger food! So, there you go. How to make Our Sausage Stuffed Shells Recipe with Spinach Our stuffed shells recipe is pretty simple. Now, on to the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Pour in a can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.
Creamy Caprese Pasta Sigh. It’s Monday. I know. You probably don’t have a smile on your face. Maybe you woke up 35 minutes late and couldn’t wash your hair. That only means one thing. Mondays are for grown ups. But I have some good news! Monday just got a whole lot more tolerable. Shucks… I sort of like Monday now. So – the pasta! Am I gonna give it up or what? Creamy Caprese Pasta serves 4-6 1 pound whole wheat pasta (noodles such as penne work best) 1 cup of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce 1/3 cup heavy cream or half and half 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for garnish 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes 1 pint of grape tomatoes (I cut some in half and left some whole) 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While pasta is cooking, heat tomato sauce over low heat in a large saucepan. Top with additional fresh basil and grated cheese. Take that Monday.
Summer Corn Chowder Ingredients 8 ears fresh sweet yellow corn, husked and silks removed and kernels cut from cob 3 Tbsp butter 5 slices bacon, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces 1 medium yellow onion chopped (1 1/2 cups) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 clove garlic, minced 5 cups water 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1 bay leaf Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup half and half 1 Tbsp honey 2 - 3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving (optional) Directions Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the flour and garlic and cook 1 1/2 minutes. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, then stir in corn kernels and potatoes. Remove bay leave then transfer 2 1/2 cups of the chowder to a blender and blend until smooth.
Meatless Monday: California Sandwich Tomato sandwiches have owned me this summer. It started with my mother-in-law’s visit, just before our big Independence Day family reunion. The reunion stretches across two meals, so everyone brings enough food for lunch and dinner. Pretty much perfect. But that didn’t stop me from tinkering with them. First, I traded the white bread for whole grain. And then, it was pretty obvious that my classic Southern party sandwich had gone Californian. Feel free to put your own mark on this sandwich. With a little imagination, you can pimp that tomato sandwich to satisfy just about any craving. Perfect for the last few weeks of summer.
Party Food! Pizza in a Bite October 20th, 2008 by katie Getting together to watch a game? Or maybe watching a different sort of game? Pizza bites are awesome party food. This recipe makes three trays which means you can pop them in the freezer and always have a quick appetizer on hand. Although, they are usually so popular that you’ll wind up baking all three trays in one night! Pizza Bites 2 recipes pizza dough (or 2 cans refrigerated pizza dough)8 oz block mozzarella cheese4 oz thin sliced pepperoni2 tsp Italian seasoning (combine oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic)1/4 cup olive oil3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheesepizza or marinara saucePrepare pizza dough and roughly chop pepperoni. I used to use the refrigerated pizza doughs for this recipe, but I actually find the homemade dough far easier to work with. Basic Pizza Dough 1 pkg active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp loose yeast)1 cup warm water1 tbsp olive oil1 tsp salt2 3/4 cup flourCombine yeast and warm water, stir to dissolve.Add oil, salt, and flour.
Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells When I'm in my cooking 'zone', creative juices tend to flow and I start throwing random things together so nothing goes to waste. This recipe is a result of using up leftover ingredients I had from other dishes I prepared for the freezer. I figured chicken, pesto and cheese would work with pasta fairly well and so I hoped for the best. I come from the school that any good tasting filling is versatile in different applications, whether it be stuffed into baked dough, layered or stuffed with pasta or even used as a pizza topping. This dish came about after realizing I had quite a few leftovers of pesto, cooked and shredded chicken, various cheesse and jumbo pasta shells. Pesto Chicken Stuffed Shells original Joelen recipe In a large pot over high heat, boil water and prepare pasta shells as directed on package. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, except the 1/4 cup of cheese for the topping.
Cheeseburger Paradise Soup Cheeseburger Paradise Soup Ingredients 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 small carrot, grated 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 2 tablespoons chopped seeded jalapeno pepper 3 cups water 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 pounds ground beef 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms 2 tablespoons butter 5 cups 2% milk, divided 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 package (16 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed Directions In a Dutch oven, bring the first nine ingredients to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Garnish with bacon.
Make pizza without dough I don’t really know why I’m hogging all my fashion posts, just don’t feel like posting them right now. Last week I was running back and forth between my desk and my kitchen. I was debating whether or not to just call for pizza- ugh- pizza…again? Just as I was reluctantly about to call for pizza (dominos thin crust …shriek……too..much..salt), I saw all these potatoes lying around and suddenly I had an idea to make a potato pizza…I love pizza but I was also getting tired of it. Here is a shot of all the toppings I’m going to use for each of the pizzas. For the crust, I placed a potato through a cutter, the result is a fine angel-hair like texture. Place the potatoes on a hot pan with oil: Top with cheese, sauce, and pepperoni. The potato crust should be very crispy and golden brown: Following the same exact concept/process displayed above, I also set up 3 other toppings for smaller pizzas: mushroom ham and swiss, shrimp scampi, and bleu cheese pear and arugula. Ham, swiss, and mushroom:
White Cheddar Chicken Pasta Do you stand in front of your closet thinking I have nothing to wear even though its full of clothes? I do this all.the.time. It drives my husband crazy because my closet seems like clothes are exploding from it half the time and my dresser drawers are way too full when all the laundry is clean. Its frustrating to him, but he does the same thing when he looks through the kitchen, he always says there is nothing to eat. Its true that I keep very few packaged foods on hand these days; there is usually a box of crackers and some granola bars for lunches but other than that, its pretty much pantry staples. Not exactly nothing to eat, but since he doesn't cook, he doesn't see the potential. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it much easier to always have something to make for dinner. For this pasta dish, the sauce is a simple cheese sauce, similar to any macaroni and cheese recipe, started with a roux made with flour and butter. White Cheddar Chicken Pasta
Linguine with Garlicky Bread Crumbs With My Husband away on a business trip for a few days this week, I kept the cooking simple. Often letting the boys choose their dinner, thankfully, a vegetable was always chosen as part of the meal since they both have been learning about eating healthy foods. I don't always indulge my little men, but with Daddy away I thought I'd be extra nice to them - and, it doesn't hurt that their desires are simpler than what I normally make. I must admit that I am a pasta lover. I have managed to acquire a taste for whole wheat pastas, even though my family has not fully taken to them. So, what did I make you might be asking? My Oldest didn't care for it, but the garlic flavor was perhaps a bit much for his taste. Now, if you are in the mood for some pasta creations, you may want to check out these ideas: Good Things Catered made a Spicy Garlic Herbed Pasta that is a simple side dish for any night of the week.
Best Tomato Soup Ever Ingredients 1 medium white or yellow onion 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes One 46-ounce bottle or can tomato juice 3 to 6 tablespoons sugar 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base, or 3 chicken bouillon cubes Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup sherry, optional 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Directions To begin, dice the onion. Now dump in the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Next - and this is important - in order to combat the acidity of the tomatoes add 3 to 6 tablespoons of sugar. Next, add 1 or 2 tablespoons chicken base to the pot. Now you can add lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add in the sherry if desired. Serve the soup warm!