Stuffed Shells

https://www.365daysofbakingandmore.com/baked-stuffed-shells/

20 jumbo pasta shells 6 ounces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

½ pound ground beef

24 ounces pasta sauce or homemade meat sauce

15 ounces ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella divided

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350⁰ F, and prepare a 9 X 13-inch baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray.

Cook pasta shells according to package directions.

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and warm over medium heat.

Sautée the garlic and onion until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until brown.

Pour in the pasta sauce and simmer on low until ready to use.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Mix well.

Place 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

Fill each shell with the filling and place into the baking dish.

Pour remaining meat sauce over the shells and cover the pan with tin foil.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove tin foil and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the shells. Return to oven to bake uncovered for another 5 - 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

THE Best Honey Butter

8 oz butter, room temp

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Mix together & enjoy!

Creamy Chicken & Veggies

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

4-5 potatoes, cubed 

1 lb baby carrots 

1 onion, diced 

14 oz chicken broth

Sour cream mixture: 

1 c sour cream

3 T flour

⅛ t black pepper

1 t. salt

1 t. crushed thyme or rosemary

1 t. dried parsley

Place chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions & broth in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high for 3-4 hrs. Add sour cream mixture & cook 15 min more to heat through & thicken. 

Instant pot directions:

Place chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions & broth in instant pot. Cook on high pressure for 23 min. Release pressure. Stir in sour crram mixture & cook for a few minutes on sauté mode until thickened. 

Serve with Jumbo Dinner rolls

Serves 8-10 adults 

Creole Style Jambalaya

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 lb. chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 lb. Andouille sausage sliced into ¼-inch discs
• 2 Tablespoons creole seasoning divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 3 celery stalks diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
• 1 bunch green onions chopped (separate white and green parts)
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice rinsed well (basmati or jasmine will work)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp peeled and deveined and tails removed
• parsley chopped, for sprinkling on top

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thigh chunks and andouille sausage. Season with 1 tablespoon of the creole or cajun seasoning, and a little salt, and pepper, then cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until browned. Transfer to a clean plate and set aside.
• Add remaining tablespoon of oil and saute the onion, green pepper, red pepper, celery, and white parts of the green onion. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (all the flavor!), until softened.
• Add the garlic, remaining creole or cajun seasoning, remaining salt and pepper, thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Saute for another minute.
• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, rice, and bay leaves. Stir well.
• Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every five minutes until nearly done.
• Add the shrimp, cooked chicken, and sausage, back into the pot during the last 5 minutes when the rice is close to being done. The shrimp should finish cooking while the rice finishes off so it's all done at the same time.
• Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and the green parts of the chopped green onions before serving.

Notes

• If you can't find Andouille sausage, sometimes called cajun sausage, kielbasa or Mexican chorizo are decent alternatives that are widely available.
• Will keep in fridge for 4 days.

THE best Quiche

Recipe adapted from: www.plainchicken.com

1 cup diced ham, bacon or cooked breakfast sausage or a mixture of each.

2- oz cream cheese

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup mozzarella or colby jack cheese, shredded

1 green onion, chopped

¼ tsp hot sauce, optional

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp sour cream

1 cup heavy cream

5 eggs

1 (9-inch) deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

If using ham, heat in skillet for 3 to 5 minutes to remove moisture. Remove from heat.

If using bacon, cook 1 lb & crumble. 

If using sausage, cook ½ lb until browned. Drain off grease.

Combine meat, cream cheese, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Add cheeses, green onion, eggs, sour cream and heavy cream. Pour into pie crust.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until set.

Chicken & Dumplings

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken

6-8 cups chicken broth

2 cups flour

2 Tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. baking powder

salt to ttast- I just shake some in

¾-1 cup of milk

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. Roll the dough out ⅛-¼" thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your pizza cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″.

Use a floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings. 

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they're not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done!