Italian Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shells is a recipe that's always intimidated me for some reason but tonight, I took the plunge. And found out that it's very simple to make! So, for everyone else that may want to follow suit, here's the recipe:

1 lb ground turkey

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Large shell pasta (I ended up filling about 13 so adjust the recipe as needed)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1-2 cups mozzarella, shredded

1 jar spaghetti sauce 

Preheat oven to 350. Brown your ground turkey & add all the seasonings. Once it's browned and drained of grease, add 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan & cook on low. In the meantime you should boil your shells until they're al dente, or not quite all the way tender. Drain your pasta and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Remove your meat mixture from heat and fill each shell with a tbsp of mozzarella & a tbsp of meat, until stuffed. Do each shell this way and lay them, open side up, in a baking dish. Once all your shells are stuffed, pour the remaining sauce over them and bake for about 15-20 minutes to finish softening the shells & melting the cheese. Serve with garlic bread, salad or side(s) of your choice. Enjoy! 

Turkey Lasagna

I love a good lasagna but I've laid off of it for the last 6 months or so while trying to eat healthy. I couldn't resist any longer. The changing of the weather makes me want to eat hearty casseroles and soups and I've learned it's best to not deny yourself a craving. I did however make a couple tweaks to make this healthier than any lasagna I've made in the past. I made this in an 8x12 pan but you could make it in a more common 9x13 by adding 2 more lasagna noodles and 1/4 cup more cheeses. 

6 Dreamfields brand low-carb lasagna noodles (you could also do whole wheat)

1 lb ground turkey

1 can spaghetti sauce 

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup mozzarella 

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp italian seasoning

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper to taste 

Bring lasagna noodles to a boil and cook until almost done. Brown your ground turkey in a skillet with onions. Drain any grease and then add seasonings. Pour just enough spaghetti sauce over the meat to coat it. Combine ricotta, Parmesan and cottage cheeses and whisk together. 

In a greased baking dish put down 3 lasagna noodles followed by a layer of spaghetti sauce, cheese and meat mixtures. Lay down 3 more noodles and repeat the layers. Spread out mozzarella over the top, cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove the tin foil and set your broiler to low to brown the cheese. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. This should take no longer than 3-5 minutes. Serve with salad and/or garlic bread and enjoy! 

Italian Meatballs

I'm a fan of convenience, as I'm sure most of you are as well. I'm also a fan of my crockpot. If something can be made in the crockpot, that will be the method of cooking that I use. Thursdays in the late summer/fall mean soccer practice in our household, so tonight I decided we would have meatball subs to fill the small void between school letting out and soccer practice beginning. This is an embarrassingly easy "recipe" but here goes...

1 package of frozen Italian meatballs

1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used garlic and Parmesan)

Garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste 

Mix everything together in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve on hoagie buns with melted provolone or over pasta. So simple and so delicious. I love it when an easy recipe comes together to taste as if I've really put a lot of effort into it. All 3 members of the male species in my household, including one very picky one, were satisfied. Enjoy!