Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells

1 box of jumbo pasta shells
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 15oz tub of ricotta
1 cup of shredded mozzarella
1 egg
1 packet of fresh chives
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 cups chopped spinach
salt and pepper


1.  Preheat over to 350
2.  Cook the shells in boiling water for 10 minutes.  Drain and let them cool.
3.  In a bowl, mix together ricotta, mozzarella, and egg.
4.  Add about 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and the rest of the seasonings, the chopped spinach and chives.
5.  Line casserole dish with 1/3 of the marinara sauce.
6.  Stuff the shells with a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta and place in the dish.
7.  Once all shells have been stuffed, pour the rest of the sauce on top of the shells.
8.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

I used a small ice cream scoop to fill them!  It was so easy!
I left out the spinach because the rest of the family doesn't care for it.  I also topped my shells off with some mozzarella before I put the foil on!

Served with bread sticks and green beans!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

I have been searching for a great broccoli and cheese soup.  I love Panera's broccoli and cheese soup!   I think it is probably my favorite, right up there with Jason's Deli.  I am picky when it comes to this kind of soup and have tried many awful versions.  For instance, the pins on Pinterest who claim it taste like Panera's are nuts!  Have you tried Panara's because they taste nothing alike?!?!  
I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest and thought I would try one more before giving up and only going out for Broccoli and Cheese Soup.  I have to say, this still is not as good as Panera or Jason's Deli, but it is pretty darn good.  Good enough, I would make it again for my family or company!  
Which my poor family has been suffering though some pretty poor meals lately while I try out some new recipes...  I am glad this one was a success for them too!
So here is goes...

Broccoli and Cheese Soup
JVW Home

half cup green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno deseeded, chopped
1 whole white onion, choppped
2 Tablespoons butter (you can use olive oil instead)
1 can cream of celery
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups milk
1lb Veleveeta Cheese, cubed
1 8oz pkg sharp grated cheddar cheese
1 chicken boullion cube
1 bunch fresh broccoli (or 10oz pkg frozen chopped broccoli)

1.  In a large soup stockpot, in some butter or olive oil, saute the green pepper, jalapeno, onion, celery, and broccoli until tender.  
2.  In the same pot, cover this mixture with the soup, 1 soup can of water, milk, boullion cube, and cheeses.  Simmer for about 30 minutes.
3.  With a handheld stick blender, puree this mixture.  Then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes more.  
4.  You can garnish with a sprinkling of fresh chives or parsley if you like.

I did not follow these instructions...
1. I did #1 and sauted everything is says to.  
2.  Then I put the mixture into a crock pot and then poured the soup, water, milk, boullion cube, and cheese in over them and then mixed them together.  
3.  I cooked the soup for about 4 hours.
4.  Then I poured the mixture into my blender (since I don't have a handheld stick blender) and pureed the soup.  
5.  Then I placed the soup back into the crock pot and served.

This was perfect with a loaf of french bread!

My four year old did all of the chopping except for the jalapeno!  My 6 year old loves to dip her saltines in and pretend it is dip!  Whatever it takes to get them to eat it!

4 Ingredient Pizza Bake

Kid Favorite!
Here is a new Pinterest recipe we tried today!  It actually tasted good!!!  The kids loved it!  (My oldest told me it tasted like it come from a restaurant...  Not quite, but if she will eat it that is all that matters!)

4-Ingredient Pizza Bake
Betty Crocker

2 pouches (7.5oz each) Bisquick Complete buttermilk biscuit mix
1 cup water
1 jar pizza sauce
1 package sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375.  Spray 13x9 inch glass dish with cooking spray.  
In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and water until soft dough forms. 
Drop half of the dough by spoonfuls evenly in bottom of baking dish.  (dough will not completely cover bottom of dish)
Drizzle about 1 cup pizza sauce over dough.  Arrange 1/2 of the pepperoni slices over sauce. Top with 1 cup of the cheese.  
Repeat layers with remaining dough, sauce, pepperoni, and cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into squares to serve. 

We did 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 cheese, due to the picky eater...   However, you could use your favorite toppings instead of pepperoni.  Sausage, green pepper, onion, hamburger, olives would be good too!

We had this with a salad...  This was also an easy recipe to have the kids help!

Million Dollar Spaghetti

This recipe has been all over Pintrest and so I thought I would try it out...  I have a recipe I have used in the past, Spaghetti Pie (one this blog), which is very similar to this recipe.  But I have to say, Million Dollar Spaghetti has it beat!   This recipe does call for cottage cheese, however, you do not taste it.  So those of you who turn up your nose at recipes with cottage cheese, I would still try it.  You will be surprised!

Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb of ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
8 oz of cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 lb cottage cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 pkg spaghetti
Grated cheddar cheese (I prefer mozzarella instead...)

Preheat oven to 350.  Boil spaghetti noodles until al dente (firm).  Drain and set aside until ready to assemble.
Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese until will blended.
Brown hamburger and when done, drain well.  Combine hamburger with spaghetti sauce.

Assemble:
Put a few slices of butter into a 9x13 pan and then pour half of your spaghetti on top. (I did not use butter when I made this.)
Take your cream cheese mixture and spread on top of noodles.
Pour the rest of the noodles on top of the cream cheese.  The recipe says to put more slices of butter on these noodles...  I omitted the butter...  This person must be related to Paula Dean!
Pour your spaghetti sauce/hamburger mixture over the noodles.
Put in the oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, sprinkle the desired amount of grated cheese on top and return to oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

We had this with garlic toast and green beans.

This would also be a great meal to take to a friend!

Feeding a Crowd

Football play offs...  I love college football, not a fan of the NFL...  This is the time of the year when I feel like football season is never going to end!  My husband is a Colts fan...  And once that is over, we still have basketball going on...  

With football comes friends and family...  I can't let them go hungry!  I love entertaining our friends and family!!!!

If you need some sides that work great for a crowd.  Here are two!!!

Cheesy Corn~     Crowd Favorite!

1 can sweet corn

1 can cream corn

1 cup Velveeta cheese

1 cup macaroni (I use small shells, but you can use whatever you have)

1 stick of butter

Mix together ingredients.  Cook for 45 minutes-1 hour at 350.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Recipe from Sippity Sup

5 lbs russet potatoes

10 slices bacon (can omit if you prefer), divided

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/4 c chives, minced

2 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated, divided

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch chunks.  Place in a large sauce pan and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a colander to drain, return to pan, cover, and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until crisp and browned.  Transfer to paper towels to drain, let cool and crumble into pieces.

3.  Using a fork, mash the potatoes in pan until light and fluffy.  Add the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream and stir until combined and smooth.  Add the chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half the bacon, salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined. 

4.  Transfer to a buttered 3 qt dish.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.  Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and garnish with remaining bacon.  Serve immediately.  

Chicken Lazone

Happy New Year!!!!  With the holidays and traveling, my family is tired of eating out!  You know you have ate out too much when nothing sounds good on the menu in front of you when sitting down to eat at a restaurant! There is nothing like a home cooked meal!  And I am not talking about the frozen crap that looks like you may have made it from scratch! We are getting back to eating at home!  

I have not hit the grocery store since before Christmas, so I am trying to use up what we have around here.  The thought of going shopping just hasn't appealed to me after the holidays.  However, we are down to about nothing so I know what I will be doing this weekend...  

Here is a new one I tried (I actually had all the ingredients for...)  and the family said to keep it in rotation!

Chicken Lazone

plainchicken.com

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 lbs chicken tenders

1/4 cup butter, divided

2 cups heavy cream

Combine salt, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.  Sprinkle over both sides of chicken tenders.

In large saute pan, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken tenders until done, about 8 minutes.

Pour the cream and remaining butter into the skillet.  Lower heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.  Serve chicken and sauce over pasta or mashed potatoes.

I served this over linguine and with garlic bread!

I have found many new recipes to try this year and I am looking forward to sharing the ones worth making!!!

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one meal my husband has missed since marrying me.  I am not a fan of meatloaf, mostly because I do not like ketcup, therefore, I never made it.  So when I came across this recipe, I thought I might as well give it a try...  I like every ingredient that goes in, so it couldn't taste all that bad.  
It turned out great!  I made some mashed potatoes and corn to go with it.   
Great meal=Happy Husband!  

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

Prep Time:10 minutes  Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes  Makes: 8 servings

What you need:
2 lbs ground beef
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing for Chicken (I use low sodium)
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce, divided

Make it:
Heat oven to 375
Place meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs, and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce in bowl.
Mix just until blended.
Shape into loaf in 13x9 inch baking dish.
Top with remaining barbecue sauce.
Bake 1 hour or until done.