Mexican Stuffed Shells

I always love it when my husband comes home from work and asks if I had blogged about dinner the previous night.  Usually it means he brought leftovers for lunch and all the lady teachers around the table want to either try what he brought or make it themselves!

Such was the case last night when he came home.  I had made these Mexican stuffed shells the night before and sent them for lunch the next day.  They take a little prep, which is why I put them together Sunday afternoon, so that when I got home from work on Monday, all I had to do was add the taco sauce on top and pop them in the oven.

These are a great combination of those infamous Italian stuffed shells and tacos.  The salsa on the bottom combined with the taco sauce on top make the perfect sauce and you control the heat – we use mild everything in our house, but go for the hot stuff it that’s what you like!  And who doesn't like melted cheese.  I topped mine with sour cream and the hubs ate his as-is.

Give these a try and to the ladies at FIS – enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Mexican Stuffed Shells

What You Need:

• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 4 oz. cream cheese (I used 5 wedges of this)
• 18-20 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 ½ c salsa
• 1 c taco sauce
• 1 package shredded Mexican blend cheese

How You Do It:

1. Cook shells according to package.  Drain and let cool.
2. While the shells cook, cook ground turkey in large skillet until no longer pink.
3. Add taco seasoning and required water, and stir to combine.
4. Add cream cheese and incorporate until blended.  Let meat mixture cool.
5. Once shells and meat are cooled, pour salsa in the bottom on a baking dish (I used a 9” square dish)
6. Fill shells with meat mixture and place seam-side-up in dish.
7. Top with taco sauce, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes at 350*.
8. Remove foil and top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Mexican Stuffed Shells recipe adapted from The Way to His Heart.

Stove-Top Mac & Cheese

Alright friends, I know it’s been a while and there has been a lot going on, but I’ve got to share this amazing mac and cheese recipe I made this past weekend for Friendsgiving 2013.

Now, I must start with two points:

1.  I don’t like homemade mac and cheese.  I can’t get the consistency right.  So I just don’t make it.
2. This was a special request from my favorite Shaw.  Otherwise, see point 1.

So, now that’s all out there, I have to admit – this recipe was to die for.  To.  Die.  For.  Yes, I used whole fat milk and whole fat cheese and yes, it was totally worth it.  This recipe is cheesy and gooey and does not solidify and become granular as so many of the other mac and cheese recipes I’ve tried does.

I doubled the original recipe (my version is below with a full pound of pasta) which I totally recommend.  We had 18 people around our Friendsgiving table and this was by far the first thing to go – even before coveted Green Bean Casserole or “Carrot Stuff”.

I made this ahead of time and kept it warm in a slow cooker before our meal and had to add some additional milk to keep it moist and creamy – next year I would do this just before dinner to avoid any chance of drying out and to keep that amazing creaminess this offered.

So when you’re in the mood for some serious (and I mean serious!) cheesy comfort food, try this.  You won’t be sorry.

Stove-Top Mac & Cheese

 

Stove-Top Mac & Cheese

What You Need:

• 1 box (1 lb) elbow macaroni
• 1 stick butter
• 4 eggs
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 1teaspoon hot sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 8-oz blocks sharp yellow cheddar, grated using a box grater
• 1 8-oz block mild yellow cheddar, grated using a box grater

How You Do It:

1. In a large pot, cook the pasta until desired doneness. Drain and return to pot and melt in the butter. Toss to coat.
2. While the pasta cooks, whisk together the eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt & pepper to taste, and mustard. Stir into the drained pasta and mix to combine.
3. Add the cheeses and stir to incorporate and melt
4. Continue to stir over low heat until creamy.

Stove-Top Mac & Cheese recipe adapted from the amazing Alton Brown via FoodNetwork.com.  

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar

Ever go out for dinner and love something so much you search the interweb for hours upon days upon months for the recipe but come up empty-handed?  Well, that’s what I've been doing since April with the hubs and I went back to the Frozen Tundra (aka Wisconsin) to visit my parents for Passover. 

The night before the seder we always go out for dinner because the table is already set for the 30+ people my mother hosts, and this past year we went to a local place – Fratellos.  And what do they serve?  A little bit of everything, but a lot of something: the best White Chicken Chili I've ever eaten. 

Once we got home, back in April, I've been scrubbing every search engine possible to find the secret recipe, but to no avail.  I did, however, come across this gem, which is not the same but pretty close.

The color is there, the texture is there, and the flavor, just about there.  The milk, beans, and cheddar give it the creamy and thickness, and the little cumin really makes the flavor pop. 

I will not give up looking for the original recipe, for now, this will have to do.

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar

 

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar

What You Need:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
• 1 fresh jalapeno, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn
• 2 cans (4 oz each) diced mild green chiles
• 2 c whole milk (I used unsweetened almond milk to cut the fat)
• 1 can (15 oz) navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 c shredded cooked chicken
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 c white aged cheddar cheese, shredded 

How You Do It:

1. Add oil to large pot and sauté onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add cumin, corn, green chiles, milk, and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken and season with salt (not much, if any, the cheese has enough) and pepper.
4. Stir in cheese until blended.

White Chicken Chili with Aged Cheddar recipe adapted from Food Network.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

Do you ever have one of those nights when comfort food sounds like the only thing that will hit the spot but when you think about how many times you'll have to hit the gym to work if off,  you change your mind?

Well this skillet version of chicken pot pie actually isn't so bad.  Combining veggies with chicken, noodles instead of crust, and a low-fat sauce, you've got that comforting chicken pot pie sans pie.  And - it's all done on the stove-top in one pan.  Perfect for a weeknight comfort.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

Skillet Chicken & Noodles

What You Need:

• 1 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 c chicken broth
• 1 can condensed cream of celery soup (I used this)
• 1 package frozen vegetables
• 2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
• 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

How You Do It:

1. Cook chicken and onion in a large skillet with a cover until chicken is browned and onion is tender.
2. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes until noodles are tender and chicken is fully cooked.

Skillet Chicken & Noodles recipe adapted from Pillsbury.com.