One-Pot Mac & Cheese

Why dirty two pans making a cheese sauce and boiling noodles separately, when you can do it in one?  This is an easy weeknight meal, done in about 20 minutes!  Add in your favorite protein, veggies, and/or seasonings!

Enjoy!

One-Pot Mac & Cheese

2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
3 Cups Water
4 Cups Milk
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Ground Mustard
4-5 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan
1 lb Elbow Macaroni

Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat.  Add flour, stir to combine, & cook for 1-minute.  Then, slowly whisk in 1 cup of the water until smooth & beginning to thicken.  Gradually pour in remaining water & milk - stirring until smooth/well combined.  Add in salt, garlic powder, ground mustard, & give a good stir.  Stir in uncooked macaroni noodles, continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just reaches a simmer.  Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain simmer, continue cooking until the pasta is done al-dente (approximately 8-10 minutes - don't overcook pasta).  Remove from heat, stir in cheeses until melted.  Add additional salt & pepper to taste.  Serve immediately.

Notes:  Freshly shredded cheese is worth the effort for smooth sauce (already shredded cheese has a stabilizer that can make your sauce grainy).  Save time & grate cheese while the noodles are cooking.  Any combo of cheese can be used!  Cheddar is a staple, but Swiss, Gouda, and many others are wonderful too!

Zesty Stuffed Shells

Stuffed shell recipes seem to be a "dime-a-dozen" around places like Pinterest and the internet in general.  I love stuffed shells and when I came across this recipe, I just had to try my own version of it.  My own misinterpretation of the amount of red pepper flakes the recipe called for caused ours to have a little extra heat, but what is listed below should be just right (because three little tornadoes around my ankles wouldn't distract me at all while I'm cooking dinner)!  Even with the added heat, my kids ate right up and I'm sure yours would too! This meal was meant for a 9x13" pan, but I split the recipe into 2-8x8" pans - one got put in the oven and the other in the freezer for another night.  I absolutely loved the addition of lemon zest in this recipe!  We will definitely be enjoying this version of stuffed shells again!

Enjoy!

Zesty Stuffed Shells

Zest of 1 Lemon
1 Box Jumbo Pasta Shells (at least 25-30 shells)

Sauce:
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3/4 Tsp Fine Sea Salt
4 Cloves Garlic, minced or finely chopped
1 - 28 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 - 14 oz Can Crushed Tomatoes

Filling:
1 - 15oz Container Ricotta
1 Egg, beaten
1/4 Tsp Fine Sea Salt
2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella, divided
3 Tbsp Chopped Chives

Oil a 9x13" pan (approximately 1 tbsp olive oil) and sprinkle with 1/2 the lemon zest, set aside.  Start a large pot of water boiling for the shells and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the shells al dente in well salted water according to package directions.  Do not over-cook or they will tear while you are trying to fill them.  Let cool long enough to be handled.

Sauce: Combine olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic in cold saucepan.  Stir while you heat pan over medium/high heat.  Saute around 45 seconds - everything will become fragrant, but you will not want the garlic to brown.  Stir in crushed tomatoes and bring to gentle simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat (taste test to see if more salt is needed and add now if needed - be careful not to burn your tongue) and let cool.

Filling: Stir together ricotta, egg, and salt in medium bowl until just combined.  Then stir in 1 cup mozzarella and chives, set aside.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce across the bottom of the pan. Fill each shell with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer across the pan. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and cover with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes (or until the shells are cooked through). Sprinkle with the more chives if desired and serve.

Tip:  All of the components of this dish can be pre-made separately the week you want to use them.  Making this a great meal to throw together on a week night.

Cheese Stuffed Shells

If you're looking for the taste of manicotti, but don't want all the fuss of stuffing manicotti tubes - this is the recipe for you!  This is also a great make-ahead/freezable meal for those nights when you just want to pop something in the oven.  The recipe below is meatless, but you could easily fry up some ground beef or sausage and add it into the cheese mixture.

Enjoy!

Cheese Stuffed Shells

12 oz Box Jumbo Shell Pasta

2 Eggs, beaten

30 oz Ricotta Cheese

2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4-1/3 Cup Parsely, Chopped (fresh is better, but dried is fine)

1 Tsp Salt

Dash Black Pepper

Large Jar Spaghetti Sauce (26 oz or bigger)

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Boil shells according to package directions.  Drain and cool on wax paper to keep from sticking.

Combine eggs, cheeses, and seasonings in bowl.  Spoon about 3 Tbsp of mixture into each shell.  Spread 2-3 Tbsp sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan - arrange shells on top of sauce.  Pour remaining sauce over shells and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Cauliflower Soup

I was trying to decide what to make for supper the other night when I came across this recipe on one of my favorite blogs I frequent - The Pioneer Woman.  It really is a wonderful, light soup.  You could certainly add whatever vegetables you want to this and make it nice and "chunky."  I forgot the sour cream, but we didn't even notice and ate it right up!

Enjoy!

Cauliflower Soup

1/2 Cup Butter
½ an Onion, Finely Diced
1 Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 to 2 Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tbsp Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
6 TbspFlour
2 Cups Whole Milk
1 Cup Half-and-half
2 Tsp To 4 Tsp Salt, To Taste
1 Cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown. Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine. Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.  Serve immediately.