Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Cream Sauce

I had some shells to use up and the rest of the ingredients in the house.  Makes a good veggie dish when you are cooking light.

 

Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells with Cream Sauce

Serves 4

 

2 cups cooked, mashed butternut squash

Large pasta shells, I used about 16

2 teaspoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried sage or 6 to 8 fresh leaves

1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh rosemary

3/4 cup grated parmesan, divided

Fresh sage (for topping)

 

Cook pasta shells according to al dente directions

Mix mashed squash with maple syrup, salt, and nutmeg until thoroughly incorporated

Melt butter in a medium sized pot over medium low heat

Pour in heavy cream, garlic, sage, and rosemary

Reduce heat and continue to cook the sauce without boiling the cream until the cream has thickened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes

Gradually stir in 1/2 cup of parmesan and keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted

Pour 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of a medium baking dish

Preheat oven to 400˚

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of butternut filling into each pasta shell

Place stuffed pasta shell in the dish and repeat until pasta shells are filled

Pour remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of parmesan

Return stuffed shells in the oven and bake until sauce starts to bubble and slightly brown, about 10 to 15 minutes

Serve with a sprinkle of fresh sage

 

A beautiful main dish for the vegetarians that also works as a seasonal holiday side, these shells can be prepped in advance making day-of cooking easier.

 

Crunchy Honey Chicken Breasts

Sometimes I get it right, and this is one of those times.  My husband has requested I make this again very soon!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

 

Crunchy Honey Chicken Breasts

 

4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breast

3 Eggs

3 Tablespoons Milk

3/4 Cup each Flour and Breadcrumbs

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1 teaspoon each Celery Salt and Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Pepper

1 teaspoon Dry Mustard

1 teaspoon Paprika

1 teaspoon Ginger

2 teaspoons Italian Seasonings

2 teaspoons White Pepper

4 Tablespoons Melted Butter

 

Glaze:

1/2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1 Tablespoon butter

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Dash of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup soy sauce

 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place a 9×13 baking dish in oven and preheat empty dish for 15 minutes

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl large enough to toss the chicken around in

Stir together the eggs and milk

Dip chicken into wet mixture then coat well with dry mixture

Return chicken into wet mixture then dry once again.  This will put the extra crispy coating on the chicken

Set aside until all pieces of chicken are coated

After baking dish has preheated, add butter in and let it melt

Add chicken pieces to pan

Bake uncovered for about 3 minutes on each side so it can “fry” in the melted butter. Try not to turn more than twice or your breading will come off.

 

While the chicken is baking, Sauté the garlic a little in the butter

Add the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, cayenne, and ginger

Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer for about 5 minutes

Watch this carefully because it will foam and boil over

Lower oven temperature to 350

Pour 1/2 of the glaze over the chicken

Flip them over and pour the other 1/2 over the other side

Return to oven for about 15-20 minutes. This sets the glaze and finishes them to be sure they are cooked through.

 

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Comfort Food!  This was so easy to put together.  I served it with a Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread.

 

Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Serves 4

 

1 (19 ounce) packages cheese tortellini

1 cup marinara sauce

1 cup Alfredo sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil

Add pasta and cook according to package directions; drain

Generously butter or grease a 9×13 inch baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring marinara and Alfredo sauces along with Italian seasoning to a simmer over medium-high heat

Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes

Stir cooked tortellini into sauce, and then pour into prepared baking dish

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes

Remove from oven and stir pasta

Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese

Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes, uncovered

Tuscan Chicken

This had great flavor and was easy to put together.  I served it over rice but pasta is always an option!

 

Tuscan Chicken

Serves 4

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

3/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat

Cook chicken until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side

Remove chicken and set aside on a plate

Add heavy cream, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to the skillet

Whisk sauce over medium-high heat until starting to thicken, about 5 minutes

Add spinach and sun-dried tomatoes; simmer until spinach starts to wilt, about 1 minute

Return chicken to the skillet and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes

Serve over pasta or rice

Easy Bread Stuffing

We had a couple loaves of bread sitting around so I decided to use it for stuffing.  This recipe was very easy and I will be making it again.  We even took bites of the leftovers right from the fridge!

 

Easy Bread Stuffing

Makes about 8 servings

 

16 cups of bread cubes

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup onion, chopped very fine

1/2 cup celery, chopped very fine

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Adobo

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 cups chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube, optional

 

Cut bread into cubes and allow to dry.  I dried mine on cookie sheets in a 170 degree oven.  It took about 90 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter in a fry pan over medium heat and sauté onion and celery until soft, about 5-8 minutes

Add onion, celery, seasoning, Adobo, salt and pepper to bread cubes

Moisten mixture with half a cup of broth at a time and mix well

Keep adding broth and mixing until you get to the desired firmness

Pour into a greased casserole dish

Cover and bake 30-40 minutes, stir and uncover the last 15 minutes of baking to get a crispy top

Meatball Hoagies

I made these over the weekend.  They were really messy so that means they were good, right?

I made the meatballs a little flattened out so they would fit on the roll better.

 

Meatball Hoagies

Makes 2

 

1/2 pound ground meat of your choice

3 tablespoons bread crumbs

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

 

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Tomato Sauce

Hoagie Rolls

Provolone Cheese

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, garlic and onion powder, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese together in a medium size bowl

Use a spoon to scoop the meat from the bowl

Form each scoop into a flattened ball to fit on the hoagie rolls better

Wet your hands if the meat sticks to you

I greased a cookie rack and placed it on a foil lined cookie sheet to bake the meatballs on

Place each flattened meatball on the cookie rack not touching each other

Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees

 

Place cooked meatballs in a crock pot

Pour sauce over meatballs

Set crock pot on high for 1 hour

Reduce heat to low for 3 hours or until ready to serve

 

Hollow out a little of the center of the hoagie roll

Brush with olive oil and season with garlic powder

Place in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until lightly toasted

 

Spoon meatballs and sauce onto toasted rolls

Top with cheese

Return to oven for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Creamy Garlic Pasta

We had a real busy day and dinner time came up quick!  This pasta dish was so good I was asked to make it again soon.  Korbyn even had 2 plates of it.

I served it with a side of garlic bread, but maybe next time I will add some chicken and vegetables.

 

Creamy Garlic Pasta

Serves 4

 

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons butter

4 1/2 cups chicken broth or more as needed

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound Rigatoni or pasta of your choice

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup heavy cream

Dried parsley, optional

 

Heat olive in a medium pan over medium heat

Add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes

Add butter and stir constantly until melted

Pour in chicken broth; add pepper and salt

Bring to a boil

Add rigatoni and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes

Add more chicken broth if pasta starts to stick to the pan

Stir Parmesan cheese and cream into the pasta, mix thoroughly

Garnish with dried parsley and serve immediately

 

Chicken Pot Pie

My Grandson kicked me out of the kitchen again.  This time he made Chicken Pot Pie and it was wonderful!

 

Chicken Pot Pie

1 double crust, 10 inch pastry pie

1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked, diced chicken

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of “your choice” soup

Milk to clean out the can

1/4 cup each celery and onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 cups frozen or cooked vegetables of your choice

1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder

Egg wash

1 egg scrambled with 1 tablespoon sugar

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Saute onion and celery in butter until soft

Stir in garlic then remove from heat

Fit bottom pastry into a 10 inch pie plate

In a large bowl, combine chicken, soup, seasonings, and vegetables

Add a bit of milk to each soup can to help clean it out

Mix well and pour into crust

Cover with top pastry

Seal edges and cut steam vents in top

Egg wash the top crust

Cover edges of crust with foil before baking to prevent it from burning

Remove foil for the final 20 minutes of baking

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown

Jarred Salsa

Salsa

Makes 8 Pints

 

3 quarts peeled, cored chopped tomatoes or 3 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

2 cups seeded, chopped, peppers

3 cups chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 6oz cans paste

2 cups bottled lemon juice

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon chili power-optional

Combine all ingredients in large roasting pan

Bake in 300 degree oven for 30 minutes or until you get an internal temperature of 180

Ladle hot salsa into pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace

Remove excess air in jar and fill again to maintain headspace

Wipe rim, apply lid and ring

Process in boiling water canner for 20 minutes

After 24 hours have passed, remove rings and wash jars

Label jars with date and store. Do not stack jars

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

715 Grape Street

Whitehall, PA 18052

610-266-6777

 

After a long day of shopping, we headed to Olive Garden for an early dinner.  We were seated right away at a very nice table located by the windows.

Below is a few of the items we ordered.  Everything was very good and we look forward to returning soon.

 

Italian Margarita $7.75

Jose Cuervo Especial Silver tequila, triple sec and amaretto

Lasagna Fritta $9.49

Fried parmesan-breaded lasagna, topped with parmesan cheese and marinara sauce, with creamy alfredo

Five Italian Cheese Fonduta $8.99

Oven-baked smoked provolone, Parmesan, Fontana, mozzarella and Romano cheeses served with bread stick crostini

Macaroni & Cheese $5.99

Our Grandson had pasta shells in a creamy cheese sauce, served with a side of French fries and pasta with red sauce