Mama Mia: It's Stuffed Shells!

Sometimes you just don't feel like cooking, but everyone still expects dinner on the table. The nerve, right? This is one of those recipes that you can make ahead and freeze, and then pull out just what you need.  I happily set aside a couple of hours to make a double batch: stuff the shells, and then freeze them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Then I place meal-sized batches in plastic freezer bags and pop them back into the freezer for future use. Meal prep then consists of pulling them out of the freezer, letting them thaw for an hour or so, then placing them in a single layer in a greased baking dish with some tomato-based pasta sauce, slathering them with shredded parmesan cheese, and popping them into the oven. Add a salad and you're good to go. Dinner is done! You can also use a single entire recipe to feed a horde up to 6 on the day you make them, too. The choice is yours.

Cheese Stuffed Shells 
this recipe will serve 6; it's also a great recipe to double for a crowd, or made ahead and freeze into smaller batches for meals; I usually double this recipe just for this reason
 
16 to 20 pasta super shells
12 ounces or more whole milk ricotta cheese
4 ounces or more shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 
2 teaspoons finely minced parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese + another 1/2 cup for the top
Marinara or other tomato-based pasta sauce -- about 36 oz.

Cook the shells in 6 quarts of boiling salted water for 12 minutes. Drain, then run cold water over them to stop cooking. Drain again, and place shells on paper towels to completely drain and cool.

Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, egg, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley and parmesan cheese until well combined. Stuff each shell with enough cheese mixture to fill it but not overfill it -- shell edges should be able to meet. 

At this point, you can freeze them on a cookie sheet for about 2 hours, or until solid. Then place enough shells for a meal (allowing 3 or 4 shells per person) in a freezer bag and freeze until needed. Or continue onward for immediate use:

If using all of the shells immediately, butter or oil a lasagna pan or 9 x 13 pan, then add 1 cup of pasta/marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan. Lay all the shells in a single layer on the sauce, then top with another two cups or so over the shells. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a preheated 350 degrees Farenheit oven for 35 minutes; uncover and top with the additional parmesan cheese and bake 10 minutes longer. 

Note: If you are making a smaller batch from your frozen stash, then use an appropriately sized baking dish for the amount of shells you are baking -- as well as a proportional amount of sauce and parmesan for the topping -- for the pan. I use a 8 x 8 inch baking dish when making 8 shells (enough for two hungry diners).

PSS: You can also add a bag/box of frozen spinach that's been of cooked and drained dry to the cheese filling for a Florentine version of Stuffed Shells.
 

Yum!: Cheesy Potato Casserole

How have I managed to largely ignore potatoes on the blog? We love them, they are a staple in a thousand ways, and are probably the most ubiquitous comfort food item of all. Here is a yummy (and festive) make-ahead potato casserole that is delicious with pork or ham, and is a welcome dish at potlucks, and feeds a crowd. 

Cheesy Potato Casserole
this recipe requires a bit of lead time, as the potatoes must be cooked then chilled. You can cook the potatoes a day ahead, then proceed the next day with the recipe.

6 medium to large potatoes, peeled

4 ounces (or more!) extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup milk
2-3 tablespoons butter - more for buttering the dish, too
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 very small onion, grated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika (not the smoked kind)
pepper to taste

Cook the whole peeled potatoes in boiling salted water about 25 minutes or until just done enough to pierce with a knife. Don't overcook. Drain, then refrigerate until chilled well; can be done a day ahead if you like, or very early on the day you make the casserole.  

Grate the potatoes and set aside. 

In a large saucepan or small dutch oven, combine cheese, milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, and cook over low heat until cheese melts, stirring often. Remove from heat, stir in sour cream, onions, salt, pepper and paprika. Fold potatoes into cheese mixture, and pour into a heavily buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Dot with additional butter, and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in a preheated 350 degree Farenheit oven, for 45 minutes or so. Serves 6.


 

Retro Comfort Food: Mac and Cheese

For decades, this has been a staple comfort dish on cold days and days when you just want something homey, delicious and satisfying. This serves a crowd, too, so it's a winner for a potluck or picnic.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit

butter a 2 qt. or larger casserole/baking dish WELL

INGREDIENTS:1 quart (32 ounces) milk
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 tsp.salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
16 ounces of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese

 * * * * *
more butter for dotting the top  OR 2 slices of bread, toasted completely dry++ and crumbled into 3 tblsp. butter

++ bread slices can be dried in the oven on a middle rack  for 20 minutes or more; crush the bread into crumbs.


a couple of ounces of shredded extra sharp cheddar for the top

8 ounces of elbow macaroni, cooked very al dente, and drained (about 6 mins.)

* * * * *
DIRECTIONS

Cook the macaroni in several quarts of salted boiling water while making the sauce; then drain and place into the prepared casserole dish.

SAUCE:
Warm the milk in a pitcher or large quart size measuring cup in the microwave for 4 to 5 minutes, until it simmers. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 2 quart or larger saucepan over low heat. Add the flour, and increase heat slightly and continuously whisk until the roue turns pale golden, about 3 - 4 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium, and add the milk slowly while whisking it in, and keep on whisking to incorporate, bringing the sauce to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, dry mustard and worcestershire sauce, stirring. Gradually stir in the cheese and stir until all is melted and well blended together.

 ASSEMBLY
Immediately after the cheese is melted and mixed in well, pour over the cooked macaroni in the casserole/baking dish. Stir the sauce and macaroni gently together. Dot with butter, then sprinkle with some extra grated cheese OR the butter/crumb mixture. Bake, covered, in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove covering and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand a couple of minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings or more as a side; 6 as an entree.

Notes from the Groaning Board: Chicken/Turkey and Dumplings

We're still recovering from another Thanksgiving dinner. You know the symptoms: glassy eyes, lethargy, the feeling that you'll never want another bite of food for the rest of your life. But it doesn't last as long as we think it lasts, and before you know it, we're sniffing around the kitchen again to appease the hunger gods.

Here's a recipe for that mother-of-all-leftovers, turkey (or in some cases, chicken). It's homey, good, and very satisfying on a cold late autumn day. The leftovers of this are wonderful rewarmed with a little additional sauce added to compensate for the sauce the dumplings soak up.

Turkey (or Chicken) and Dumplings
A good recipe for using up odds and ends of vegetables, if you have any: peas, carrots, mushrooms, leeks, summer squash, what-have-you. Saute them until soft before adding to the recipe.

A 4 or 5 qt. dutch oven with tight fitting lid
Oven 350 degrees

1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter
1 small onion, roughly chopped

Saute the onion (and if you plan on using some oddball veggies, those, too) in the dutch oven in the butter.
Remove when soft, draining excess butter back into the pot.

1/2 cup flour
4 cups turkey or chicken stock, or a combination of stock and leftover gravy
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Add the flour to the remaining butter in the dutch oven; cook to make a roux over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the roux is pale golden. Add the stock 1/2 cup at  a time, whisking into the roux to prevent lumps. When all the stock/gravy is added, add seasonings. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, then add meat and vegetables.

Add:
4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken
2 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
the sauted onion, and whatever other veggies you are adding

Bring the filling to a simmer, stirring gently, then add the dumplings to the top, and pop into a 350 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours.

Dumplings
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
a tablespoon of chopped chives (fresh or dried)
a tablespoon of chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the herbs, if using. Cover and refrigerate at this point if you are not baking the dish immediately. Otherwise, soldier on.
Whisk the egg into the buttermilk, then add to the flour mixture until just blended together, no more. Don't overmix! It looks kind of wet and shaggy. Scoop large spoonfuls of the dumpling mixture over the hot filling to cover the top. Bake immediately as directed above.
NOTE: The steam from the sauce helps to keep the dumplings tender, so don't peek at them while they're baking.  Your patience will be rewarded with lighter, fluffier dumplings.

Makes 6 generous servings.

If you have leftovers, cover tightly and refrigerate up to three days. Add a bit more stock to the pot before reheating in the oven for 30 - 45 mins. at 350. Or you could do what we do in a pinch: Place serving size portions in soup plates and microwave them, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes each.

Simple Chicken Supper: Clara's Chicken

My knitting group had a lovely, lovely holiday-themed gathering last night at the beautiful home of Beedle Hinely (of biscotti fame!). As my contribution to the goodies, I made my favorite chicken dish that's super easy. If you have a houseful of guests or family,or need something to take to a potluck,  this recipe can be doubled or tripled without any problem ... or time!
It's delectable, super-simple, and has the taste of something you've slaved over all day to make. My kind of recipe!

CLARA'S CHICKEN
this recipe was given to me by my mother's late lifelong best friend and partner in decades of crime, Clara Albrecht. She was a treasure!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices Swiss cheese


Place boneless breasts in a well buttered 7 X 11 baking pan/casserole and top with the Swiss cheese slices.

1 cup sour cream
1/2 to 3/4 cup sherry wine
1 can cream of chicken soup

Whisk together the sour cream, wine and soup and pour over the breasts.

1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing crumbs
6 tblsp. butter, melted

Blend crumbs and butter well and sprinkle densely over the soup mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

That's it. Honest. This takes all of 10 minutes to prepare! You have plenty of time to whip up an impressive dessert, or make an elaborate salad and veggie dish.

Doubled, make in a 9 X 13 pan.