Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells

April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Up until a few weeks into my second trimester I had a major aversion to chicken. Just the thought of it icked me out. The first time I noticed the aversion was when I was having lunch with a friend and I ordered a buffalo chicken wrap. I took one bite, looked at my friend, covered my mouth with a napkin and said, “Sorry”. I wound up picking out all of the chicken (and half of the lettuce). Next time we went for lunch I asked them to replace the chicken with beans (yeah, that’s right, I ordered a buffalo bean wrap, and it was delicious!).

I am finally over that crazy aversion and we’re back to having chicken several nights a week. Of course it’s easy for things to get repetitive when you eat chicken for dinner several times a week, so I’m always trying to think up new ways to use it. What better way to spice up chicken than to add buffalo sauce? To mix it up even more I decided to stuff the chicken in pasta shells. The result was fantastic! We absolutely loved this dinner, hope you do too!

 

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells

Ingredients
~20 large pasta shells
1 15 oz container part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp blue cheese crumbles
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1 green onion, finely diced
1/2 oz (1/2 packet) Ranch seasoning packet
1/4 – 1/2 cup Buffalo sauce (You can try making your own or use something like Franks)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 small chicken breast, cooked and chopped/shredded*
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt
Cheddar cheese, blue cheese crumbles, green onion, celery, and additional buffalo sauce for topping

*You can poach the chicken, bake the chicken, pick it off a store bought chicken or use left over shredded chicken. Whatever is easiest for you!

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a casserole dish by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells just a minute shy of directions on box. (This makes them easier to handle when you’re stuffing them, they will finish cooking in the oven). Once their finished, drain them and rinse with cold water.

While the shells are boiling, combine the ricotta, blue cheese, celery, green onion, ranch seasoning packet, 1/4 cup of Buffalo in a large bowl. Taste the filling and add more Buffalo sauce if you would like it spicier. Once the filling suits your taste, mix in the egg. Add the cooked chopped chicken to the bowl and stir to combine.

Fill the shells with filling and place in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with additional buffalo sauce and top with cheddar cheese and additional blue cheese crumbles. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 18 minutes. In the meantime, in a small bowl combine the melted butter, Panko, parsley, garlic powder, and salt. After 18 minutes, remove shells from oven and sprinkle the breadcrumb topping over the shells. Bake uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the bread crumbs start to turn golden brown. (If you’re careful and keep an eye on it you can turn the broiler on for a minute or two at the end).

Top with additional green onions and diced celery. Serve hot with extra Buffalo sauce, Ranch, and a salad on the side

Sunny Side Up original

Check out these other tasty Buffalo recipes, too!

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buffalo Chicken Bites
Homemade Spicy Garlic Buffalo Sauce
Buffalo Chicken Sliders
 

Filed Under: Cheese, Chicken, Dinner, Easy Weeknight Dinner, Main Course, Pasta, Poultry Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Cheddar and Ranch Cheese Ball

October 31, 2011 by Leave a Comment

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Happy Halloween! As I promised yesterday, here is the recipe for the BRAINS!! If you’re still looking for an appetizer to take to a Halloween party tonight why not give this a try? It’s super simple, tasty, and will impress/gross out all of your friends! This would also be good for non-Halloween events, just skip the brain shaping and roll into a ball and then in sliced almonds instead!

Cheddar and Ranch Cheese Ball

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups shredder cheddar cheese (I used a mix of sharp, mild, and Vermont white)
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional, I skipped)
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix (Hidden Valley brand)
1 cup sliced almonds (Obviously omit if you’re making the brain)
2-3 drops of black food coloring, if you want a grayish hue
3-4 drops red gel food coloring, for “blood”

Directions
Add the cheese to the bowl of food processor*. Pulse a few times for 3 seconds each. Add the cream cheese and Ranch seasoning packet and process until smooth.

To make the brain, remove half of the mixture and form an egg shaped ball, place on a plate. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip, or a ziploc bag with the corner cut, with the remainder of the mixture. Starting in the middle of the formed ball pipe a straight line length wise to the edge of the egg shape. When you reach the edge start zigzagging your way back to the middle. Repeat on the 3 parts of the egg shape. I used the picture below as a model when I piped. If you have a lot left, try piping a second layer directly over top.

Place the brain in the refrigerator for about an hour. Before serving spread red food coloring on a knife and stick it cheese ball. Serve with crackers. (The left overs were also really good spread on a bagel!)

*If you don’t have a food processor this can also be done in a bowl with just a spoon (or a hand held mixer), but the food processor does make it extra smooth for piping.

Adapted from What’s Cookin, Chicago?


Filed Under: Appetizer, Cheese, Halloween, Holiday Treats Tagged With: , , , ,

Easy Mac and Cheese

August 10, 2011 by 4 Comments

It’s not what you think. I know that it looks like I’ve got a plate full of Velveeta Shells and Cheese, but it’s not! What’s really on the plate is the easiest and maybe creamiest homemade mac and cheese I’ve ever made. I consider myself to be somewhat of a mac and cheese connoisseur, I’ve made countless recipes, some that were amazing and some that were big fat flops. I was worried that this was going to be one of those flops. It just seemed way too easy, like 1-step up from the box kind easy. But this was no flop. It is the great, easy, weeknight answer to your “How can I make mac and cheese for a side dish without it taking longer than the main course” question.

Of course I upped the cheese to milk ratio a little bit because I’m cheese crazy and I’m so glad I did. I used a Medium Cheddar, but the possibilities are endless. Half Medium Cheddar half Vermont White. Half Colby Jack half Pepper Jack. Half Cheddar half Jack. See where I’m going with this? The more significant the cheese is on it’s own the more significant the taste will be in the mac and cheese. The Medium Cheddar resulted in a mild, smooth, and creamy mac.

Easy Mac and Cheese

(Adapted from Evil Shenanigans, originally from Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients
16 oz box pasta, I used small shells
2 Tbsp butter
12 oz can evaporated milk
2 egg, beaten
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp red pepper optional
1/8-1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese*
Salt to taste

*Sorry kids, I just don’t think the packaged pre-grated cheese will work for this. It’s coated in stuff to keep it from sticking together and therefore, won’t melt well.

Directions

Boil pasta shells 1-2 minutes short of the suggested time on the box (No one wants mushy watery mac and cheese). In the meantime, combine the evaporated milk, eggs, mustard powder, and pepper in a large measuring cup and whisk together.

Drain the pasta in a colander and then return it right back to the hot pan. Reduce heat to low. Add the butter and stir until melted.

Carefully add the milk egg combination to the pan, stirring constantly to avoid making scrambled eggs. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Add the cheese in 4-5 increments, making sure that each addition is completely melted before adding the next.

Serve immediately. We had ours with grilled steak and small salad and it was the perfect meal.

Filed Under: Cheese, Easy Weeknight Dinner, Pasta, Side Item Tagged With: , , , ,