Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

October 7, 2013 by 7 Comments

The day I spent prepping meals for the freezer was certainly a long one. I was 38 weeks pregnant with swollen ankles and general exhaustion. But my nesting urges/energy helped me push through. Then when it came to making the very last thing and suddenly my energy was gone. I wanted so badly to just leave the kitchen (and the mess!) and hit the couch. But it was close to dinner time and I knew we would need to eat anyway, so I decided to make a large batch of dinner and freeze half of it. Then I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

I am so glad I pushed through! While I’ve made a lot of versions of stuffed shells, I have to say that these were by far my favorite. I think I finally got the perfect ratio of ingredients to make a flavorful filling that’s not dry and really hits the spot. I’m also happy to report that the portion that was frozen was just as delicious!

 

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

Ingredients
1 box large pasta shells
1 15oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Italian Cheese (mix of Mozzarella and Provolone)
Small handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach*
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded/chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups marinara sauce, divided
1/2-3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese (mix of Mozzarella and Provolone)

*First squeeze all of the extra liquid out of the thawed spinach, then measure. 1/2 cup thawed and squeezed spinach = ~1 cup still frozen spinach

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9×13* baking dish by pouring 1 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of the dish and spreading around. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook according just a minute or two less than the directions on the box (this will make them easier to handle/fill, don’t worry they will finish cooking during the bake time). Drain and let cool for a minute.

While the noodles are cooling, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan cheese, Italian cheese blend, chopped basil, spinach, chicken, salt and pepper. Using a large spoon, fill the cooled shells with the filling. Place the filled shells in the prepared baking dish. Top shells with the remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with 1/2-3/4 cup of Italian cheese.

Tightly cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and bubbly. Serve with a side salad and garlic bread to make a deceivingly easy delicious meal!

*Instead of a 9×13 pan you can divide the recipe into 2 pie pans or smaller baking dishes, which is what I did.

**For freezing, make recipe as written but instead of baking, cover with plastic wrap and then 2 tight layers of foil, then label and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, it can go straight in the oven with an extra 15 minutes or so, just don’t forget to remove the plastic wrap first!

Other deceivingly easy, delicious pasta dishes!
Creamy Shrimp Pasta
Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
Cream Lemon One-Pot Pasta
Cajun Chicken Pasta

 

Filed Under: Chicken, Easy Weeknight Dinner, Italian, Main Course, Pasta, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , ,

Homemade Italian Dressing

April 9, 2013 by 3 Comments

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a dip and dressing fanatic. I have always especially been a fan of cool, creamy Ranch and Blue Cheese dressings. I’ve even been known to dip pizza in Ranch dressing on occasion (don’t knock it till you try it!). So you can imagine my surprise in the first trimester when the thought of cool, creamy Ranch made my stomach turn. What I craved instead was something tangy and zippy. Not that I haven’t ever liked these kinds of dressings before (because I have) but my obsession went to a whole knew level. I felt like I was literally just using salad as a vehicle to get that sweet, tangy, zippy dressing to my mouth. Mmmmm….

With such strong cravings you can imagine how disappointed I was when we ordered pizza and a salad and the dressing I ordered (and paid for!!) didn’t come. I’m embarrassed to say how upset I really was. I’m looking at you Dominos. Then of course I realized that I do love to make my own homemade versions of foods and that it was a bit silly to be that upset over something I could easily make on my own (but still a little upset, Dominos, your shaming isn’t over yet).

The awesome thing about homemade Italian dressing is that you can change it up to really fit your tastes. This is the recipe that’s been working for me lately. But of course you should taste as you go and add things as necessary. This particular recipe also made a killer roasted veggie pasta salad (which will be shared tomorrow!).

 

 

Homemade Italian Dressing

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dry parsley
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp dry onion flakes
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely diced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Whisk together all ingredients and let sit for at least an hour (to give time for the flavors to meld together). Each time you use it, you will probably need to rewhisk or shake to mix it up again. The dry mustard only acts as an emulsifier for so long.

Sunny Side Up

Check out these other DIY/Homemade sauces/condiments!

Homemade Spicy Garlic Buffalo Sauce
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Homemade Jack Daniels Glaze
Homemade Mayonnaise

Filed Under: Salad Dressing, Sauce/Condiment Tagged With: , , ,

I Love Lasagna and Happy Mother’s Day!

May 8, 2011 by Leave a Comment

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This meal is in honor of Mother’s Day! Last summer my mom and I took a vacation to Disneyworld. It was the first time either of us had ever been and it was so much fun! We stayed at the Movie All-Stars resort and we were able to go to Epcot, Magical Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. Truly an amazing trip and it was so great to get to hang out just my mom and I. One night we made dinner reservations for Tony’s Town Square in the Magic Kingdom. We both ordered the vegetable lasagna and it was actually pretty darn good. Of course the portion sizes were huge so we wound up wishing we just would have shared (but then I wouldn’t have been able to eat ALL of the cheesy top so maybe it was better that way). Since that time I have had vegetable lasagna on my to-try list.

Part of the trouble with lasagna is that it makes a ton. It was just me eating the lasagna last night so I didn’t want to make a 9×13 pan. I initially planned on using a small Le Crueset baker that I have but after pulling it out I thought the sides weren’t tall enough. I wanted to have lots of room for cheesy goodness in my lasagna. I looked around the rest of my bakeware and finally I decided that my 9×5 bread pan was best suited for the small lasagna job. It worked out perfectly! I think as is this recipe would serve 3 people perfectly, or in my case dinner and leftovers for 2 lunches.

This lasagna was DELICIOUS! The bechamel sauce added a rich flavor that went so well with the tangy tomatoes. I used zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, and spinach, but this recipe is so adaptable you could really use any of your favorite vegetables. Eggplant and bell peppers would make an excellent addition. Play around and see what combination you like best!


Bread Pan Vegetable Lasagna

Vegetable filling –
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 zucchini, sliced
1/2 yellow squash, sliced
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 (14 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/2 tsp dry oregano
pinch of rosemary
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

Ricotta filling-
8 ounces (1 cup) ricotta cheese
1/3 cup frozen spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
1/3 cup shredded italian cheese blend (or a mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3-4 large fresh basil leaves (cut in a Chiffonade)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Bechamel sauce- (adapted from Mario Betali)
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg

1 1/3 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
6 no-boil lasagna noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the zucchini, squash, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes or until the onions start to turn translucent. Add the seasonings and can of whole tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the whole tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer while you make the bechamel sauce.

In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter. While the butter is melting heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. When the butter is melted, slowly add the flour whisking constantly. After 4 minutes, when the butter is a light golden color, slowly add the hot milk whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking often. Cook for 10 minutes then remove from the heat and add the salt and nutmeg. (during this time I made the ricotta mixture, remembering to whisk often) Then remove from heat and set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.

In a small bowl combine the ricotta, Italian cheese, spinach, egg, basil, salt and pepper.

Pour a small amount of bechamel sauce into the bottom of a 9×5 bread pan. Lay one whole lasagna noodle and break a piece off of another to fill the pan (about 1/3 of another noodle). Continue to layer the ingredients in the following order:

1. Noodle
2. 1/3 of the Ricotta cheese mixture
3. 1/3 of the Vegetable mixture
4. 1/3 cup Shredded cheese
5. 1/3 cup Bechamel sauce

After the 3rd group of layers, top off the lasagna with another noodle, the last of the Bechamel sauce and the last 1/3 cup of shredded cheese.

Cover the bread pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. (I also gave mine 2 minutes under the broiler to make the cheese a deeper golden brown)


Filed Under: Dinner, Vegetables, Vegetarian Tagged With: , , , , , , ,