Three Cheese Beef and Pasta Shells

This has to be one of hubby's favorites! It makes a lot, so I usually make it when company comes over or plan to have leftovers the next night for dinner.

Three Cheese Beef and Pasta Shells

1 box of jumbo pasta shells, cooked (leaving them a little firm make them easier to fill)
1 pound lean ground beef, cooked, drained and cooled
1 jar pasta sauce
1/4 cup water
1 (8oz) tub chive & onion cream cheese spread
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (the kind in the bag, not the powder in the canister)
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, mix pasta sauce and water. Pour 1 c of sauce into the bottom of a 13x9 glass baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix cheese spread, 1 cup of Italian blend cheese, Parmesan, egg and ground beef. Fill each shell with the mixture and arrange stuffed shells over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over top, covering shells completely. Cover with foil.
Bake 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese filling is set. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup off Italian blend cheese and bake 10 minutes longer.

Serve with green beans and garlic bread.

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Chicken Piccata

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
flour for coating
~6 tbs unsalted butter
~5 tbs olive oil (I use extra virgin)
1/3 cup lemon juice (I use the squirt kind found in the produce section)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
salt & pepper

To start, I usually use a meat tenderizer to "beat" the chicken. I find that the finished result is better if the chicken is thinner to start with. Place in a Ziploc bag before "beating" to cut down on the mess.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and coat with flour, shake off excess flour.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbs of the butter. Add 3 tbs olive oil. Add chicken, not overcrowding the pan, and cook until golden brown on each side. Move the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and continue until all chicken is cooked, adding more butter and oil as needed. Place all the chicken on the plate.

Add lemon juice, chicken broth and capers to the drippings in the pan. Return to heat and bring to a boil making sure to scrape the bits up from the bottom of the pan as you stir.

Now it's time to pass the chicken back and forth! Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Take it back out and place on a clean platter. Whisk 2 tbs of butter into the sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and you're done!

I usually serve this over angel hair pasta with a side of asparagus or green beans (whichever is on sale or on hand).

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Tuna Casserole

This budget-friendly recipe is a big hit in our house.

Tuna Casserole

12oz bag macaroni noodles, cooked according to pkg direction
1 can cream of celery soup
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12oz can tuna

In a large bowl mix soup, milk, mayo, and mustard. Stir in cheese and tuna. Gently fold in macaroni. Pour into a large baking dish and bake uncovered in a 350 F oven for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown.

This is also a great place to sneak in some veggies such as peas and carrots. Just mix them in before baking.

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Turkey and Blue Cheese Meatballs

YUM! YUM! YUM!

Don't let the name fool you, these were amazing! Even the hubby who HATES to even hear the words "Blue Cheese" agreed that this recipe was a keeper.

I found the original recipe on Allrecipes.com, but adapted it to suite our taste. The original recipe seemed a little busy and wasn't kid-friendly. So, here's my version:

INGREDIENTS:

4 cloves of garlic

1 small or 1/2 large white onion

1 pound lean ground turkey breast

4 tablespoons blue cheese

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

3 egg whites

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO as Rachel Ray would say)

1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning (you can use up to 1 tbs, I just don't like Oregano so I cut back)

1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

(now if that's not the most random list of ingredients)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with Reynolds Release foil and set aside.
2. Pulse garlic and onion in a food processor until minced.
3. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, turkey, blue cheese, bread crumbs, egg whites, and olive oil. Mix thoroughly.
4. Season with soy sauce, parsley, Italian seasoning, pepper, and chili powder. Mix well.
5. Roll the mixture into 2 inch balls and place on the lined baking sheet.
6. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, approx 25 minutes.

I served this with a Vodka sauce over bow tie pasta and garlic sourdough bread. Don't forget the wine!

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