Prosciutto and Cheese Stuffed Shells with White Sauce

Adam and I were at Trader Joe's a while back and I saw a package of Prosciutto and picked it up, I have been wanting to try it but was unsure exactly what to do with it.

Today I was craving something with a white sauce, so I started googling and found this recipe. This recipe is AMAZING. I am going to try making the sauce with just regular pasta, the whole dinner was amazing!

I am sorry in advance for the pictures, Adam got home late from work, and by the time he was home I was starving and didn't have time to fight with pictures :)

Shells Stuffed With Cheese and Prosciutto in White Sauce (From: e-rcps)

• 1 lb.large pasta shells cooked until 'al dente' and well drained
• 6 tbsp butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• salt to taste
• 6 TBSP flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 6 oil-packed flat anchovy fillets, finely chopped (I omitted)
• salt and pepper

Cheese and Prosciutto stuffing

• 1 lb. ricotta cheese (I put cottage cheese in the food processor and chopped instead)
• 1/2 lb. small-curd cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 thin slices prosciutto, cut into 1/8-inch squares (I fried and use this pan for the sauce to get extra flavor)
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil or 1 tbsp. crumbled dried basil
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the shells until 'al dente' slightly underdone but flexible - they will cook more in the oven. Drain well.

Meld the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat.

Add the garlic and saute' until it just starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and when the butter has stopped bubbling...

Add the flour.

Return to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes. Do not let the flour color. Remove from the heat and add the milk and cream all at once.

Immediately beat vigorously with a wire whisk until smooth. Put the pan over medium heat and add the parsley and anchovies.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is the consistency of heavy cream. Remove from the heat.

Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside, uncovered.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan, parsley, basil, prosciutto and egg yolks. Add salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

Stuff each shell with some of the cheese mixture, pressing it down lightly to fill out the shape. Using your fingers, press the long sides of each shell lightly together so that the shape of the shell is as it was before boiling. Wipe off any excess filling.

Put about 2 cups of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold the shells in one layer.

Place the stuffed shells in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over them.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 15 minutes, or until the sauce bubbles.

Serve at once.

Spaghetti Squash

I have been wanting to have spaghetti squash, but was TOTALLY clueless about what to do. With help from Bensbabe I created my own recipe. This is my first time creating my own recipe for dinner... I always get nervous about it. I am glad I did as it turned out VERY good.

I took my own take on the spaghetti squash and made spaghetti and tossed it with squash I didn't actually use a spaghetti squash.


Adam doesn't like squash so I made the sauce and pasta took his portion out and then added squash into mine.



This is not a pretty picture at all! But it was a VERY good meal!



Spaghetti Squash (From: Myself)

• 1 squash, I prefer acorn
• Handful pine nuts
• 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1 c. half and half
• 1 lb. spaghetti
• 1 t. sage
• 1 t. sugar
• 2 T. butter
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. white pepper
• 1 t. garlic salt
• 1 t. onion powder

Bake acorn squash at 350 for about an hour or until tender. Then peel out squash from skin.

Start pasta water on Medium to start bowl. Once at bowling point add pasta and start sauce.

Melt butter in a pan. Once melted brown pine nuts with sugar, onion powder, and garlic salt.

Add half and half, heavy cream, chicken broth, and spices.

Bring to bowl, reduce heat to medium and bowl for 10-15 minutes.

Drain water put pasta back into pan add sauce, and squash mix around and serve.

White Wine Sauce

I actually made this for dinner on Wednesday night, but we have been very busy and I haven't gotten around to updating my blog. My mom was complaing today so I knew it was time to update.

This recipe was very good. I was going to make with chicken, but it was frozen so I left it out. The base of this recipe was good, but it lacked flavor. I will make it again but will play with the flavor.

Creamy White Wine Sauce (From: Allrecipes)

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine the cream, wine, flour, salt and parsley. Stir all together bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

My grandpa makes the BEST spaghetti sauce EVER!!!! Every summer when they are up he makes a big pot and we freeze it and eat it all winter long. NO spaghetti sauce compares to it. I don't often order spaghetti out because I am always disappointed. My mom was nice enough to share some of her frozen sauce with us this year. This is the small recipe my grandpa gave us, I hope to try it this winter!!

Pa's Spaghetti Sauce (From: Pa Jack)

• 1 lb. Hamburger
• 1 large onion diced
• 1 green pepper diced
• dash of cheyenne pepper
• 1 lg. Can of sliced tomato
• 1 med. can of tomato sauce
• 1 sm. can of tomato paste
• Thin with tomato juice
• Bay leaves
• Sweet Basil
• Oregano
• Hot Sauce

Brown hamburger, onion, green pepper, and cheyenne pepper together, drain off excess fat.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir often on very low heat for 10 hours or so. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Jack Daniels Sauce

My Mom and I went to TGI Fridays a while ago, we started talking about how much we love the Jack Daniels sauce they serve with everything. When I got home I found a recipe for the sauce. Adam and I went down to my moms last night, and she tried this recipe. It was JUST like the sauce at Fridays. It was SOOO good.

Sadly, Adam and I forgot to bring our steaks we took out, so I guess we will have to make this sauce again this week with our steaks DARN :-)

Jack Daniels Sauce (From: Cd Kitchen)

• 1/3 cup diced red onions
• 1/2 teaspoon finely diced garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup white grape juice
• 1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Black Label Bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon Tobasco Sauce

Blend all ingredients in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 35 - 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Sauce is great with chicken fingers or other fried foods.

Chicken Fingers with Honey Dipping Sauce

I found this recipe in my mom cookbook a few months ago, and I have put it on our menu a bunch of times, but never got around to making it. I was determined to make them today. I thought they were very tasty! I served with some roasted potatoes.

Chicken Fingers with Honey Sauce (From: The Big Book of Family Dinners)

• 12 oz. Skinless boneless chicken breasts halves (I only used 2 breasts)
• 2 beaten egg whites
• 1 T. honey
• 2 c. cornflakes (I used ritz crackers with a little sugar instead)
• ½ t. pepper
• ¼ c. honey
• 4 T. Dijon mustard ( I used honey dijion as that's what we had)
• ¼ t. garlic powder
  

Cut the chicken breasts into strips about 3 inches long and ¾ inches wide.

In a small mixing bowl combine the egg whites and 1-tablespoon honey. In a shallow bowl combine the cornflake crumbs and pepper. Dip chicken strips into the egg white mixture, then roll in the crumb mixture to coat.

Place in a single layer on the ungreased baking sheet. Baked chicken in a 450 degree oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small bowl stir together the ¼ cup honey, the mustard, and garlic powder. Serve with chicken.

Chimichanga's

Sorry for the lul in posts, Adam was laid off of his job on Tuesday, and I sprained my ankle really bad yesterday and couldn't stand on it.

Today I was feeling a little better and able to stand long enough to cook dinner, I have been craving Mexican for a while now. My favorite thing to order in a chicken chimichanga, so tonight I attempted to make it at home, they were really good! I will definitely make them again with only a few adjustments. I kind of made the recipe as I as going as I couldn't find one online I loved.

Chicken Chimichanga (My Recipe)

• 2 chicken breasts
• cumin
• garlic salt
• paprika
• onion (optional)
• Flour tortilla (8 inches)
• Cheese (I used Colby Jack)

Preheat oven to 475

Fry the breasts with the seasonings for about 5 minutes on each side, then added water and simmered until they were cooked through.

Shred with 2 forks mix into whats left of seasonings and water. Warm until heated through.

Butter one side of tortilla, place filling in the other, about one breast, top with cheese about a 1/4 to a 1/2 a cup per one.

Fold the top and bottom then roll, place in baking dish with seams down.

Bake for about 13 minutes or until golden brown.

***Tips: Next time I think I would boil the chicken and then shred and cook in a slow cooker to gather more flavor.

White Cheese Sauce (From: Online)

• 2 Tb. butter
• 2 Tb. flour
• 1 c. Milk or cream
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• 1/2-1 c. white cheddar cheese
  

Melt and blend ingredients until thickened. Pour over hot chimichangas.

Pork Chops with Milk Gravy

This my grandmas recipes, it's one of my favorite dishes she makes. I have wanted to try it since moving out on my own but I have been nervous. I finally got over my fear and decided to make it tonight. It was just how she makes it! Delicious!

Pork Chops with Milk Gravy (My grandma's recipe)

• Pork Chops (I made 2)
• 1/4 c.Flour
• 1 c. Milk
• Seasoning Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Salt

Season the pork chops, I rubbed the seasoning into the chops a bit. Fry in a pan until tender and done. Try not to overcook otherwise they are tuff. Take out the pork chops and place somewhere to stay warm. Add milk and flour and mix until combined. Cook on medium-low until warm and hot. Serve over pork chops, and I prefer to serve with mashed potatoes.

Mashed Potatoes- I had some leftover cream cheese (onion and chive) so I used that with my potatoes and a dash of milk, salt and pepper. But with this gravy they really don't need any extra flavor.

Tomato Cream Sauce

There has been some talk on a cooking forum I love to visit about Tomato Cream sauce, it sounded so good, I really wanted to try it. I got a recipe and we tried it last night. We made some modifications and will make more next time. Overall it was a great base but not as creamy as we would like it to be.

Tomato Cream Sauce (Nesties)

• 1 35 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 half an onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• basil, fresh or dried, to taste
• 1/2 cup half and half
• pinch or 2 of sugar

Heat oil in large sauce pan. Cook onion for about 2 minutes and then add tomato paste.

Cook for about 2 minutes, being sure not to burn the paste/onion mixture. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

Drain the canned tomatoes, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid. Puree tomatoes and add reserved liquid.

Add tomatoes, 15 oz can of tomato sauce and sugar to saucepan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about an hour. When the hour is just about up, add half and half, and cook until hot, about 2 minutes.

**Tips: We doubled this recipe kinda, I doubled everything but the whole tomatoes. We didn't puree the tomatoes instead cut into really small pieces. This was too chunky for us. Next time I will use onion powder, and another can of tomato juice, or pureed tomatoes without seeds. I also added the basil to the onions.

Biscuits and Gravy

Last week, I was reading a blog and she made biscuits and gravy. It sounded SOOO good and knew I had to make it on a weekend morning soon. Adam ended up making it this morning, as I was preparing cookie dough for tomorrow. He used caned biscuits because I was too chicken to attempt them today, hopefully soon I will get over my fear or bread!! The gravy was VERY good!

Biscuits and Gravy (From: Nestie Krashed)

• 1 lb. pork sausage
• 2 tbls finely chopped onion
• 6 tbls AP flour
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp salt

1. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the sausage and onion until sausage is no longer pink.

2. Drain, reserving 2 tbls drippings in skillet (I never drain it because I never get 2 tbls worth of drippings).

3. Stir flour into sausage and drippings until blended. Cook and stir until light golden brown.

4. Gradually stir in milk and seasonings. Bring to a boil and cook and stir until desired thickness.

****Tips: We used onion powder instead of onion, we didn't have any sage so we omitted it, and added some seasoning salt. We added the seasonings before adding milk

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken or Shrimp

On Thursday night, we tried the fettuccine recipe again, this time using shredded cheese, and adding some meat. It was better then the previous time, but still not the creamy texture that I expect with Alfredo, so we are going to try a new recipe next time. But this recipe is good and well worth the try as everyones tastes are different. We made chicken for me, and shrimp for Adam.

Fettuccine Alfredo (From: Kare11)

• 8 oz. Fettuccine
• 1 ½ teaspoons butter
• ½ cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 1/3 cups skim milk
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ cup already grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Place fettuccine in 2 ½ quarts of already boiling water (unsalted) and cook until tender 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a larger saucepan.

Add cream cheese and milk stirring constantly with a wire whisk until well-blended and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Add pepper and nutmeg, gradually add shredded cheese, whisking vigorously until cheese is melted and incorporated.(sauce will be thin)

Remove sauce from heat and let stand.

Drain the fettuccine and place in large bowl.

Give the sauce another stir, and pour it over pasta.

Toss well to mix.

Serve immediately, or let stand for sauce to thicken.

Add additional shredded cheese as desired.

Beef Strognoff

After coming down with a cold over the weekend, I was really in the mood to make a really big dinner. I made a very simple and comfort food for us. I made Beef Strognoff, I would have this all the time growing up and it was one of the first things I learned to make, Adam had never had it so he also enjoys it since I have introduced him to it. We haven't had it for a really long time and it was a good meal and a little something different.

Beef Strognoff (Mothers Recipe)

1 can cream of mushroom
1(8oz) small sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1/2 bag egg noodles
1 lb. hamburger
mushrooms (optional)

Boil water for noodles, while that is getting to boiling point. Fry your hamburger in a large pan, if you want to add extra mushrooms add them in with the hamburger. Once hamburger is done add soup, sour cream, and milk. Cook until warm, if you like it more saucer you can add more milk. Serve over egg noodles.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I talked my wonderful Hubby into making dinner tonight, I already had all the ingredients ready and everything was set, was just too lazy to make it. He made Fettuccine Alfredo with some garlic bread.

Fettuccine Alfredo (From: Kare11)
8 oz. Fettuccine
1 ½ teaspoons butter
½ cup reduced-fat cream cheese
1 1/3 cups skim milk
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ cup already grated or shredded parmesan cheese

Preparation Instructions:

• Place fettuccine in 2 ½ quarts of already boiling water (unsalted) and cook until tender 10-12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a larger saucepan.
• Add cream cheese and milk stirring constantly with a wire whisk until well-blended and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Add pepper and nutmeg, gradually add shredded cheese, whisking vigorously until cheese is melted and incorporated.(sauce will be thin)
• Remove sauce from heat and let stand.
• Drain the fettuccine and place in large bowl.
• Give the sauce another stir, and pour it over pasta.
• Toss well to mix.
• Serve immediately, or let stand for sauce to thicken.
• Add additional shredded cheese as desired.

** Tips: Non-Fat cream cheese does NOT seem to work well, we omitted the nutmeg, we also double the recipe which would then use the whole brick of cream cheese.


We omitted the nutmeg as we didn't have any, and I had heard from many people it gave it a different taste. We used some frozen garlic toast to go with the meal. We used

grated parm. next time we will use shredded as it will make it a little thicker. Overall this was wonderful!!!

Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes

I had been having trouble trying to figure out what to cook for dinner tonight, and finally decided I wanted to try some pork chops, which we love with the bacon mushroom sauce, and then what better to serve it with then sweet potatoes. The dinner came together wonderful!I fried the pork chops on our electric grill with some seasoning salt, and then made the bacon mushroom sauce, the recipe is already posted on the blog with the T-bones, it was just as good with the pork chops as the steak. Adam's cousin also ate with us and said the sweet and the pork went really well together.

Then I made sweet potatoe casserole. This is a recipe my mom created a few months ago, to mock the Boston Market Sweet Potatoes, I think it tops them. I use to only enjoy sweet potatoes for Christmas and Thanksgiving, but this recipe makes it possible more often. Adam doesn't not like normal cooked sweet potatoes but loves these, and actually had two helps.

Sweet Potato Casserole

1 lg. can of sweet potatoes

2 Tb. Butter

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. flour

1/2 brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1 bag marshmallows

In large bowl combine drained sweet potatoes, 2 Tb butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Grease baking pan and put sweet potatoes mix in. Cover with marshmallows. Mix flour, brown sugar, butter, and remaining cinnamon. It will be a paste, I just put dollops all of the top of the marshmallows. Bake at a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes until golden brown. This gives it a nice crunchy topping.

**Tip, for the holidays I would make it the day ahead and then pop it in the oven before leaving