What's For Dinner?

The most annoying question asked among families.  I've been busy all day thinking about other people and helping them with whatever small task that they have blown out of proportion and now I come home and have to exercise my brain one more time just to try to figure out how I'm going to feed the other humans in my life.

Take a deep breath.  It's ok.  I've worked it out for you. Below you will find a grocery list, a calendar of meals and recipe cards to help you get through the month. The goal is to supply you with easy recipes every month but, I may drop the ball as the year progresses.  So, I'm going to apologize in advance.

But, here's what I want you to do.  Print out every recipe you intend to try and put them in a binder.  After you have made it, write on the recipe card whether you liked it, didn't like it or had to make some adjustments to make it better.  This way you have a family recipe book of your own.  And, in the future, when your mind is melted from providing exceptional customer service all day, you can just flip through your recipe book and pic one.  Sounds good?  Ok, lets get started.

Our daily schedule is as follows:

  • Crockpot Monday
  • Taco Tuesday
  • Whey Wednesdays (no Meat)
  • Trottole Thursdays (pasta/noods)
  • Fried Chicken Fridays
  • And the weekends are your to relax and order in!

Grocery List

 

 

 

Seafood Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

Pasta Sauce (You can also use 1 cup of your favorite jarred sauce if you don't want to make your own.)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter Divided in 1 tablespoon and 1/2 tablespoon.
  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk Any milk will work.
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine I use Pinot Grigio. Wine will provide immense flavor. You can substitute with any broth.
  • 3 garlic cloves Minced
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning. You can start with 1/4 teaspoon and taste repeatedly. Adjust to taste.
  • salt and pepper to taste

Shells and Filling

  • 20 jumbo pasta shells A 12oz package will have more than enough shells.
  • 8 oz raw shrimp Peeled and deveined. Chopped into 1/2-1 inch chunks.
  • 8 oz lobster meat
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 8 oz lump crab meat
  • 2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach You can also use frozen. Be sure to thaw and drain it first.
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Divided into 1/2 cup portions.
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning 
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • foil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pasta Shells

  • Cook the shells in accordance with the instructions on the packaging, but remove them 2 minutes prior to the noted cook time. (When the cook time provides a range of minutes, I remove the shells 1 minute prior to the low end of the recommended cook time.)
    This will prevent overcooking as the shells will be baked again. Cool the shells in cold water when they have finished cooking. This will prevent sticking.

Cream Sauce

  • Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the flour and stir until thickened.
  • Add the heavy cream, almond milk, and white wine. Stir.
  • Add in the garlic, Parmesan cheese, Italian Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Taste the sauce repeatedly. Add spices if needed. Stir until smooth and set aside.

Seafood and Filling

  • Heat the skillet on medium-high heat. Add in 1/2 tablespoon of butter. When melted, add in the shrimp and lobster.
  • Cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides until cooked through. Remove the shrimp and lobster from the skillet.
  • Add the cream cheese, cooked shrimp, lobster, crab, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan Reggiano cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Shell Assembly and Bake

  • Pour the pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Load the seafood mixture into each of the pasta shells. I aim for 1 1/2 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons of filling in each shell. Place the filled shells in the baking dish over the pasta sauce. (You may want to keep a moist towel handy for your hands while stuffing the shells).
  • Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella throughout.
  • Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is light brown.
  • Cool before serving.

March

St. Patrick's Day is this month and majority of these recipes, I havent tried. So, I will not be posting recipe cards but, instead, links to where I found the recipe.  This month, lets spread our wings and try authentic Irish cuisine!

 

Corned Beef Sliders with Horseradish Sauce

Chicken & Vegetable Spaghetti

Luck of the Irish Corned Beef Stuffed Boxty

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sausage & Ricotta

Corned Beef Hash & Egg Sandwich

Chicken Flambay w/ Irish Whiskey & Cream

Reuben Tortilla Pinwheels

Reuben Topped Irish Nachos