How to Make Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells is another Meatless Monday Meal, but you can add shredded chicken or pork and sausage if you like. Chop up broccoli or mushrooms, add in spinach. Use various cheeses, so many options to make this recipe your own. This is a basic recipe I got from Ree Drummond. Serves 8 Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes 

Ingredients: 

Kosher salt

8 oz jumbo pasta shells

30 oz whole milk ricotta cheese 

1/2 cup grated romano cheese

2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley 

12 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade This is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slicing the leaves perpendicular to the roll.

1 large egg

Freshly ground pepper, to taste 

8 oz Parmesan, grated 

2 jars marinara 

8 oz mozzarella, grated or shredded 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
4. To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
5. Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

How to Make Yorkshire Pudding

 

Yorkshire pudding is an English popover made from eggs, flour and pan drippings most often with a roast beef dish.  It’s savory with crispy edges but has a moist flavorful center that is often seasoned with the herbs you have seasoned your meat dish with.

They are a type of popover that is made with an egg, milk (or cream) and flour batter with seasonings.  They can be made in individual muffin tins or in large rectangular shaped pans.  They are baked at a high temp where the edges get crispy and flaky and rise up and pop up super tall and the center remains moist and a savory meat au jus flavored center.

Tips… Let the batter rest for at least 30 mins after making.  This allows the flour to fully incorporate into the liquid.

It is very important you heat the pan with the oil to HOT before adding the batter.  This allows the edges to start cooking immediately and the edges will get crispy and you won’t end up with a soggy, mushy pudding.

No drippings, no problem…you can use any oil that has a high smoking point like a vegetable oil to make them.  If you have any brown bits in the pan scrape them up and put them in the oil for additional flavor!

Total Time: 25 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 5 large Eggs 
• 1 cup Half & Half 
• 1 cup Flour, all-purpose 
• 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs; tarragon, basil, oregano, chives are options 
• 12 tablespoons pan drippings or vegetable oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions: 

1. Using a whisk in a bowl, blend the eggs until nice and frothy.  Add half and half and stir to combine. Sift flour and salt into the eggs and  blend well.  Add herbs and pepper.   Place in fridge for at least 30 mins up to 3 hours.   
2. Preheat oven to 450F. Take the pan drippings or vegetable oil and place 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each muffin tin. 
3. Once oven is hot, place the pan with the drippings in for 5 minutes until the oil is just smoking. 
4. Remove the bowl with egg/flour mixture from fridge when you put the pan in the oven, stir to remix. 
5. Once oil is smoking you will add 1/4 -1/3 cup batter to each muffin tin. (the muffin tin cup should be filled to about 1/2-2/3 full) any more than that or it will make a mess in your oven.  
6. Carefully place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 13-14 minutes until they have popped.  
7. Serve immediately. I like mine with butter, but a lot of folks like brown gravy. 

*TIPS: Which is Best for Grilled Cheese…Mayo or Butter

 

Why is mayo better for grilled cheese?

It might seem strange to use mayo to make a grilled cheese, but it makes perfect sense when you think about the ingredients used to make mayonnaise—that creamy texture comes from whipping egg yolks and oil. Using mayo instead of butter to make grilled cheese results in a rich, golden brown exterior, and some say the taste is even better than butter!

Ham and Broccoli Casserole

 Another Low-Carb recipe from lifetimerecipes.com. This Ham and Broccoli Casserole only has 6g carbs per serving! You can serve this casserole for any meal as it is made with eggs. I’m always buying ham steaks as they are easy to heat up and inexpensive. You can also substitute the ham for turkey, chicken or pork. Or go sans protein and serve it as a broccoli bake side dish or a meatless Monday meal. 

You can either cook the broccoli accordingly to the directions below or buy a frozen bag that you can heat in the microwave and save time. I buy Birds Eye Steamfresh Broccoli Florets at Meijer for $2.65. ALDI also has Steamed Broccoli Florets for $1.09. 4 Total Time: 45 minutes 

ALDIs Steamed Broccoli Florets $1.09

Ingredients:

3 cups precooked broccoli florets 

1 cup precooked ham, cubed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

5 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Salt and pepper, to taste 

1 tablespoon butter to grease baking dish 

• ▢ cups precooked broccoli florets 
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Directions:

• Add the broccoli florets to a pan with salted water and bring to a boil.
• Cook for 3-4 minutes until the broccoli is slightly tender, then drain the water well.
• Butter an oven-proof dish, the add the cooked broccoli florets.
• Cut the ham into cubes, and add it to the broccoli.
• Top with the grated cheese.
• In a bowl, beat the eggs, add the milk, salt and pepper and give it a good stir.
• Pour it over the other ingredients.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 350F for 30-40 minutes or until the egg is cooked, and the cheese is melted.

Stewed Tomato Mushroom Goulash

 Quick dinner ready in 30 or less. I cooked the ground beef first and while that was cooking I cut up the celery, onions and mushrooms. Used a separate skillet to sauté the vegetables then I added the stewed tomatoes. Let that simmer to soften the celery. Drain as much of the grease that you can from the ground beef before adding it to the vegetables. Top with some freshly chopped parsley. Seasonings I used were: basil, salt and pepper, to taste. I felt it needed a bit more tomato sauce, but used about 3/4th of a 6oz can of tomato paste instead. I made enough for at least 4 nights. Serves 4, but expect seconds. 

Ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef 

4 oz mushrooms, diced 

2 cans stewed tomatoes 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

3 stalks celery, diced 

1/2 yellow onion, diced 

1 tablespoon dried basil 

Salt and pepper, to taste

3/4th of 6 oz can of tomato paste 

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley, to garnish 

Directions:

In a medium size skillet on med/high heat add the ground beef, stir occasionally to break up and turn over. While ground beef is cooking dice the mushrooms, onions and celery. In a separate large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat then add the mushrooms, onions and celery. Cook until onion is translucent. Add in the stewed tomatoes and stir to combine. Add seasonings and stir. Turn heat down to simmer, cover for 10 minutes to soften celery. Drain grease from ground beef then add beef to vegetables. Stir in the tomato paste, cover and let simmer an additional 10 minutes. Top with freshly chopped parsley. 

How to Make Cheese Broccoli Cornbread

 This Broccoli Cheese Cornbread recipe is one of those homestyle dishes that goes with a variety of meals. It's filled with steamed broccoli florets, corn muffin mix, flavorful seasonings and plenty of sharp cheddar cheese. The ingredient  combination results in a cornbread casserole that bakes tender, cheesy and packed with flavor. Great for pot lucks, cookouts and family gatherings. 

Penny pinching? Who isn’t these days. I’m pretty sure all the ingredients can be purchased at ALDIs except the dry mustard, which you can pick up at Walmart or Target. Makes 8 

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups steamed broccoli florets roughly chopped
• 1 6.5 oz container light garlic-herb spreadable cheese 

• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup butter melted
• 1 small sweet onion finely diced
• 2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 8.5 oz box cornbread mix (Martha White or Jiffy)
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 11 x 7 inch (2 Quart) baking dish. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, mix together, the steamed broccoli, garlic-herb cheese spread, 4 eggs, melted butter and finely diced onion until blended.

Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, cornbread mix and seasonings. Stir until combined. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Insert a toothpick to see if cooked through. Cut into 2.5” squares.

How to Make Veggie Terrine

Considering all the different vegetable products that can be found on a charcuterie board, it is no surprise that this is a staple on the charcuterie. According to recipes.net … The term “terrine” is a french word meaning “large earthenware pot”.  That’s because in the past, terrine literally meant the container that the dish was made in. 

Today, “terrine” has two definitions. We have inherited the use of “terrine” to refer to the deep rectangular or oval cookware used to make the dish. The term has also come to refer to the dish itself. It is a dish of layered ground meats, organ meats, vegetables, and seasonings, packed tightly into the shape of a loaf and cooked in a water bath. Sometimes, you can also coat a layer of gelatin, commonly known as aspic, on top. The aspic holds the dish together and adds an extra layer of flavor to it. With this recipe we are not holding it together with aspic, but eggs…so it’s sorta like a quiche loaf. 

There are many vegetables you can use just carefully mix vegetables that have stronger flavors with more delicately flavored vegetables, it might be too bland. Along with zucchini, summer squash and carrots like in this recipe, consider using; eggplants, red peppers, and mushrooms.

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium carrots, peeled
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow summer squash
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 large garlic clove, finely minced
½ tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
6 large eggs
¼ c. milk
¼ c. coconut flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1 small handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a  9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Cut the carrots, zucchini and summer squash in half lengthwise and then into thin slices on a mandolin.
In a large skillet  heat coconut oil. Add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute. Then add the sliced vegetables and season with ¼ tsp of salt and all the pepper.
Cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl , mix together coconut flour, remaining ¼ tsp of salt and baking powder, set aside. In a large bowl whisk together eggs & milk, and then whisk in flour mixture until fully incorporated and slightly thickened.
Fold in the cooked vegetables and basil. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake until light golden brown on top and set in the center, about 40-45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes.
Remove from pan, and serve warm or at room temp.