Mexican Stuffed Shells

The kids loved this dish.  I served it with chips, salsa and queso with a salad. Not a good photo at all, my apologies. I was in a hurry, apparently.

~Recipe~

1 lb. ground beef *I use turkey*

1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese or just cheddar
3 green onions
Sour cream

In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.  Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.  While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. 

Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish.  Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed.  Top with any toppings you’d like (green onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa. A great dish and I will make it again! Enjoy~

Lemon Garlic Linguini with Mascarpone and Shrimp

YUMMMMMMY!! This is so good and can be thrown together in a snap. It tastes like it comes from a restaurant and looks kinda like it, too.

~Recipe~

1 lb linguini, cooked and 1/2 cup pasta water reserved
1 1/2 tsp lemon zest, divided
juice of 1 lemon
1 lb deveined, peeled shrimp
black pepper
3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 small shallot, sliced and chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 c mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp chopped basil

Pat the shrimp dry after rinsing we..  Toss the shrimp with 1/2 lemon zest and 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  In a large skittle, med-hi, melt butter until the bubbling subsides.  ADd shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stir all the time, until garlic is JUST turning brown, about 1 minute.  Add shrimp and cook 1 min 30 sec and turn over, reduce to med heat and add wine and 1/2 lemon juice.  Bring this lovely mix to a boil and add the mascarpone cheese and reserved pasta water then add in the cooked linguini and toss to coat all the noodles.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens.  Mix in the rest of the zest, juice and basil.  Season with salt and pepper and a little parmesan cheese.  DEVOUR! Enjoy~

Lemon Blueberry cake

I had a houseful of kids this a.m.  The boys were needing to get to basketball practice and I knew it was going to be hard to serve them all.  I have had this recipe for a while and decided to see if it was worth baking.  It was a hit.  The combos are endless....  AND SO EASY!!!

~Recipe~

1 box of cake mix.  I used lemon
4 eggs
1 can pie filling I used blueberry this time.
Mix well and pour into a greased 9x13 and bake for 27-30 min.
I topped mine with sweetened whip! Easy!! Enjoy~

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Not.gonna.make.these.again.......but, who knows, you may like them.  I don't even have a pic of them.  I could tell when I shredded the meat they were dry and not going to come together like I had hoped.  I do like hoagie buns with butter melted and warm cheese, all was not lost. I have several recipes for these sandwiches and this is not a fave.

~Recipe~

1 4-5 lb chuck roast, fat left on
Lawry's season salt
14 ounces of beef stock
1 chopped onion
8 ounces of chopped pepperocini with the juice
1/2 pkg Italian dressing mix
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Hoagie buns
Cheese

Place roast in slow cooker and sprinkle with season salt.  Pour beef stock, pepperocini and juice around the roast.  Stir in salad dressing mix, garlic, Italian season and cover and cook on low for 8 hours,Turn off and allow to cool, strain the meat juices to remove the pepperocini and shred the meat.  Add it to the stock in the cooker and set on low heat.  Assemble sandwiches on toasted Hoagie buns with melted cheese. Eat....Enjoy~

Snickers Cake

Ok! Ok! OK! here it is!! I have had several messages since I posted the pic on Facebook to get the recipe out....NOW!! It is good....It is fattening....It is full of yummy-ooey-gooey-goodness....BUT it is a doctored box cake...BOO! I did some changes and I made my own Devils food cake from scratch but the easy and quicker way is to use a box mix.  I had the time so I went ahead and made te long version, it will be good with the box as well, I am certain!

~Recipe~

1 box devils food cake mix, plus ingredients to make the cake *or your own version of chocolate cake*
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar Smucker's hot caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tub of cool whip 3 snickers candy bars, chopped
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
caramel sauce
chocolate sauce

Bake cake in a 9x13-inch pan according to direction on the package.

While cake is baking, mix condensed milk and hot caramel topping until well blended. *This is a dangerous combo by itself*. When the cake is done and while it's still hot, poke holes in it with the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour milk mixture over the cake. Allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle chocolate chips over cake. 
Mix the chopped snickers*I put mine thru the food processor* and coolwhip and spread cake.  Top wth chopped peanuts, I used honey roasted...ya know....for that ADDED sweet.... then drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauces. EAT! YUM! Enjoy~

Lemon bars

These are an all time favorite of my family! I had not made them for a long time and they were  eaten in 30 minutes......I guess I need to make them more often! :)

~Recipe~
1 cup butter
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 c powdered sugar
4 eggs
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 powdered sugar for decoration

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Butter and flour a 9x13 pan and set aside
Cream the butter and flour and powdered sugar.  Press dough into the bottom of the pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Beat eggs until frothy and add sugar, baking powder and lemon juice.  Beat until smooth. Pour egg mixture over crust and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool and dust with powdered sugar.  Enjoy~

Orange muffins

These are AWESOME!!! I made them for the first morning back from vacation and they were GONE!  Everyone really enjoyed them.

~Recipe~
1 cup milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed  orange juice
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 sticks butter melted
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 orange

Glaze~
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Line muffins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.  In a medium mixing bowl combine the milk, oj, sour cream, eggs and melted butter.  Whisk to blend.  In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Blend well.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry and mix until incorporated. Fold in the zest, gently.
Divide the batter between the prepared tins, bake for 15-18 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.  Make the glaze by combining the oj, powdered sugar and orange zest in a small bowl.  Whisk until smooth, add more juice if necessary.  Drizzle over the muffins and allow to set before you devour!! Enjoy~

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

My daughter and I are huge fans of Eggplant Parm and I found this grilled version and had to try it.  It is healthier, I am sure but the grilling adds a new flavor that I am really fond of.  My hubs and son were not fond of this recipe at all. It is different and the texture is not the typical eggplant parm, but I loved it! The photo is terrible....I took it with my phone and it certainly doesn't do the yumminess any justice....

~Recipe~

3 medium eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp dried Italian herb mix
1 tsp coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper
5 cups of your favorite tomato sauce...I used marinara
8 ounces of provolone cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 whole basil leaves

Rub the eggplant slices with the olive oil and then garlic, Italian spice, salt and pepper.  Place in a cooking pan and let sit for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Hat grill and grill eggplant slices until lightly grilled in both sides.  **This took quite a bit longer than I thought it would** Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place about 6 eggplant slices on top of the sauce, top with cheese and a few basil leaves.  Top with 1 1/2 cups sauce and repeat layering.  End with the 1 cup parm cheese in top.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove the cover and continue baking for 15 minuets.  Enjoy~