Pepperoni Stuffed Shells

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pepperonistuffedshells

Stuffed shells are one of my favorite comfort meals. Pasta encasing a bunch of fluffy ricotta and gooey, cheesy goodness? You just can’t go wrong. Not to mention the variations and combinations that you can use to “mix up” your filling is endless.

So, when reached out to me about creating a recipe using their – my mind immediately began brainstorming. And, led me right to the thought of  a pepperoni-studded stuffed shell (say that 3x fast!). All of your favorite flavors in a pizza, but in pasta form. Genius!

Pepperoni is something that I always have on hand in the fridge, it’s a great way to add a little bit of meaty flavor to recipes. I’ll often add it to skillet pastas, or baked pasta dishes…as well as just for snacking purposes. Love having it around for a quick anti-pasta platter when unexpected guests drop in. A few slices of cheese, some pepperoni, maybe a few olives? Bam! Awesome easy appetizer.

But, finding a good-quality pepperoni can be a little bit daunting – to say the least. So many are full of so much fat, by the time you cook it…there’s nothing left. Not the case with .

 is a family-owned company that’s been in business since 1920. Right here in the good, old US of A too! That’s a feat that seems to be harder and harder to come by these days. You can find their products  (ham, pepperoni, bacon) at many retailers nationwide, in various size packaging. With 3 little boys, I can blow through one of their 1-lb bags in no time. It’s a brand I know I can always turn to for quality! Make sure you stop by their recipe page for a bunch of great recipe ideas.

I kept the filling simple: Ricotta, chunks of mozzarella, a little oregano. Placed the whole pepperoni slices into the shells, then stuffed with the ricotta mixture. Baked with my favorite quick marinara sauce and a little extra mozzarella on top. Perfection, I tell ya!

It’s the time of year where we find ourselves turning to comfort foods, and this one is definitely a new favorite in our home. Add it to your menu soon, you won’t regret it!

Pepperoni Stuffed Shells

1 (16 oz ) box jumbo shells
15 oz container ricotta cheese
16 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 (8 oz) package Sugardale pepperoni
1 jar favorite marinara sauce

Cook pasta shells according to directions. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a 9×13 baking dish, spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, half of the mozzarella, salt, garlic powder, and oregano. Mix until combined.

Line the inside of a pasta shell with 2 pieces of pepperoni. Then stuff with 1 heaping tablespoon of filling. Place in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining shells.

Spread the remaining sauce on top of the shells, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.

Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

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Homemade Sloppy Joes

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Homemade Sloppy Joes

Raising three little boys, quick economical meals are something that are a constant around here. We love tacos, and my version of a homemade Hamburger Helper is always a hit, and who could forget spaghetti? But on this particular evening that I’d taken out some ground beef, I wasn’t feeling any of those options.

I decided to whip up a from-scratch version of the classic Manwich sauce in a can, and made homemade Sloppy Joes. They took just a few minutes to throw together, out of ingredients that I usually always have on hand. A little bit of tang and a little bit of sweetness to the sauce hits all the right spots on the flavor scale, everyone really enjoyed them!

I think this would be a great option for a cookout instead of burgers. The beef could easily be mixed up and kept warm in a slow cooker for serving. I kept it simple and served with some potato chips and my favorite coleslaw.  In fact, I put a spot of coleslaw on my sandwich. Don’t knock it till you try it!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cups ketchup
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
4 hamburger buns, toasted

Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat. Drain off most of the fat.

Add in the green peppers and onion, cooking for about 4 minutes until onions soften. Add in garlic and cook for another minute.

Stir in the ketchup and water, as well as the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, hot sauce, and Worstershire sauce. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and simmer over low heat, for about 20 minutes.

Serve the filling piled high on toasted hamburger buns.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes

Broccoli Slaw

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broccolislaw

Have you guys hopped on board the spiralizer bandwagon yet? I hadn’t, but have wanted to for quite some time. So when OXO reached out to me to give their new Countertop Spiralizer model a try, I was happy to oblige.

I opted for the the standard zucchini noodle to get my “feet wet”, and then quickly found myself spiralizing everything I could get my hands on. It’s so much fun to use! Couldn’t be any easier to clean or store, and has three different blades for a plethora of slicing needs. spiralizer

Like curly fries! I’m trying to think on the healthy side – but it’s hard to deny the fact that for me this is groundbreaking. Curly fries. Sprinkled with Old Bay. From the comfort of my own home. Ya heard?

Of all the things I passed through this little gadget last week, I think I had the most fun with broccoli stems. I always felt so bad tossing them in the trash on the regular, so believe me when I say it felt so good to make this delicious, crunchy, and tangy slaw with those big green stalks!

What a great way to stretch a buck, and good for you to boot! I mixed with some shredded green and red cabbage, as well as some shredded carrot for a little additional crunch and pop of color. Would be the perfect addition to any potluck party table.

Broccoli Slaw

2 large broccoli stems, spiralized or shredded
1 cup thinly shredded green cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, and celery seed.

Add in broccoli, shredded cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and season to taste.

Cover and refrigerate for and hour to let flavors meld before serving.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by the good folks at OXO. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Garlic Herb Seasoned Salt

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Garlic Herb Salt

Back at Christmas time I bought an insane amount of pre-peeled garlic due to poor grocery shopping planning, and needed something to do with it. I’d remembered a recipe they’d talked about on The Splendid Table a while back for homemade seasoned salt using fresh garlic, and decided that since I had a plethora of the stuff that I needed something to do with…this was the perfect opportunity to try out said recipe.

You guys, it’s been pretty much the only seasoning I’ve used since then – save chili powder and cumin. Not a meal goes by that I don’t find myself dipping into the stuff. I keep a mason jar curing of it at all times, just because it’s so perfect to use on everything – any protein under the sun, to any vegetable or starch you can throw at it! It really heightens the flavor of whatever it is you use it on, without overwhelming it…which many store-bought seasoning blends tend to do!

I roasted the garlic first – to intensify and deepen the flavors. Then, toss it into bunch of salt along with some freshly chopped herbs. Any mix of your favorite will do – I’ve been using rosemary and thyme recently, just because it’s been pretty readily available during the cold months.

However now that it’s warming up and I’m starting to think about my herb garden – I’m looking forward to experimenting with different blends of herbs this season. I also think that bit of citrus zest would also be a welcome addition to the party! Or maybe a smidge of lavender for an Herbes de Provance twist? Have fun with it, you can’t mess this one up!

Garlic Herb Seasoned Salt

20 large cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp olive oil
1.5 cups kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh thyme leaves, removed from stems
1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves, removed from stems

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place garlic in small baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Place garlic in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until brown on the edges and fragrant. Roughly chop and set aside.

Combine kosher salt, roasted garlic, and herbs into a quart size mason jar. Seal with a lid and shake well to combine. Store in a dark space, shaking occasionally every other day or so, for about 5 days.

Place salt infusion into a food processor and blend for a few pulses until garlic and herbs are mostly chopped and uniform. Place back into the mason jar or another airtight container for storage.

Source: adapted from The Splendid Table