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

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

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Salisbury Steak Meatballs
I’m such a sucker for any form of comfort food. I’ve been feeling a little gypped this winter, as it’s been unseasonably warm for most of the season. But, I haven’t let it stop me from enjoying a few of my favorites.

One dish I loved growing up was noodles and gravy. It was so easy, so filling, so comforting. Growing up, I stayed with an elderly couple before and after school in the afternoons until my parents got off work. It was something they’d often make for a quick meal, and I remember them always using No Yolks® noodles.

So when the brand reached out to me about creating a comfort food recipe to share with my readers using their noodles – my mind immediately flashed back to that childhood favorite. But, I wanted to elevate it a little bit to create a more grown-up version…

Salisbury steak has always been a favorite in our home, so that flavor combination rolled up into a delectable meatball, and served over a bed of perfectly cooked and firm egg noodles? It’s absolute heaven. The beefy flavor from the mushrooms and the savory flavor of the sautéed onions is perfection. And, the meatballs stay incredibly moist simmering in the sauce. It’s everything I loved and remembered about the meal in my childhood, only incredibly better!

A key component of the dish that shouldn’t be overlooked is a good, quality noodle. No Yolks has always been the gold standard in my kitchen.  They always retain their firm texture and shape, even in something like a soup. That is something that’s hard to come by in an egg noodle! Not to mention the fact that they are low in fat and have zero cholesterol.  What more could a girl ask for?

For more comforting recipes using noodles, visit No Yolks® for some delicious ideas.

What was one of your favorite comfort foods growing up? Leave a comment with the answer to win a $100 Visa gift card!

 

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

2/3 cup milk
4-5 slices of bread, crusts removed, bread cut into pieces
1/2 medium white onion, peeled and grated (through a cheese grater)
2 eggs
1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 bag No Yolks ®  Extra Broad Noodles

For the sauce:
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cups sliced onions (other half of onion, plus 1 medium onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
1 quart beef stock
Salt
Black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix the bread pieces with the milk. Set aside for 15-20 minutes, or until the bread soaks up all the milk. When it does, pulverize the bread in a food processor and pour it into a large bowl.

Add the grated onion, eggs, ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the bread. Using your (clean) hands, mix well for about 2 minutes until the ingredients are well combined.

I like to use a cookie scoop to make the meatballs. Form into 1-inch balls. Set aside on a sheet pan or plate. You should get 35 to 40 meatballs.

Heat 6 tablespoons of butter for the sauce in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium and add some of the meatballs. Do not crowd the pan. Work in batches, browning them slowly on all sides. They don’t need to cook all the way, they’ll finish in the sauce. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the pan, setting them aside so you can make the sauce with the remaining pan butter.

Add the sliced mushrooms, onions, and garlic – along with a pinch of salt, to the pan drippings. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and the mushrooms have released most of their liquid. Slowly whisk in the flour. Stirring constantly, brown the flour until it is the color of coffee-with-cream. Add the beef stock slowly. Keep whisking until sauce loosens up and everything combines. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Carefully add the meatballs back into the sauce, cover, and cook for 25 minutes over low heat. Meanwhile, prepare the egg noodles according to package directions.

Serve the meatballs with a generous dose of sauce over a bed of warm egg noodles.

Serves 6

Tell us what your favorite comfort food is for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!

Entry Instructions:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post.

For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected. 

The Official Rules are available here. This sweepstakes runs from 2/22/16 – 3/27/16.

Dill Pickle Soup

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Dill Pickle Soup

I know. I know what you must be thinking…pickle soup? WTF? Right? I thought the same at first when I’d overheard several people mention this soup. It’s also on the menu at one of my favorite little spots to grab a bite here on Chincoteague, Poseidon’s Pantry. So naturally, I had to give it a try at home.

Last week Jon ventured to San Francisco for work stuff. What better place to have to go to for a 49ers fan? I was at home with our 3 boys, and we survived. I’m blessed with pretty well behaved kids! Towards the end of the week I had two of my best girlfriends over to for dinner to try this odd soup…

Turns out it’s REALLY good. Chunks of potato, dill pickles, carrots, chicken broth, sour cream and fresh dill all combine together to create a wonderfully rich, and filling – yet light soup. I think the key is to use really good quality refrigerated pickles in the soup. They stay crunchy and retain their briny flavor. Whereas some of the guys from the shelves in the jars are flabby and crunch-less from the get-go.

We all really enjoyed it, especially the boys. With all the bright flavor from the pickles and the dill, it’s a great soup to welcome springtime. Definitely one I’ll be making again and again, it’s just too much fun not to!

Dill Pickle Soup

5 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 pounds russet potatoes (about 5 large), peeled and diced
5 carrots, peeled and shredded (2 cups pre-shredded)
1 cup chopped dill pickles (about 3 large)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
2 cups dill pickle juice
1-1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
kosher salt
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
sliced dill pickles (for garnish)
fresh dill (for garnish)

In a large pot, combine broth, potatoes, carrots and butter. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add pickles and continue to boil.

In a medium bowl, stir together cornstarch and water to create a slurry. Whisk into soup, stirring constantly until thickened. Whisk in the sour cream until combined.

Add pickle juice, Old Bay, dill, black pepper, and salt to taste. Cook 5 more minutes and remove from heat.

Garnish with slices of pickles and fresh dill before serving.

Souce: adapted from The Noble Pig