Beef Shells Supreme with Veggies

I made the Beef Noodle Supreme recipe from this site and of course I had to modify it (just because I wanted to use my veggies on hand and add a little spark). My mom used to make this recipe but instead of green onions, she'd use parsley.

I followed the recipe but added fresh spinach and asparagus to the sauce as well as fresh parsley to the cream cheese mixture. It turned out so well!! I like the canned tomato sauce rather than using a pre-made "Prego-type" sauce.

It wasn't a total kid pleaser, but honestly, what is these days? My kids don't like pizza, so don't bank on your kids not liking this (I loved it as a kid).

Ingredients I used:

1 lb ground beef

1 tblsp olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

3 small (8oz) cans of tomato sauce

1 package of cream cheese (spreadable is easiest, but if you get regular, let it sit out for an hour before making this meal)

1 small jar of sour cream (about 1 cup)

8-10 green onions (whites and greens, chopped)

handful of chopped fresh parsley (or about 1 tblsp of dry parsley)

handful of fresh spinach* (optional)

5 stalks of asparagus (cut into about 1/2 inch pieces) * (optional)

12-16 oz noodles (I've used egg noodles as well as medium shells)

2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar or colby/jack)

First start the noodles in boiling water. While the water is boiling, brown the ground beef with the garlic and olive oil (if needed). Cook until it's no longer pink, then add the pasta sauce, salt and sugar. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Add the spinach and asparagus * (optional) and cook until the spinach has shrunken down.

While the pasta is simmering, mix together the softened cream cheese with the sour cream until smooth. Fold in the onions and fresh parsley. Set aside.

Once the pasta has cooked to al dente, drain, then layer on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Add the cream cheese mixture to the pasta and spread it out in an even layer on top.

Top with the meat sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 (or 340 for convection oven) for about 30 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese doesn't burn or dry out.

Serve with salad and a nice Malbec or Chianti wine.

This is a great meal to double up on and freeze some for later. Just cook about 1 hr - 1.5 hours from a thawed state. With the recipe above, this made dinner for 4, lunch for 2 adults the next day, and a meal for 4 in the freezer. A pound of ground beef goes a long way.

Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients (this feeds a family of 4)

8 uncooked lasagna noodles (can use more or less)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups washed baby spinach
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella


Cook the noodles 9 minutes, drain and set them out on a platter (cutting board, work surface, etc). Once they've cooled to the touch, spread two scoops (about two tablespoons) of ricotta on each noodle.



Next, spread about two spoonfuls of marinara on each noodle.



Now, spread some of the baby spinach on top.


Now roll.


Fill casserole pan (that you have already sprayed with non-stick spray).

Top with remaining marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella. Cook at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.


Bubbly goodness!!

Ramon Bowl Saturday

Boys had plain Ramon (oh mom! you're so healthy!!) and hubby and I made the Quick Ramon Bowl from Budget Bytes. Definitely was much better than just plain Ramon. Now if I could get the boys to eat their vegetables!!

Penne Pesto with Sliced Peaches

Pesto, garlic, tomatoes, onions, cooked penne. Wahlah.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I was a bit skeptical about this menu item because there really wasn't any sort of "sauce" used on the pasta. I think it helped that the eggs were mixed with Parmesan cheese, that I put bacon pieces in the pasta, and the fact that there was garlic and olive oil, I think this turned out nicely. The boys inhaled it. That always tells me I should make it again!!

Tortellini Tossed with Fresh Mozzarella

- 16 oz. tortellini filled with pesto or cheese
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 tsp. minced garlic, (about 2 cloves)
- 28 oz. whole tomatoes, with their liquid
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped, or 1 Tbsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, diced

Cook the tortellini according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté them for 5 minutes,
stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes (optional), black pepper and sugar (if using dried basil, add it now), and simmer it until the pasta is ready, cutting the tomatoes into smaller pieces while they cook. When the tortellini is done, drain it and put it in a large metal bowl. Toss it with the sauce. When the pasta has cooled for 2-3 minutes, add the mozzarella and fresh basil and toss it again. (This prevents the mozzarella from melting too
much and getting stringy.) Serve it warm.

Risotto-Style Orzo with Spring Vegetables

This Orzo Recipe was really yummy. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't find orzo, so I just used some small noodles that looked like orzo. I couldn't tell the difference (although I had to use twice as much of the noodles as the recipe called for). I also tripled the mushrooms (yum- my favorite part of the meal). We ate this Saturday night as well. We made more than we needed... and still have some left for tomorrow!

Homemade Pasta Sauce and Whole Wheat Penne Sunday

Our cupboards are bare, and this is all I could come up with today. I liked the sauce, but I think the kids disliked the asparagus I put in the sauce... I will probably leave that out next time... just thought I'd throw in all the veggies I had in the fridge... but I guess the asparagus had too much flavor for my guys (even though they eat it as a side). I also threw in carrots, celery, zucchini, and tons of other spices.

Stuffed Shells and Spaghetti Squash Saturday

I love me some spaghetti squash! Even though I had the shells in the oven for 30 minutes, I decided to nuke the squash in the microwave in 1/4 cup of water (cut in half) for 10 min. I scooped the seeds out before cooking it and then added some butter and salt after I scraped the insides. The best vegetable ever (as far as my taste goes).

I also topped my "tried and true" stuffed shells with cheese and fresh basil leaves. It helped make the Ragu taste less Ragu-y. I will be making a batch of homemade sauce this weekend!

Monday's Creamy Zucchini Pasta with Shrimp

Hubby nixed the couscous and shrimp idea, so we did what we always do... throw the shrimp on some pasta. At least we actually made up a pasta recipe this time! It was the Creamy Zucchini Pasta we've made before. Tastes really good with the grilled lemon pepper shrimp on top!

Honey Dijon Shrimp and Pasta Monday

Well, the boys had cereal and Mac and Cheese before soccer practice, and dad made this Honey Dijon Shrimp (From The Six O'Clock Scramble). Instead of putting it on rice, he put it on pasta. It turned out really nicely and we had pretty much all the ingredients at the house. We paired this with some garlic bread and fruit.

Shells with Homemade Super Veggie Pasta Sauce Thursday

I had made these shells a couple of weeks ago and froze them (they contain cottage cheese, Borsin cheese, spinach, parsley, and probably a few other things). For the sauce, I brewed a big pot almost all day (at least 4 hours). I threw in so many vegetables that I had ground up in the food processor- onion, garlic, red bell pepper, 3 whole squashes (not yellow and not zucchini.. starts with a C and I can't even remember the name of it!), lots of carrots. I sauteed these in olive oil for a few minutes, then threw in two cans of diced tomatoes and a small can of sauce. I also put about a cup of red wine, a bay leaf, lots of spices (red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, fennel, onion powder, salt and pepper). It turned out really nicely and I hope some of the good stuff from the veggies stayed in the sauce after the long day of cooking!!

Soba Noodle Saturday

This was a really awesome Soba noodle meal. I did change up the way I cooked the tofu (I cooked it in some sesame oil with low sodium Tamari soy sauce and some of the cut up chives). The boys didn't want to eat it again (of course) but hubby and I were pleasantly surprised. I've never made a broth before cooking noodles, and I think that's what did the trick. I will probably make this again.

Spicy Asian Noodles

This was pretty good but I probably won't make it again with a recipe... more likely just throw in the veggies I have and put them over noodles. The kids hated it (and I left the spice out for them). I found the recipe in a magazine, but couldn't find the online link to it. If anyone is interested in the recipe, let me know and I'll type it out. It really was pretty easy... I think I just cooked the vegetables too long.

Chickpea Pasta with Almonds and Parmesan Wednesday

This Chickpea Pasta Dish was so simple and easy and a crowd pleaser (for my family at least). We left the almonds out for the boys, but they were my favorite part!

Creamy Zucchini Pasta

I had a couple of zucchinis in the fridge, so I thought I'd search allrecipes for something to make with them. The result turned out very zesty! I thought it was going to be bland, but it turned out to be a spicy favorite. The recipe is for Creamy Zucchini Linguine but I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles instead. Hubby asked to make this again next week.

Ravioli and Caesar Salad Monday

I love these ravioli! Spinach and mozzarella, in the freezer, quick to cook and quick to eat. I threw together a romaine Caesar salad with toasted almonds and sunflower seeds.

Grilled Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta Monday

This non-recipe turned out quite nicely! We sprinkled lemon pepper seasoning on them and grilled up the last 7 shrimp we had on Sunday night (at the same time we grilled our salmon burgers) and saved them for Monday's pasta. I got some mushrooms, sliced them, sauteed them in butter and a little bit of soy sauce, then added the whole wheat pasta (and a little olive oil). We heated up the shrimp in a pan and threw them on top of the pasta with some parsley. This recipe was so simple but it tasted really good!!

Sage and Shrimp Pasta with Zucchini Wednesday

Yum!! I forgot to put the corn in here... and I forgot to serve a salad, but it came out quite nice for such a fly by non-recipe!

3/4 box Cappelini Pasta
1 medium zucchini
7 sage leaves (2 chopped, 5 crisped in hot butter- yes!!)
10 medium shrimp (sauteed in more butter with lemon pepper spice)
1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth and salt)
Lots of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) on the noodles while they sat waiting for hubby to get home.

Once everything was cooked or sauteed, I threw it all together. It was quite yummy! The boys also had bacon.

Pesto Shrimp Salad Monday

I found this Target website (of all places) where you can type your "on-hand" ingredients in and come up with a recipe. I came up with Pesto Shrimp Salad. It really wasn't horrible, although we didn't have fresh tomatoes (used a can) nor did we have olives (that weren't martini olives), so I used capers instead. It turned out pretty good. I think our gulf shrimp was a little too fishy AND we had marinated it in lemon pepper for the meal the night before. We paired it with a nice salad and some jalapeno bread.