Four cheese stuffed shells

Hello friends. I am tired. I started a new job last week that is leaving me a little bit extra sleepy. I will be spending Monday through Wednesday away from home until the end of October. This is a huge change for our family! I miss my boys immensely while I am away. Luckily I keep very busy, so the time goes by quickly.

Goooooood things are comin' our waaaayy.. Can you tell me the song that line comes from? (The first person to comment with the correct answer will receive a special treat in the mail!) Can you tell I need sleep?!  

The weekends are our time to reconnect as a family after a long week. Since it is still skydiving season, we typically do our reconnecting at the dropzone. I made these stuffed shells a few weekends ago for Dan and I and a few skydiving friends. The boys had been tucked into their trailer-bathroom-turned-bunk-beds by the time we were eating, so they sadly were not able to taste the deliciousness. Next time.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook a 12-oz. box of jumbo shells in boiling water, 2 to 3 minutes short of the package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine:

15-oz. container ricotta cheese

1 cup Muenster cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Asiago medium cheese, shredded 

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Mix well.

Stuff a spoonful of the cheese mixture into each cooked shell.

Place the stuffed shells cheese-side-up into the prepared baking dish.

Pour a 28-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce evenly over the stuffed shells.

Top that with 1 cup of shredded Muenster cheese and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 50 minutes.

Serve warm with garlic bread and a green salad!

I want to thank you all for reading my blog. Seriously, I appreciate every eye that lands on this website. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Enjoy this yummy pasta, and have a great rest of your week!

Printable recipe: Four cheese stuffed shells

Tuna melts

Two years ago today we welcomed our second beautiful baby boy into the world. Now Sammy is a shy, funny, independent little guy who talks and runs all over the place and drives his big brother crazy. I can't imagine life without him! Tonight we will have a small party for him at our house. There is nothing better than seeing happy little smiles on my boys' faces! 

Not only is it Sammy's birthday, but it is also JUNE! Can you believe it is JUNE? What the heck?! It is also hot and very summer-like. I love it.

I got it in my head that I wanted to make tuna melts the other day. It seemed like a good meal to use for leftovers in these busy summer days. They turned out great, and I had them for lunch and dinner for 2 or 3 days. 

Preheat your oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine:

Two 12-oz. cans tuna, drained

One 14-oz. can quartered artichokes, drained and finely chopped

1/2 of a red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix well. 

Slice 6 Bolillo rolls (or any type of sandwich roll) in half and distribute the tuna mixture between the bottom halves of the rolls. Place the tuna-topped rolls on the prepared baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 1 minute, just to warm the tuna up a bit.

Remove from the oven and distribute 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese between the 6 tuna-topped sandwich bottoms.

Place the baking sheet back into the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. 

If you plan to use the tops of the rolls for your melts, place them on the baking sheet (cut-side-up) for the last minute of broiling.

Top the melts with tomato slices and fresh lettuce or spinach and the tops of the rolls.

Or you could forgo the toppings and enjoy a deliciously melty open-faced tuna melt. 

Either way, ENJOY! And enjoy this summer weather!

Printable recipe: Tuna melts

White chicken lasagna

I am typing this post from the comfort of our "second home," as Elijah calls it (our trailer at the dropzone). I am remembering from last summer how tired our boys become after consecutive nights spent here. The fresh air and the stimulation of all varieties and the people and the not-sleeping-well-because-the-dropzone-is-so-much-fun makes for some crazy tired boys. I had a few moments tonight when I had to walk away for a few minutes because my patience was wearing very thin. As I type, the monkeys are fighting falling asleep in their supremely overly tired states.

Deep breaths. Just keep typing.

White chicken lasagna.

After the boys had finally fallen asleep last night, Dan and I finished off this pan of lasagna that I had made earlier in the week. It is SO GOOD, you guys. I used to make this recipe fairly often years ago, before I was married, and recently made a few alterations to make it even tastier. 

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook 9 lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Chop 1 yellow onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic.

Heat 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Cook the onion and garlic until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add:

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

Stir to coat.

Add:

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup milk

Bring to a boil. 

Add:

2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Stir until the cheese is melted.

Add:

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

In the prepared baking dish, layer as follows:

1/3 of the sauce 

3 lasagna noodles

2 cups ricotta cheese

Meat from one Rotisserie chicken, shredded

14-oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped

3 lasagna noodles

1/3 of the sauce

10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3 lasagna noodles

Remaining sauce

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

While writing this post, the boys have gone from wild-monkey status to wild-monkeys-who-have-been-tranquilized-and-who-will-be-asleep-soon. Not that we tranquilize our children. The effects of the past two days are just finally catching up.

Releasing deep breath.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It's a keeper!

Printable recipe: White chicken lasagna

7-layer taco dip

I find it impossible that I haven't shared this recipe yet. This is one of my all-time favorites! Dan and I make this 7-layer dip a handful of times every year, and for various occasions. One being Cinco de Mayo! We plan to celebrate the holiday tomorrow night with our skydiving friends, Dan in his beer holster, me in my chili pepper earrings and the boys in their sombreros. Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! (I will try to get a picture of all of us in our festive attire.)

I spent literally years perfecting this recipe, and let me tell you...it is PERFECT! Please trust me on this. Prepare it exactly as it is, and you will not be disappointed. Your guests will adore you, I promise!

In a medium bowl, combine:

16-oz. can refried beans

1 heaping tablespoon taco seasoning (I use Ortego Chipotle-flavored seasoning)

Mix well. Spread mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

In another medium bowl, combine:

10 oz. sour cream

8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Mix well. Spread mixture over the bean mixture in the pan.

Top with:

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

16-oz. jar salsa

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 of a head of iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with chips. Enjoy the fiesta!

Printable recipe: 7-layer dip

Ham & cheese pretzel bites

I had been stalking this particular recipe on Pinterest for quite some time (source: penniesonaplatter.com). We had some people over a while back, so it was the perfect opportunity to finally make them! I had never made soft pretzels before, but I do have deliciously wonderful memories of them. Back in my poor, single years (as opposed to my current poor, married years), I was a waitron at Timberwolves games. Isn't that a funny word? Waitron? Anyway, before the madness began each night, we had the option to eat either a free hot dog or a free soft pretzel. I usually opted for the pretzel, along with a container of warm, gooey cheese for dipping. I never got tired of those things. 

I don't think I have bitten into a soft pretzel since my waitron days, which seriously seems like a lifetime ago. So when I bit into these delicious little bites, my tastebuds did cartwheels! Reunited with the beloved soft pretzel!

In a small bowl, combine:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)

Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

In a large bowl, combine:

2 1/2 cups flour

Warm milk mixture

1 package (1/4 oz.) instant dry yeast

Stir until a soft dough forms. Add more flour as needed (up to 1/2 cup). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead a few times, forming a smooth ball.

Brush the inside of a large clean bowl with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Alow it to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size and bubbles appear on the surface.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 4 equal pieces. Lightly dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each piece of dough into roughly a 12x4-inch rectangle. As you can see, my rectangles are not quite rectangles.

With the long sides facing you, place the following ingredients onto the bottom third of each piece of dough:

A quarter of 1/2 cup finely chopped ham

A quarter of 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Roll the dough as tightly as you, starting with the long edge holding the ham and cheese. 

Cut each roll into 12 equal pieces.

Transfer the pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let them rest, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 4 teaspoons of baking soda to the boiling water and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.

Boil the pretzels in batches, cooking for about 20 seconds each and turning once. I'll be honest, this process was a little bit stressful (hence, no photos), and I had a handful of casualties.

They should look slightly puffed when they are done. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them back to the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until they are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.

Brush with 4 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt. 

Serve warm! Enjoy!

Printable recipe: Ham & cheese pretzel bites