Makeover Cheese Stuffed Shells Food

CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Boil shells according to package directions. Remove from pot with tongs to avoid tearing and allow to cool on a sheet of wax paper.
• Combine eggs, cheeses, and seasonings in bowl.
• Spoon about 3 Tbls. cheese mixture into each cooked shell.
• Spread 2 Tbls of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of 13"x9" baking dish.
• Arrange shells in dish over sauce.Pour remaining sauce over stuffed shells.
• Sprinkle cheese over sauce.
• Bake in 350F degrees oven for 30 minutes.

MAC AND CHEESE-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring the half-and-half to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the American cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the Cheddar, mustard, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Put 1/2 cup sauce each into 2 medium bowls. Pour the remaining sauce into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
• Cook the large shells according to the package directions. Transfer with a slotted spoon to one of the medium bowls and toss to coat with the sauce. Cook the small shells in the same pot of water according to the package directions. Drain well, then transfer to the remaining medium bowl and toss to coat with the sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spoon the small shells into the big shells and line them up neatly in the baking dish, nestling them in the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese crackers. Bake until hot through, bubbling and the crackers are starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

4 CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven or broiler to 450 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add pasta. Cook shells 12 to 15 minutes, they should be softened but still undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool.
• Combine ricotta, 1/2 of the diced mozzarella, a couple of handfuls of Parmigiano and 1/2 of the Asiago. Add parsley to the cheeses and stir to combine.
• To a small saucepot over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in basil leaves
• Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized flameproof casserole dish. Fill shells with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in casserole dish. Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and Asiago cheeses. Place shells in very hot oven or 8 inches from hot broiler and cook 6 to 8 minutes to melt cheeses and bubble sauce.

THE BEST STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat, add the basil and dried oregano, partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the basil sprig. If the sauce is still too chunky, mash the larger chunks of tomato with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• For the shells and filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the dried pasta shells cook, stirring occasionally, until softened slightly but not cooked. (The pasta shells should flexible enough to be filled but remain very al dente; they will continue to cook during baking.) Drain, then run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well again.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, parsley and egg in a large bowl until well combined and uniform. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer the filling to a large disposable pastry bag or large resealable plastic bag (or use a spoon for filling directly from the bowl).
• Spread 2 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Snip off the end of the pastry bag and squeeze the filling into the shells one at a time. Arrange the shells open-side up in a tight single layer in the baking dish as you fill them. Top with the remaining marinara sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the shells until the sauce is bubbling throughout and the filling is heated through, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil from the pan and continue to bake for 10 more minutes to reduce the sauce. Let cool slightly before serving. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, parsley, basil, egg, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. Stir until combined.
• To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan.
• Bake until hot and bubbly, 25 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread.

CLASSIC STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce in an even layer in the bottom of the pan.
• Place the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, egg, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Stir to combine.
• Fill each shell with the ricotta mixture and place in the baking dish.
• Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the shells, then sprinkle the other 1 1/2 cups of cheese over the top.
• Cover the dish with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the pan, then bake for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
• Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

THREE-CHEESE STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Boil spinach until bright green, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain. Add shells to boiling water; cook until slightly underdone. Drain. Toss with 1 teaspoon oil. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Squeeze spinach to release excess water; coarsely chop. Stir together with cheeses and egg. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff each shell with about 2 tablespoons cheese mixture. Spread 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Arrange shells in dish; cover with more sauce, reserving some for serving. Bake 25 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.

MAKEOVER EASY BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture., In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Spread 3/4 cup into a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and tomato mixture; spoon over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta shells for 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with oil. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Cook prosciutto, garlic, and onion, stirring, until prosciutto starts to caramelize, 6 to 8 minutes. Add radicchio; cook until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook until evaporated. Let cool slightly. Stir in ricotta and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
• Pour 2 cups tomato sauce into the bottom of each of two 8-by-12-inch baking dishes. Stuff 32 shells with 1 heaping tablespoon filling each. Pack 16 shells into each dish. Cover with foil. Freeze if desired.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dot shells with butter. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Heat remaining cup tomato sauce; serve with shells. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

EASY BEEF-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Cook pasta shells according to package directions to al dente; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups Italian cheese blend, Parmesan cheese, pesto, egg and half of the beef mixture., Spread 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spoon cheese mixture into pasta shells; place in baking dish. Combine remaining beef mixture and spaghetti sauce; pour over shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes longer.