Baked Shells with a Spinach and Meat Sauce

My husband spent most of the day today working outside, and by the time six o' clock came around, he was "starving". So I needed to fix something hearty and fairly healthy--fast! I ended up fixing some spinach and meat stuffed shells and served it with a side salad and some quick toasted bread.

The ingredients:



1/2 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef or ground chuck
1 bag spinach
3 small cans tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons Italian herbs
Red pepper flakes, to taste (not pictured)
Fresh mozzarella cheese
Grated Romano cheese (not pictured)

To start, preheat your oven to 400, then cook your pasta to al dente, for about 10 minutes. Then cut up your onion and garlic.

Saute your onion in a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Then add your garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes, until onions are semi-translucent. 

Remove your onions and garlic and set aside. Then saute your spinach in a tiny bit of olive oil, stirring frequently, until it is just wilted. I cooked mine in three batches to make sure I didn't overcook any of it.

Drain your spinach and chop up in smaller pieces, then set aside with the onion and garlic. Cook your hamburger meat in the pan, breaking it up into little pieces.

After cooking a couple of minutes, add about 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, to taste. Continue cooking meat until it is browned, then drain.

Add your tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, onions, garlic, and spinach to your hamburger meat and mix well. Let simmer for a few minutes, until everything has melded together.

Add your shells, and mix together. You can stop at this step and serve if you'd like, but I added cheese!

Transfer contents to a casserole dish and top with grated mozzerella and romano cheese, then pop in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is all melted and gooey.

Then just plate and serve! I served mine with a side salad and some easy toasted bread, but this would be yummy with some crusty french bread.

It was an easy, hearty meal, and we had plenty of leftovers, even after my husband ate seconds. Enjoy!

Spicy Turkey Burgers with Broiled Veggies

I have had a craving for hamburgers lately, but the 100-plus degree heat outside has kept me from grilling. So for dinner tonight, I decided to pan fry some turkey burgers and broil some fresh veggies--and they really hit the spot!

The ingredients:

6 strips of bacon--I used hickory smoked bacon
1 lb "85/15" turkey meat
2 eggs
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped bread crumbs--I used a "zesty" blend
1 tablespoonful Tony Chachere's seasoning (not pictured)--if you don't like spiciness, you can just add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, but I love the kick from the Tony's spice.
15 mushrooms, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
Asparagus

Turn on the broiler in your oven, then fry your bacon in a large skillet. Once they are cooked, put them to the side, but don't drain the fat out of the pan--this is what you'll use to cook your burgers in. If you want a lighter version, you can cook the turkey burgers in some olive oil.

 While your bacon is frying, finely chop your white onion and garlic. Combine your white onion, garlic, eggs, bread crumbs, and spices with your ground turkey, then form into patties.

Heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat, then add your patties and let them cook. Leave them alone until the bottoms are nice and brown--about 5 to 7 minutes--so they don't crumble or stick when you turn them over.

While those are cooking, slice up your red onion and mushrooms, then place your veggies on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and add salt and pepper, then pop in the oven. Let them cook on the middle rack for about 7 minutes, or until your onions are caramelized.

After one side of your burger is cooked, flip it over and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes. Then add your cheese and cover the skillet while they finish cooking. If you want, you can add a layer of bacon and another slice of cheese (like I did for my husband's burger) on top of the first slice. Once the cheese is all melted and gooey, about 1 to 2 minutes, let the burgers rest on some paper towels for a couple of minutes.

Then put that delicious turkey burger between a sesame seed-covered bun, plate your veggies, and serve! You can add some lettuce and tomato if you want at this point, but this burger is so moist and flavor-packed that you won't need any extra condiments.

And that's it! It took about 30 minutes to cook, and it was super spicy and delicious--and my husband loved it. Enjoy!

Broiled Sausages with Buttered Noodles and an Avocado and Mixed Greens Salad

I always try to keep a few "heat and eat" items in the fridge for those days when I'm running late--and today was one of those days. I was originally going to fix spaghetti, but seven o'clock was creeping up on me, and so I grabbed a quick fix out of the refridgerator--and it was delicious! I fixed cheddar-stuffed sausage with some quick buttered noodles and a mixed greens salad.

The Ingredients:

1 package already cooked cheese-stuffed sausage
1 package no yolks egg noodles
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
Mixed greens--I used a spinach and spring mix
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
A few baby carrots, sliced
Pickle juice (not pictured)
Olive oil (not pictured)

First things first: Heat up the sausage. I put mine on a baking sheet and broiled for a few minutes on each side until they were nice and browned. While that is heating up, combined the noodles, 2&1/2 cups water, 1/2 stick of butter, and 1 tablespoon (or one cube) of chicken bouillon in a pot and heat on medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Once it is boiling, stir every minute or so until the noodles are tender.

About a minute before you noodles are tender, add your remaining 1/2 stick of butter and 1/2 cup of water, plus cracked pepper to taste.

Once everything is cooked, make your salad. Combine your greens, onion, avocado, and carrots. Whisk together 1/3 cup dill pickle juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil, then pour over the salad. Toss the salad together, then plate everything and serve!

There you have it! This took about 10 minutes to make, and it was super delicious--perfect for one of those days when you just don't feel like cooking. Enjoy!

Baked Parmesan Chicken on Garlic-Tomato Spaghetti with a Spinach and Spring Mix Salad

I love chicken, and this dish is one of my favorites. It's my version of baked parmesan chicken, and it is super simple. I served it with some garlic-tomato spaghetti and a mixed greens salad.

The ingredients:

1 package of boneless skinless chicken breasts
About 1 cup of light olive oil mayo
About 1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoonful Italian herbs
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 of an onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
Olive oil
Spaghetti
Mixed greens--I used a baby spinach and spring mix
Feta cheese
My simple homemade vinaigrette--you can find the recipe for the vinaigrette here.

First things first: preheat your oven to 450, then mix up your mayo, parmesan, and Italian Herbs. Put your chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet, and cover them with the parmesan mixture. Then pop them in the oven on the center rack and bake for about 20 minutes, or until your chicken is cooked through.

While your chicken is baking, cook your spaghetti to package directions. Then dice up your onion and garlic. Saute the garlic in a little bit of olive oil on medium-high heat for about a minute.

Then add your onions and cook for another 5 minute, stirring frequently so the onions don't burn.

Drain your can of diced tomatoes and mix them in with your garlic and onions. Cook this for about 3 minutes.

Pour in your can of tomato sauce, then cover the pan and let the sauce simmer on low until your chicken is done cooking.

Once the chicken is is almost done, I like turning on the broiler and let it cook for a minute or two to get a good crust on the outside. This is why I love foil--easy cleanup!

Add your pasta to the sauce and mix everything up.

Mix up the greens, feta, and vinaigrette. Then just plate and serve!

And there you have it: an easy, delicious meal that took less than 30 minutes to fix.  Enjoy!

Broiled Tilapia with Vegetables and Dilled Potatoes

Today was one of those days where I really didn't want to cook. I wanted something easy and quick that required almost no effort at all. So I decided to make broiled tilapia with veggies and dilled potatoes.

If you've never used youre broiler before then you are missing out--it is amazing! The oven is on such a high heat that everything cooks quickly, turning a 45-minute dish into a 10 or 15-minute dish. It's great when you don't have a lot of time to cook--you just have to watch everything to make sure it doesn't burn.

The ingredients:

Tilapia filets--our local grocery store has individually wrapped frozen tilapia that are great. Just run them under water for a few minutes and they are defrosted, and the whole pack is much less expensive than buying them fresh
2 bell peppers
A handful of baby carrots (or two "adult" carrots)
1 red onion
New potatoes
Sour cream
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Dill

For the seasoning on the tilapia, I used 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 teaspoonful paprika, 1/4 teaspoonful dried basil, 1/4 teaspoonful celery salt, 1/2 teaspoonful onion powder, 1/2 teaspoonful garlic powder, about 1 teaspoonful lemon juice, and 2 bay leaves.

Now let's get cooking! Put a pot on to boil and turn on your oven's broiler. In a small bowl, combine all of the tilapia seasonings, except for the bay leaf, and mix well with a fork or a whisk.

Place your tilapia filets on a baking sheet and spoon or pour the seasoning mixture over your filets. I like to line my baking sheets with foil because it keeps food from sticking and it makes cleanup a breeze. Place a bay leaf on each filet, then set to the side and let the fish marinate while you prep the rest of the meal.

Cut up your potatoes into small bite-sized chunks. This will reduce cooking time and make them easier to eat. Once the water is boiling, add your potatoes and cook them until they are tender, about 6 minutes.

While your potatoes are boiling, slice up your onion, bell peppers, and carrots. Try to slice them to about the same thickness so they will cook at the same rate. Drizzle your veggies with olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper, then pop the veggies and the tilapia in the oven. Since tilapia cookes relatively quickly, make sure your veggies are on the upper rack and the tilapia filets are on the lower rack. Then let the oven do its magic! Check your tilapia after 4 minutes, then every minute until they are cooked through and the fish flakes easily.

While that's cooking, drain your potatoes and put them back in the pot. Add a few dollops of sour cream and a pat of butter, then stir until the butter is melted and everything is mixed well.

Then stir in your dill, pepper, and salt. I love the taste of dill, so I always drench my potatoes with the stuff. I added about 2 teaspoonsful of dill and 1/2 teaspoonful each salt and pepper.

By this time your fish should be perfectly cooked. Take them out of the oven and put them to the side. Remove the bay leaves, then let the tilapia sit in the spice mixture a bit longer while your veggies finish cooking.

Take your vegetables out when the edges start to brown and blacken just slightly. Everything should be caramelized and tender. Stir the veggies up to recoat them with the olive oil mixture in the pan.

Then plate your meal and serve!

This dish took less than 20 minutes to make, and in the end--thanks to the foil--I had only dirtied one pot. It was cheap, healthy, and oh so delicious--the perfect meal for a busy weeknight. Enjoy!

Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

I keep seeing pictures of this pop up on pinterest, and it looks so delicious. So today for supper I decided to make my own quick version of stuffed bell peppers.

The ingredients:

4 red bell peppers
1 poblano pepper
1/2 onion
1 pound hamburger meat--I used ground chuck
1 can corn kernels (not pictured)
1 can diced tomatoes (not pictured)
Monterrey jack cheese

Preheat your oven's broiler, then brown your hamburger meat on medium-high heat. I added a few shakes of garlic powder and some red pepper flakes--forgo the red pepper flakes if you don't like spiciness.

While your meat is cooking, slice up the pepper and onion. I only used half of my onion, but feel free to use the whole thing.

Take your meat off of the burner and drain. Be sure you don't overcook your meat.

Saute your onion and pepper in a little bit of olive oil until your onions are semi-translucent.

Halve your bell peppers and remove any seeds. You can use green bell peppers if you want, but I like the sweetness of red bell peppers.

Once your your onions and poblano pepper are sauteed, add your hamburger meat, corn, and tomatoes. Mix well.

Spoon the mixture into your peppers and top with some grated cheese. Then pop them in the oven on the middle rack and cook for about 7 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bell peppers are soft.

Then take them out and dig in! I just served mine with some jasmine rice, but it would've been great with a salad on the side.

Simple, quick, and easy, and my husband loved it! And we have plenty of yummy leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Enjoy!