Baked Italian Night - hosted by Amy McReynolds

Super Stuffed Shells

This recipe will make about 21-23 Jumbo shells (cook a few extra because some break)

Sauce:

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. ground Italian Sausage (you can get this spicy, mild, or sweet)

¼ C. finely chopped onions

¼ tsp. fennel seed

1 clove garlic minced

28-oz. Can Italian style chopped tomatoes, with juice

6-oz. Can tomato paste

¼ tsp. basil

¼ tsp dried oregano

1 Tblsp. dried parsley

1 Tblsp. sugar

Cheese filling:

1 lb. fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 egg

½ Tblsp. sugar

1 Tblsp. dried parsley

1 ½ bags (8oz.) mozzarella cheese (reserve the rest for later)

¼ C. grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta shells, drain and place in cold water.

In a large saucepan combined beef, sausage, onions, fennel, and garlic. Brown meat over medium-high heat. Drain off excess grease. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer over a low heat for 30min stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, egg, sugar and parsley in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Set filling mixture aside.

Spread a small amount of sauce over bottom of casserole dish. Fill pasta shells with filling mixture, place in pan and layer sauce over, reserving approximately 1C. of the sauce to add later.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Remove from oven and top with reserved sauce, the remaining mozzarella cheese, and ¼ C. parmesan cheese. Return to oven and continue baking approximately 5-10 min. until cheese topping is melted.

*This makes a ton!!! I usually just bake ½ the recipe in a half-size casserole dish and then freeze the other half of the sauce and the other half of the filling. You then only have to thaw the sauce and filling, cook the shells and throw it all together.

Warm Spinach Salad with Cheeses

2 lbs. fresh spinach, washed, dried and stems removed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

¼ C. sunflower seeds

½ lb. fresh mushrooms sliced

½ lb. bacon

½ C. fresh parmesan cheese

½ C. feta cheese

Fragrant Dressing:

2/3 C. Vegetable Oil

¼ C. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. white wine

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

½ tsp. curry powder

½ tsp ground pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Prepare dressing in a pint sized jar with lid. Shake vigorously to combine. Refrigerate and allow flavors to blend.

Tear spinach into a large salad bowl. Add onion and set aside. In a large skillet toast sunflower seeds in 1 tbsp. of butter, sprinkle with season salt or Beau Monde seasoning. Remove toasted seeds and set aside. In the same skillet sauté mushrooms in 1 Tbsp. of butter until golden. Remove and set aside. Add bacon to skillet; fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels; crumble. Pour bacon grease out of skillet, but do not wash pan.

Add sunflower seeds, mushrooms, bacon and cheeses to the spinach; toss lightly. Heat dressing in the skillet until it almost reaches a boil. Pour over salad, toss and serve immediately. This salad I also delicious chilled, but do not cook mushrooms or heat dressing.

Homemade Brownies

Matt McReynolds

Batter
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13 baking pan.

In small saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in cocoa, blending well; cool slightly.

In large mixer bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar and vanilla extract, beating well.

In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt; blend into egg mixture. Stir in chocolate mixture.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Spread Filing over chocolate batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownies just begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely; cut into squares.

Pecan Pie Brownies

Matt McReynolds

Filling
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans

Grease a13 x 9-inch pan.

In saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour until smooth. Add brown sugar and 2 eggs. Mix well. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and pecans. Set aside.

Brownies
Pillsbury family size deluxe fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup very hot water
1/4 cup oil
1 egg

In large bowl, combine brownie ingredients and beat with spoon. Spread in prepared pan. Spoon filling over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool and cut into bars.

*Matt refuses to use a box brownie mix for this, so if you are feeling a little crazy you can make the included homemade brownie recipe instead.

Here is a link to a 2 part youtube video that shows the entire cooking process of these yummy brownies!  They freeze and thaw for a treat a few weeks later very well!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCHwDp2RVew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mcVx_OO-rs