Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne ( A Reader Recipe)

I have been exhausted this week and even though I've been cooking, I can't seem to find the time to blog.

I usually blog during the kids' naptime, but I've been taking naps myself...lol

I'm going to blame it on my weekend skiing with a bunch of teenagers and no sleep. 

This old body needs some time to catch up I guess.

It also probably has NOTHING to do with the fact that the sun hasn't been out in weeks!

Well, today is my reader recipe post. 

And in case you're all wondering how that is going, well....

I've only had a couple of recipes sent to me. 

So... please, help a girl out! 

Ok.. on to the recipe stuff...

I have actually had this recipe for a while, but didn't have all the ingredients.

I am not one to just go out and buy what I need... it has to be on sale. 

I will wait and wait and wait.

Yes, I know, I'm wierd.... I've learned to accept it...lol

I finally have all the ingredients (the pesto was the hard one for me)

I got this recipe from a very dear friend of mine in Australia

Here is what she has to say about it:

"This one is so easy that Alexa has made it and she's NO expert cook!
It's yummy too. We generally use whatever type of pasta we have in the pantry and I usually make it with basil pesto rather than tomato, but both are good. I also usually put a bit less stock." ( I adjusted stock amount in the recipe for this)

Thank you Ros for sharing your yummy recipe with me!

I was so happy to have finally tried it! 

I can't wait to share it with all of you too:

Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne

Ingredients:

1 box (16oz) Penne Pasta

1.5 lbs chicken breast, cubed

8 oz jar pesto (regular or Sun dried tomato pesto)

1 C Chicken stock

1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded (NOT the powdered kind)

1/4 C Cream *(see my notes below in the tips section)

Extra parmesan for serving

1/2 Tbs olive oil

Directions:

Cook pasta until done

Drain, and set aside

Cut raw chicken into bite sized pieces

Add olive oil to pan and cook chicken until browned

Add stock and bring to a simmer

Stir in pesto until combined (use about 3/4 of jar)

Add cream and return to simmer

Stir in parmesan and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through

Combine pasta and sauce in large bowl and serve

Sprinkle parmesan on top if desired.

***Review:

I LOVED this dish.  I was pretty sure I would.  It is sooo good and one of the easiest I've made in a while!  It's light and hearty all at once.  Hubs loved it too.  The kids were happy to eat it as well... although the "green specks" (pesto) all over it threw them at first.  They weren't sure... until they tasted it!  Some picked out the chicken and some ate it.   Overall it was a thumbs up!  This is a great recipe to serve to company!  It's super easy but looks fancy! Who doesn't love that?  I'm making it again next week for my parents!

**Tips:
I adjusted the Austrailian recipe to the best of my ability converting everything from grams to ounces and pounds.  It all worked out just fine for me.  I did however use 1/2 C Cream instead of 1/4 C because I was on the phone(oops) and read it wrong... but it turned out so great that I will probably use the same amount next time.  Also, I added more parmesan than it called for because I love it and I don't think you can ever have too much cheese.  I think I added about 3/4 C to the sauce and the another 1/2 C to the top of the pasta when I served it.  Again, make sure you are using grated parmesan and not the powdered stuff that comes in a little plastic shaker.  It will not taste the same.  As for the pesto, you could probably use the whole jar... I used a little more than 3/4 of the jar... but what am I going to do with that little bit left? 
*Edited 3/30/11: 
Marinated artichoke hearts would be a great addition to this dish (you can find them jarred or canned) also, you can change up the chicken for shrimp and I think maybe adding a some small sliced grape tomatoes would be great in this as well (and it adds color).

To Serve:
This dish will go great with a salad and some warm crusty Italian bread! 








Printer Friendly Directions:

Creamy Pesto Chicken Penne

Ingredients:
1 box (16oz) Penne Pasta
1.5 lbs chicken breast, cubed
6.7 oz pesto (regular or Sun dried tomato)
1 C Chicken stock
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded (NOT the powdered kind)
1/4 C Cream
Extra parmesan for serving
1/2 Tbs olive oil

Directions:
Cook pasta until done
Drain, and set aside
Cut raw chicken into bite sized pieces
Add olive oil to pan and cook chicken until browned
Add stock and bring to a simmer
Stir in pesto until combined (use about 1/2 to 3/4 of jar)
Add cream and return to simmer
Stir in parmesan and continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through
Combine pasta and sauce in large bowl and serve
Sprinkle parmesan on top if desired.

String Pie ( A Reader Recipe)

Welcome to my very first Reader Recipe post!

I am so very excited about this.

I've been wanting to do this for a while and I'm hoping you'll all come through and give me some great recipes! 

(If you have no idea what I'm talking about click HERE to read my original call for help.)

Of course my first few recipes are going to be from friends, because they are the best for stealing  getting recipes from when you're getting started.

This one is from one of my very good friends from High School.

I just happened to ask her what she made for dinner one night last week and she said "String Pie".

I asked "What the heck is string pie?"  I couldn't even imagine what it was.  I really had no idea.

Well when I asked 2 of my kids what they thought string pie was they gave me these answers:

1. Probably some kind of casserole with shredded meat
2. Noodles

Apparently they are smarter than me.... well at least one of them is.  ;)

String Pie is, in fact, noodles.  

Well not JUST noodles... but noodles with a few other yummy things thrown in too.

It's pretty much like lasagna or baked spaghetti... but a little different.

Oh and did I mention that it's AWESOME?... hmm... well, it is!

This is why I already LOVE this reader recipe thing.

I was so excited about it, I asked her to e mail it to me right away.

So...Thank you Miss Helena... your String Pie is my first Reader Recipe!

Here it is:

Ingredients:
2lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green peppers

1 Jar(26 oz)spaghetti sauce or you can go here for my recipe for homemade sauce

8oz spaghetti cooked,drained (this is about 1/2 of a box)

1/3 cup parm cheese

2 eggs beaten

2 tsp butter

1 (24 oz) container cottage cheese

2 3/4 cup shreded cheese

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Cook beef,onion and peppers over med-high heat until brown then drain grease

Mix in spaghetti sauce

In seperate pan, boil spaghetti noodles until al dente (not quite done)

Drain noodles

In a bowl, combine spaghetti, parm cheese,eggs and butter ... Mix well

Place  noodles in bottom of 13x9 baking pan

Spread cottage cheese over top of noodles

Next, cover cotage cheese  with sauce/meat mixture (forgot to take a pic of that step...oops)

Sprinkle with cheese ( I used 2 different kinds... just for fun)

Bake 20-25 min or untill cheese is melted

Half mozzarella half cheddar

Makes about 12 servings

***Review:

Oh my goodness... this was so yummy!  It sounded so fun and it was.  But it was also very very good.  I will definitely add this to the favorites list.  Obviously, you can tell I loved it.  But the great thing is, all but one child loved it too!  The hubs is also in love with this.  I am so very happy I made this!
*Edit: I forgot to mention that I think it needed a little salt.  You may not agree... so I didn't add it to the ingredients. 

**Tips:

I used whole grain linguini on accident... it worked out just fine.  My guess is, you could use any pasta if you had to and it would work... but then it wouldn't be "String" Pie anymore.  I know it would still taste good though. 

I didn't add green peppers because I can't really eat them... and adding the onions was a mistake because my one super picky child found them and refused to eat it.  Grrr!  But I liked them.

When pouring the raw eggs over the noodles make sure that you mix it quickly, the hot noodles will start to cook the egg and you don't want it to get lumpy. 

 If you want to save yourself from washing yet another dish, just mix the noodles with the eggs and cheese right in the pan you cooked it in.
Also, don't over cook the pasta when you're boiling it.  You are cooking it twice and don't want it to get soggy in the "pie".

Make sure to watch this closely in your oven at the 20 minute mark. If you take it out too soon, the center won't be hot enough... but you don't want to burn the cheese either.  Everyones oven is different.  I cooked it for 25 minutes and then broild it for almost 2 minutes to brown the cheese.

Oh.. speaking of cheese... I used half Mozzarlla and half cheddar to see which I liked better. I liked them both. Mozz tended to give it a more italian flavor but the cheddar gave it more of a cheeseburger pie flavor.  I liked doing it half and half.. and will probably do that again.  I'm wierd!

Printer friendly recipe:

String Pie
Ingredients:

2lb ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green peppers

1 jar(26 oz)spaghetti sauce or you can go here for my recipe for homemade sauce

8oz spaghetti cooked,drained (this is about 1/2 of a box)

1/3 cup parm cheese

2 eggs beaten

2 tsp butter

1 (24 oz) container cottage cheese

2 3/4 cup shreded cheese

  Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Cook beef,onion and peppers over med-high heat until brown then drain grease

Mix in spaghetti sauce

In seperate pan, boil spaghetti noodles until al dente (not quite done)

Drain noodles

In a bowl, combine spaghetti, parm cheese,eggs and butter ... Mix well

Place  noodles in bottom of 13x9 baking pan

Spread cottage cheese over top of noodles

Next, cover cotage cheese  ith sauce/meat mixture

Sprinkle with cheese

Bake 20-25 min or untill cheese is melted

Makes about 12 servings

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

This is a recipe I modified from one my Aunt makes.

She was born and raised on an island in Italy and is a wonderful cook.

I grew up watching her cook and bake .... and I loved it!

One day she came to my dad's house with some linguini.... went to his garden and cut up some fresh tomatoes... added some diced garlic, fresh basil leaves, olive oil and a little salt... and there was her dish to pass.

It was awesome!! 

It was room temperature and a quick easy pasta "salad" and sooo fresh tasting.

I was thinking while I was eating it that some shrimp scampi would be great over top of this... then I thought maybe some spinach... and boom... a new recipe was born.

She laughs when I tell her I came up with this from her simple pasta salad.

Anyway, I love this dish. 

I don't make it very often because shrimp can be expensive and also, it's a little time consuming to make.

But I knew it was definitely a recipe I had to share on my blog

So when shrimp went on sale... I was all over it.

I hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of us!

Ingredients:
6 C Fresh spinach, cut up
1 Bag shrimp, raw
10+ Cloves of garlic, diced
8 Roma tomatoes, diced (= to about 4 cups diced)  *Or you can use petite diced tomatoes  maybe 2-3 cans
1/2 C Olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp garlic salt... or more to taste
1 Box linguini
*1/4 C Fresh Parmesan cheese (optional topping)

Directions:
Cut up spinach, tomatoes and garlic first (set aside)

Shell and de-vein shrimp (set aside)
In large pot, bring water to boil for Linguini
Boil noodles until done (aprox 8-10 minutes)
While noodles are boiling:
Add about 2 Tbs olive oil to a large fry pan
Add about half the garlic and sautee lightly

Add the spinach until it gets soft and wilty

Add the diced tomatoes and cook until warm

Set the cooked veggies aside
In another fry pan, (on Med/high heat) add 2 more Tbs of olive oil and  1/4 of the garlic you have left
Add 1 Tbs butter and shrimp

cook just until pink

Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste
As soon as shrimp is done, add in veggie mix and cook about 2 minutes until heated through

When pasta is done, drain & rinse
Place pasta back in pan and add remaining olive oil and garlic to it (you can salt it also)
Serve by adding pasta to individual bowls and topping with shrimp mixture.

***Review:
We all love this dish. Because of a shellfish allergy, we don't allow the little kids to eat shrimp yet, but the two older ones loooooove this dish!  Of course the 8 yr old picks out the spinach & tomato, but that's to be expected.  This is a family favorite for sure.  The little kids are happy to eat garlic noodles with parmesan on top! 


**Tips:
Definitely make sure you have your shrimp,veggies, and pasta water prepped before you start.  It makes it a lot easier.  I didn't boil the pasta 1st this time and I was all off.  The shrimp was done way before the pasta...


lots of multitasking going on here

 and FYI... if you let shrimp keep cooking after they're done, they will get dry and rubbery.  So you want to stop cooking them right after they turn pink. I just took them off the heat until the pasta was done and re heated them quickly right before we ate.  It was a pain though.
Seeding roma tomatoes is ideal. It makes them less watery... which is what you want.  Here is a photo of how it looks.  Just slice in half from the top down and scoop out the seeds.  It's pretty easy.

Tomato on the left is seeded, tomato on the right is not

Also, I hope the recipe makes sense.  I've never written it down before now, so I kind of wrote it as I went.  Please feel free to ask if you have any questions or if I wasn't clear on something!
I hope you love it just as much as we do!



For printable directions see below:

Ingredients:
6 C Fresh spinach, cut up
1 Bag shrimp, raw
10+ Cloves of garlic, diced
8 Roma tomatoes, diced (= to about 4 cups diced)  *Or you can use petite diced tomatoes  maybe 2-3 cans
1/2 C Olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp garlic salt... or more to taste
1 Box linguini
*1/4 C Fresh Parmesan cheese (optional topping)

Directions:
Cut up spinach, tomatoes and garlic first (set aside)
Shell and de-vein shrimp (set aside)
In large pot, bring water to boil for Linguini
Boil noodles until done (aprox 8-10 minutes)
While noodles are boiling:
Add about 2 Tbs olive oil to a large fry pan
Add about half the garlic and sautee lightly
Add the spinach until it gets soft and wilty
Add the diced tomatoes and cook until warm
Set the cooked veggies aside
In another fry pan, (on Med/high heat) add 2 more Tbs of olive oil and  1/4 of the garlic you have left
Add 1 Tbs butter and shrimp and cook until pink
Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste
As soon as shrimp is done, add in veggie mix and cook about 2 minutes until heated through
When pasta is done, drain & rinse
Place pasta back in pan and add remaining olive oil and garlic to it (you can salt it also)
Serve by adding pasta to individual bowls and topping with shrimp mixture.

White Garden Pizza

So I'm still in this sort of blah phase.

I'm slowly coming out of it.... I must be getting used to the perpetual darkness of the sky.

I think I'm getting back into the cooking spirit (I hope)

Tomorrow I will be making an awesome Shrimp/Pasta dish.... so be sure to check back!

Yesterday I forgot to put something in the crockpot before I went to the dentist and ran errands

So I ended up making this yummy pizza because it's both easy and awesome! 

Also, I told the kids they could have whatever they wanted for dinner and they chose pizza.

This isn't exactly what they had in mind... but they liked it (thankfully)

I first tried this at a pampered chef party. 

It was so fun to make and even more fun to eat. 

I've made it a few times since then and always wonder why I don't make it more often

I've brought it to parties for an appetizer and it's always a hit!

I'm sure you will agree.  (unless you don't like garlic or veggies... then you might not)  :)

FYI:  It's called "White" pizza because it doesn't have the red sauce that most pizza has.

 Ingredients:

1 pkg refrigerated Pizza crust
1 Small onion, sliced into thin rings
1 Medium Zucchini,sliced
1-2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 C. Mushrooms, sliced
2-4 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 C Shredded Mozerella cheese
1 C Shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 Tbs Olive oil

Tools:
Cookie sheet (greased)
Garlic press
Basting/pastry brush (click the link to see what the heck a pastry brush is)
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Small bowl

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Roll pizza crust onto a greased cookie sheet and press it to the edges

Poke the crust a few times with a fork to make small holes
Bake crust 7 minutes.
Remove from oven

Slice veggies and set aside

In a small bowl, add Olive oil and pressed garlic, stir

Using basting brush, brush oil-garlic mix onto the crust

Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheeses evenly over crust
Top with onion, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over vegetables

 Sprinkle with Italian seasoning

 Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown
Remove from oven and cut into wedges using a Pizza Cutter.

***Reviews:
Well, as I was making this, the kids were saying.."Maaaa---ahm"  I don't LIKE tomatoes... I don't LIKE zucchini"  And I told them they could just pick it off.  Well, they did pick it off... but otherwise they loved the pizza.  They asked for seconds.  I knew going in that they wouldn't eat the toppings.  (well the baby did... but he still likes veggies)  I LOVED it.. as always and hubs loved it as well.  There were no leftovers! This pizza has a very fresh taste to it... reminds me of summer.  I am a big fan of roasted veggies and this pizza has just the right mix.  The garlic definitely makes the veggies pop.   I would recommend adding the onions and mushrooms too... they make it even better.  But I knew my kiddos would not try it with either of those on there so none for us tonight.  Next time!

**Tips:
You can use your own crust for this if you want... I sometimes make my own.  But I find that store bought is easier in a pinch... and it tastes great. When rolling the crust out onto the cookie sheet, you can use a rolling pin.  Mine was too big and didn't fit, so I just started in the middle and pushed the dough outward (with my fingers) evenly until it reached the edges of the pan.
If you don't have a garlic press you can just dice it as finely as you can... that will work.
As for veggies, you can really use any kind you want... but I really enjoy this mix.  I would recommend that you use roma tomatoes (the oval shaped ones) because they are less watery than regular tomatoes... but if you don't have them, don't worry... just place your sliced tomatoes on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess liquid and then put them on your pizza.  also, don't even think about using that powdered parmesan cheese (the kind you put on your spaghetti) on this.... anytime I say use parmesan.. it will ALWAYS be grated fresh.. .not powdered.  Yuk!




Here is a printable photo free version of the recipe:
Tools:
Cookie sheet (greased)
Garlic press
Basting/pastry brush (click the link to see what the heck a pastry brush is)
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Small bowl



Ingredients:
1 pkg refrigerated Pizza crust (10 oz pkg)
1 Small onion, sliced into thin rings
1 Medium Zucchini,sliced
1-2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 C. Mushrooms, sliced
2-4 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 C Shredded Mozerella cheese
1 C Shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 C Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 Tbs Olive oil


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Roll pizza crust onto a greased cookie sheet and press it to the edges
Poke the crust a few times with a fork to make small holes
Bake crust 7 minutes.
Remove from oven

Slice veggies and set aside

In a small bowl, add Olive oil and pressed garlic, stir
Using basting brush, brush oil-garlic mix onto the crust
Sprinkle mozzarella and cheddar cheeses evenly over crust
Top with onion, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over vegetables
 Sprinkle with Italian seasoning
 Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown
Remove from oven and cut into wedges using a Pizza Cutter.

Meatball Sub Casserole

Well, I don't know about you but this winter weather is getting to me already.

I miss the sunshine.

I miss the warm air.

I miss my motivation!

For some reason, I have not felt like cooking at all this past week

I mean, I'm even too lazy to put something in the crockpot

Yeah... it's that bad.

My kids need clean socks

Hubs needs clean work clothes

And here I am.... sitting in my heated blanket.

Blah! 

I just don't feel like doing anything.

I think I have that seasonal affective disorder

Or I'm just lazy...lol 

Luckily, I have a stockpile of things in the freezer

And my father in law made dinner for me one night.

He's a great cook, by the way! Mmmm!

Last night I got a little motivation and made a recipe I haven't made in years

My friend Laura made it for me when I had a baby and I had to have the recipe.

It's great!

I've been wanting to share it with you, but didn't have all the ingredients in the house at one time

Until recently.

See, I have these rules....

Like, grocery rules.

There are certain things I WILL NOT buy unless they are a certain price.

My friends are laughing right now because they know this and make fun of me for it

For example I will not buy grapes unless they are under a dollar per pound!  No exceptions.

Yes, really.

It can't be helped..... I have standards....lol

One of the other things I won't buy is pre made meatballs.

They are expensive...

So I wait until they go on sale BOGO and then I buy a few bags and keep them in the freezer.

Last week they went on sale....

So now I can share my recipe with you!

And in case you're wondering, yes, I do have my own meatball recipe. 

But remember above how I said I was being lazy?  Yeah.

I'll share that recipe with you another time.

Ingredients:
1 loaf Italian bread
8 oz. Cream cheese
1/2 C Mayo
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 C Shredded Mozzarella
1 lb.  Frozen meatballs (thawed)
28 oz. Jar pasta sauce or make your own with my homemade sauce recipe
1 C Water

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Slice bread into 1 inch slices

Arrange slices in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo & spices
Spread them onto bread in dish

Sprinkle bread with 1/2 C shredded cheese

In another bowl, mix meatballs, sauce & water and stir
Pour meatball mixture over bread in baking dish

Sprinkle with remaining cheese

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! 


***Review:
I got an all thumbs up for this!  ALL of them!  Can you believe it?  It's a Christmas miracle!
This is a great comfort food on a cold night! I love it!  Now that I have lots of meatballs, I can make it more often ;)

**Tips:
You may want to use more than 1 lb of meatballs.  There just wasnt enough in this dish... although I didn't measure them, I think next time I will just make sure the whole top of the dish is covered in meatballs. 
As for the Moz. cheese, I think I might add more of that too.  I actually added a little fresh Parmesan to the top of mine as well to give it a little more flavor (aprox. 1/4 C)
Also, I forgot to defrost the meatballs before I added them to the sauce so they went in mostly frozen.  It seemed to work out fine.  I just left it in the oven a few minutes longer....making sure to keep and eye on it so the cheese didn't burn.  No one likes burnt cheese. 
The only complaint I got from this dish is that it was "too cheesy" meaning the cream cheese part.  I didn't add the whole bowl of mixture to the bread slices.  I just basically "buttered" each slice with the mayo/cream cheese mix and had a lot left over. Next time I might just cut that part of the recipe in half and see if that is better.  I still liked it this way, but I think a little less cream cheese would be good.
Oh and last but not least, this took about 45 minutes from fridge to table.  Not too shabby!

Stuffed Shells

So last week I made some homemade pasta sauce

 I used that sauce in tonight's great recipe

I think I've mentioned before that cooler weather makes me want warm, cheesy, savory comfort foods

Usually, I would make lasagna

But... since I'm doing this blog now, I figure you don't want multiple recipes for lasagna right?

So, I go to the next best thing....

Stuffed shells

It's pretty much still lasagna.... only fancier.

And a little more work

But, it's good and I like good food!

My mother in law made this last Christmas and I really liked it.

I was just too lazy to make it myself....lol

But I wanted to give you something different and I really had a lot of fun doing it

The kids had fun watching me too

They liked the sea shell shaped noodles .... A LOT. 


Ingredients:

- 1 box large pasta shells
- 3/4 C Parmesan (shredded not the powder stuff)
- 1 (24oz) small curd cottage cheese (or Ricotta cheese)
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 tsp basil
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 4 C spaghetti sauce
- 1 1/2 C Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)

Directions:

Boil noodles until al dente ( or slightly underdone)
Drain noodles and set aside
Spread 1 C sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish ( so the shells don't stick)

 In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, egg, 1/2 C parmesan, basil, garlic salt and pepper.
*This next step is not necessary, but makes stuffing shells much easier.  You can just use a spoon instead.
Using a spatula, scrape the cheese mixture into a ziplock bag/pastry bag

Snip off the corner of the bag
Squeeze cheese mixture into each shell. Aprox 2 Tbs per shell
Don't overstuff shells.
Close up the seam and place shells on their sides into baking dish close together

I fit 2 rows of 10 shells and then 4 extra on the bottom
(the extra cheese you see laying in there is just what I had left over)
Once all shells are filled and placed, sprinkle remaining 1/4 C Parmesan over shells
Pour remaining 3 Cups sauce over top
Top with 1 1/2 C Mozzarella
Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes
When cheese is browning and sauce is bubbling it's done

***Review:
This was a great dish.  I was very happy with how it turned out.  We had company over for dinner and they said they loved it.  I know the hubs and I did!  The kids didn't get a chance to try it, because they ate before our company arrived.  I honestly didn't think they would eat it anyway... but of course they begged for some and liked what they tried.  Go figure the one time I try to feed them a different dinner, they want what we're having!   I will be making this again and again! 

**Tips:
The ziplock bag trick is great.... it makes it so much easier to stuff the slippery noodles.  This is really the hardest part of it all.  Also, just to make things easier on me, I actually boiled the noodles in the morning, drained them and put them in the fridge.  When it was time to bake them I took them out and ran warm water over them to get them pliable again so I could stuff them.  It was great and was one less thing to do at dinner time.  But be careful not to tear them while working with them... you want them in one piece.
If you are using a jarred sauce instead of homemade, then I think it would be great to fry up some italian sausage and sprinkle it on top of the shells before baking as well.  Or it could just be a vegetarian dish with no meat. I personally would have loved to add spinach to this dish as well, but one of our dinner guests does not like veggies so I opted out of the spinach.  But if you were to add it, you could put it right in with the sauce or in with the cheese stuffing. Either way would be great.  Add a little crusty italian bread and you have the perfect meal! Mmmmm!