Lisa's Stuffed Shells

By popular demand, and by that I mean Rachel, I have decided to include recipes on my blog. I really enjoy cooking, sometimes. I really love baking. Well, actually I like the end product more than the proccess. Anyway, here we go. I made this for dinner the other night! It was yummy and easy. I'm not big on measuring, and I'm totally into changing the recipe until it just barely resembles the one you're supposed to be following. Then I call it my own. Like this...

Lisa's Stuffed Shells

1 box (12 oz.) Jumbo Shells, Cooked

15 oz. Ricotta Cheese

1 1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

½ tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

about 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

28 oz Jar Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 lb - 1 lb. Ground Turkey (or beef, but beef is bad for you!)

Minced Garlic to Taste

Heat oven to 375°. Brown meat in skillet with garlic and salt. Add sauce and heat through. In large bowl, combine egg, cheeses, seasoning, salt and pepper. Meanwhile you can be cooking your shells. If you could do all three at the same time, that works best. Stuff shells with cheese mixture. I put the mixture in a large ziploc bag and snipped off an end and squeezed it into the shells. Place in a 9x13 baking dish with a bit of sauce in the bottom. Cover with sauce. Top with additional cheese if desired. And why wouldn't you desire it? If you were concerned about fat content you wouldn't be making this dish. Besides fat=flavor, everyone knows that. So, after you cover it with the desired amount of fat, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Here's a tip-if it seems like it is a little dry or it might get dry as it bakes, throw some tomato sauce on top of it. It adds moisture. The other night, I got to this step, and my husband decided we were going somewhere, so I put it all in the fridge before baking it. The next night it was a little dry so I dumped 2 cans of tomato sauce on it and baked it. It came out as good as ever! I also put some butter and garlic on some slices of french bread and broiled it for a minute or two after the shells were done. Yummm...