Day 6: Go-To Make-Ahead Meal: Stuffed Shells

When Randy and I were engaged, I often made dinner for us on Saturday nights at his condo.  One weekend I told him he could request a meal.  When I arrived at his place, he was sleeping (he worked 3rd shift at the time) and he had left me a note requesting stuffed shells.  I remember the note because he also drew a picture of two bumblebees in love. :) I had never made stuffed shells before, but I had a basic idea, so I threw something together.  Since then, I've learned more about herbs and cheeses and LOVE my recipe.  It's the number one thing I make when I need a meal for a friend, or something to make ahead for our family, or to bring on vacation.  And it's always a crowd-pleaser.  Today, I made a large recipe to divide into 3 square disposable pans (1 for our freezer and 2 for a friend).  I will use the quantities I used today to write out this recipe:

1 box jumbo stuffing shells
2 packages ground sausage (1 sweet, 1 hot)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
32 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
dried basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper
3 cups sauce (I use homemade sauce--recipe to come later in another blog)
1 ball (plus a little more) fresh mozzarella cheese
other fresh cheeses to use on top may include: asiago, parmesan, pecorino
fresh basil

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Season it well with salt, drop in the shells.  While they are cooking (just to al dente), brown the sausage in a skillet.  Add the onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Add a few sprinkles of basil, oregano, parsley.  Add the ricotta cheese and turn off the heat.  Mix well.  Add the parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper.  Mix altogether.  This is your stuffing!
When the shells have come to al dente, drain them and run them under cold water to stop the cooking.  (It also makes it easier to stuff them when they aren't piping hot!)  Spoon the stuffing into each shell and lay in a single layer in pan.  Pour sauce over the shells, and top with lots of mozzarella cheese, plus 2-3 other freshly grated Italian cheeses.  Garnish with fresh basil on top.  Cover and freeze, or bake right away.  Bake at 375* for about 30 minutes (longer, if frozen) or until the cheese is golden, melted, and bubbling.

So tonight we went out for dinner to celebrate Randy's job offer!  I hoped to snap a picture of the meal, but there wasn't great light, and the presentation left a little something to be desired.  But, I was inspired by 2 things: 1) I will try to add prosciutto to my chicken & broccoli alfredo next time since Randy had it in his tonight and loved it.  2) I have always wanted to learn a good tomato/vodka cream sauce (I had a great one tonight), so I think I'll definitely do that at some point this year!  Bon appetit!