Freezer meals Archives

If you search the archives of this blog, you will discover that there are no recipes for stuffed pasta of any sort. I have always assumed that they are too much work to make. As I typed that last sentence, I realized how bizzare that sounds, coming from someone who often posts cakes that take all day to create.

I was inspired to give stuffed shells a whirl after watching Jeff Mauro make these Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells on The Kitchen a few weeks ago. The base of most stuffed shell recipes consists of ricotta, mozzarella, and an egg. You can choose your own flavour adventure. I decided on kale and plant-based spicy sausage. Jeff made a delicious looking vodka-tomato-cream sauce to lay his shells on, but I took the easy route and pulled out a jar of Rao’s Marinara Sauce (Not sponsored, just love it! Great price at Costco this week, by the way.)

Remember to cook the shells for a minute or two less than the package directions, as they will continue cooking in the oven with the sauce. You can put the filling into a disposable piping bag if you like, but honestly, it didn’t take that long to actually fill them with a spoon.

Sprinkle a bit of extra cheese on top of the shells before baking.

The recipe for this serves 4-6. if you are just cooking for two, make the full recipe but divide it into 2 smaller casserole dishes. Bake one for dinner that night and freeze the second for another time. You can bake it frozen without thawing. Freezer meal make me happy.

Click here to print recipe for Sausage-and-Kale-Stuffed-Shells-Download

Osso buco, literally translated in Italian means “bone with a hole”. The hole refers to the marrow hole at the center of the cross-cut veal shank. Traditionally, the cross-cut veal shanks are slowly braised in stock, wine, tomatoes and vegetables and then served with some polenta or perhaps risotto. I decided to take the braised meat off the bone, shred it up and mix it back with the flavourful braising liquid and vegetables and serve it over pasta. Any pasta that has little nooks and crannies to trap the delicious bits of this chunky sauce would be fine. Warm, hearty, rich, tangy and just a little bit spicy, this dish really is a celebration of fall.

I especially love this dish because once the chopping and browning are done, the whole thing is covered and popped into the oven for 2 hours, leaving you time to do something else. (A little late to the game, but so obsessed. Those eyes!!! Anyone else watching?)

I blogged about this recipe before, in 2011, but it’s still a favourite of mine. I make a big pot of it every fall and have enough sauce leftover to freeze for those dark winter days when you just don’t feel like cooking.

Because there’s nothing I like better than a good makeover, here’s the image I shot in 2011. Same delicious recipe, but new and improved photography skills!