Meat Filled Jumbo Shells

I feel so fancy when I make this dish for guests, lol.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Jumbo Shells
• 2 lbs. Ground Beef
• 4 Eggs Slightly Beaten
• 3/4 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 3/4 Cup Chopped Onion ("Food Chopper" is all I'll say, tehe)
• 3/4 teaspoon Dried Oregano Leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 3 Cups Spaghetti Sauce

Preparation

• Cook pasta according to package directions (You never realize how much you need The Pampered Chef "5" Strainer" until you are trying to fish these suckers out of the pot without breaking them) 
• Cool shells in a single layer on foil
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Meanwhile, in large skillet brown meat and drain
• In large bowl stir together meat, eggs, bread crumbs, mozzarella cheese, onion, oregano, salt, and pepper
• Fill each shell with about 2 Tablespoons of meat filling
• Spread thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 13" x 9" baking dish (if you are lucky enough to keep all the shells from breaking then you will need more than one baking dish)
• Place shells in dish and cover with remaining sauce
• Cover with foil
• Bake for 45 minutes

Tara's Sidenote: If you are able to fill multiple baking dishes and you aren't having company over I recommend placing one of the covered dishes in the oven and the other in the freezer for a future dinner. If you freeze one then just cook it at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour when the day comes to finally cook it.

www.pamperedchef.biz/tarasteward

Cheesy Bacon Penne

Now this recipe is by far my husband's fav! I think he'd eat it every night if I let him. And yes, you've guessed it, not the healthiest, but hey, we use wheat pasta most of the time so that should count for something.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Uncooked Penne Pasta
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 Cups Milk
• 1/2 Cup Crumbled Bacon

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook bacon, drain, and chop (The Pampered Chef "Food Chopper" makes this part so much easier)
• Cook pasta according to package directions for al'dente, drain, and set aside
• Mince garlic (I use The Pampered Chef "Garlic Press" because it keeps my hands from getting all stinky)
• In a saucepan, saute garlic in butter for 1 minute, then stir in the flour and pepper until smooth; gradually add the milk
• Bring the mixture to boil; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until thick
• Reduce heat; stir in 2 cups of cheese until melted; remove from heat
• Add pasta and 1/3 cup bacon to the cheese sauce
• Transfer to a 2 qt baking dish (I use The Pampered Chef "Deep Covered Baker")
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes
• Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon
• Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted

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BBQ Bacon Meatloaf

This ain't your grandma's meatloaf. Yes, this recipe is just as fattening as it sounds but it is SOOO good. One of these days.... when I'm not being forced to be lazy I'll take step-by-step pictures like the fancy blogs do and post them here. But until then I guess the ingredients and steps will have to do.

Ingredients

• 12 oz Chopped Bacon
• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
• 1 1/2 Cups BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Corn Flake Crumbs
• 1 Small White Onion Chopped
• 1 Egg
• 6 oz Shredded Cheese

Preparation

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook bacon over medium heat until browned, drain, and chop in The Pampered Chef "Food Chopper"
• Mix together in large bowl (I prefer The Pampered Chef "Stainless Mixing Bowl Set") the ground beef, egg, and BBQ sauce
• Using The Pampered Chef "Food Chopper" chop the onion into small pieces and "crumb" the cornflakes
• Mix in the onion and 4 oz of the cheese, then add all but 1 Tablespoon of the bacon
• Mix in the cornflakes
• Shape into a loaf and place into a meatloaf pan (I recommend a pan with ridges in the bottom to keep all the fat away from the food, like The Pampered Chef "Small Ridged Baker")
• Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon
• Return to over for 5 minutes or until melted

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