ITALIAN PIGGY SHELLS

ITALIAN PIGGY SHELLS
SHELLS
1 pound sweet Italian ground sausage
12-15 jumbo shells
1/3 cup diced onions
1/3 cup diced mushrooms
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced celery & leaf tops
3 tablespoons quality DRY sherry
Fresh ground salt and black pepper, to taste
1 batch Balsamella (Italian béchamel) recipe below
2 cups fresh tomato sauce
1/4 cup fresh torn basil (small pieces)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Add shells to boiling water for 4 minutes in boiling water. Drain in colander and rinse with cool water. Drain again.**
  • Heat avocado oil in skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add onions and celery, stirring to cook until soft.
  • Add pork, cooking until completely browned. DRAIN off any fat.
  • Add sherry and simmer over medium heat until liquid is completely absorbed, about 5 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Remove from heat and cool.

Meanwhile prepare the balsmella sauce recipe below.

  • Combine the meat mixture and the balsmella sauce until well blended.
  • Combine tomato sauce and basil pieces.
  • Pour half the sauce into the bottom of your baking dish.
  • Carefully stuff each shell and arrange on sauce in the baking dish.
  • Cover with foil.@@
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Remove foil.
  • Drizzle remaining tomato sauce over top of all the shells.
  • Sprinkle with cheeses.
  • Bake 5 minutes more until cheese is melted and starting to brown.
  • Garnish with basil.

**NOTE 1: BE SURE TO BREAK DOWN THE MEAT INTO TINY PIECES to make stuffing the shells easier. I use my NINJA to breakdown the meat mixture into a smooth consistency.
@@NOTE 2: This can be refrigerated overnight and baked the following day. Bring to room temperature before baking.

BALSMELLA (Bechamel)

1/2 tablespoon unsalted better
2 tablespoons Wondra flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
Fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste

  • Melt butter to a saucepan over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour until golden brown.
  • Whisk in milk and nutmeg until well blended.
  • Bring to a SLOW simmer, whisking intermittently. Simmer until it thickens, about 10 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Remove from heat and cool slightly.

**NOTE: Cook the shells 4 minutes ONLY – JUST enough to be pliable for filling! They will continue cooking while the dish bakes.

Save

COUNTRY BISTRO

Country BistroCOUNTRY BISTRO

1 bag baby carrots

1 box sliced mushrooms

14.5 ounce can Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes

1 pound pork loin or 4 boneless pork chops

1 tablespoon herbs de provence

1 can cream of potato soup

1 tablespoon Classico sun dried tomato pesto

3 tablespoons dry sherry (I used Amontillado)

  • Combine carrots, mushrooms and tomatoes in a 5 quart slow cooker.
  • Season pork with salt and pepper.
  • Place on top of vegetables.
  • In a small bowl combine, soup, pesto and sherry, blending well.
  • Pour over pork.
  • Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
  • Remove pork and shred with 2 forks.
  • Return pork to vegetable mixture and mix well.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace.

PORK CHOPS in ORANGE SAUCE

PORK CHOPS in ORANGE SAUCE

4 boneless pork chops

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup cold water

  • Combine paprika and pepper.
  • Rub both sides of all pork chops with mixture.
  • Melt butter in skillet and brown pork chops over medium heat.
  • Combine the orange juice and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
  • Pour over pork chops.
  • Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes until chops are cooked through.
  • Remove chops and keep warm.
  • Whisk together the flour and water until smooth.
  • Whisk into orange juice mixture and bring to a boil, simmering until thickened.
  • Serve over the chops.

With just the 2 of us, I take the leftover pork chops and shred them into the sauce. We then eat the leftovers over noodles or mashed potatoes.