Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

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Whenever we have pasta for dinner, we need to have some kind of bread. There's always sauce that needs to be sopped up, and we never intend to let it go to waste. Chris usually stops by Panera on the way home from work to get a fresh loaf, but every once in a while I like to try something new.

I had some refrigerated biscuits on hand that I was going to make plain, but I decided to spruce it up a little. Since I was serving the biscuits with the Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce I made, I wanted them to have some flavor. Pouring a mixture of butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning over top of the biscuits while they baked gave the outside great flavor and some crisp, while the outside remained soft and flaky. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 refrigerated junior buttermilk biscuits
• 3 tbsp. light butter, melted
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a mini loaf pan with cooking spray.

Line the 6 biscuits top to bottom across the loaf pan, allowing to run down the sides.

Mix melted butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Pour over biscuits in pan.

Place loaf pan on a baking sheet (to catch any overflow). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are light brown and cooked through. Enjoy!

Source: SK Original

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

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My parents recently came back from a trip to Italy and their stories and pictures made me extremely jealous. My mom's favorite dish there was pasta that they cooked and put into a hollowed-out Parmesan wheel, and then tossed the pasta while scraping the edges of the wheel to add some Parmesan flavor. Sounds like a winner in my book!

Since hearing stories about all their amazing meals, I decided I wanted to make a pasta dish of my own. I don't have a spare hallowed-out Parmesan wheel lying around, so I decided to make a healthier version of stuffed shells instead. Using ground turkey in place of beef cuts down on a lot of extra fat, and I also used low-fat cheeses to lower the calorie content. They take some time, but the recipe makes a ton of shells (I made half and froze half for later) and the creamy filling in the shells with chunks of artichoke hearts is perfectly seasoned. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (12-oz.) box jumbo pasta shells
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped 
• 1 lb. ground turkey 
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus 1/2 tsp.
• 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 tsp.
• 1 (8 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped 
• 1 (15-oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese 
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 
• 3/4 cup Parmesan, grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, plus 1 tbsp. for garnish 
• 5 cups Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows 
• 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, grated

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and partially cook until tender but still very firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta. 

Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook until the onions are soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ground turkey, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is slightly golden and cooked through. Add the artichoke hearts and stir to combine. Remove from heat and place in a large glass mixing bowl and let cool. While allowing the turkey mixture to cool, begin Arrabbiata Sauce.

Arrabbiata Sauce:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 
• 4 oz. sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped 
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 5 cups jarred or fresh marinara sauce 

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until tender, about 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool until ready to use. 

After you are finished making the Arrabbiata sauce: In a large bowl combine the cooled turkey mixture with the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, parsley, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir to combine.

To stuff the shells, cover the bottom of a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with 1 cup of Arrabbiata sauce. Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff it with a large spoonful of turkey mixture, about 2 tbsp. Place the stuffed shell in the baking dish and repeat with remaining shells. Drizzle the remaining Arrabbiata Sauce over the shells, top with the grated mozzarella and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

If freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 day and up to 1 month. To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake until the shells are warmed through and the cheese is beginning to brown, about 60 minutes (20 minutes if shells are unfrozen).

Source: Adapted from Food Network

Springtime Risotto

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The weather is finally getting warmer around here. I thought it would never happen. Between the random snowfall mid-March, to the windy weeks that followed and the rainstorms that went on for days, it's a nice change of pace to have some weather we can actually enjoy.

Chris and I got a new deck installed last week, so we've been looking forward to taking advantage of the longer days by having dinner outside. This is a quick meal I can make after work and even though it's warm, the vegetables make it fresh and light enough to enjoy outside with a glass of wine. Enjoy!

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom!! xoxo

Printable Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 tbsp. light butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 cup light cream
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup steamed asparagus, sliced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat large skillet with high sides over medium heat. Heat up the chicken broth in a separate pot.

Sauté onion in melted butter over medium heat.

Pour in arborio rice and stir to incorporate evenly. Stir in carrot and sauté 5 minutes until rice starts to toast and onion and carrot start to get tender.

Pour in 1 cup of warm chicken broth, stirring frequently until rice soaks up the liquid. Continue in this fashion until all the chicken broth has been absorbed by the rice. Rice should be cooked al dente.

Stir in cream, peas, asparagus and Parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Lauren's Latest

S'mores Cake

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Chris and I went out of town to visit some friends the other weekend. Between the three couples, we had to celebrate three birthdays, an engagement, a new house and a pregnancy. It was only right that I brought a cake!

This cake might take some time and effort, but the end result is worth the wait. I love the rustic look of the cake (you say messy, I say rustic) because it's fun and playful. You can definitely taste the graham cracker crumbs in the cake portion, so the marshmallow fluff and chocolate topping make it a perfect s'mores combination. It definitely brings you back to childhood. Enjoy!

 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup reduced-fat milk

For the filling:

•  7 oz. marshmallow fluff

For the milk chocolate glaze:

• 8 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. light corn syrup

Topping:

• Extra graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment or wax paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pans; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; stir together and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside. Replace the mixer bowl and fit with the paddle attachment. Cream together the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg yolks until well combined. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Add in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk on low speed, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, fold in about a third of the egg whites to lighten the batter. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until completely incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper and let cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled completely, transfer one of the cake layers to a cardboard cake circle and place on a serving platter. Carefully spread a layer of marshmallow fluff over the cake, not quite reaching the edges. Top with the remaining cake layer and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

To make the milk chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, cream, butter and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Heat until the chocolate has melted, then whisk the ingredients together until completely smooth. Pour glaze over the top of the chilled cake, allowing it to run down the sides in some places.

Garnish with extra graham cracker crumbs, and mini marshmallows. Return to the refrigerator to chill until set.

Allow to sit at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from Annie's Eats