The jumbo shells tend to have a recipe on the box. But the short of it is that you boil them, stuff them (I use a mix of ricotta, mozzerella, parm, an egg, salt & pepper and parsley, and sometimes spinach -- the frozen block, with as much water squeezed out as possible), and bake in an oven nestled in sauce. Make sure to cover it; if you don't the shells dry out and get hard. |
| Shrimp cocktail, dip and chips, deviled eggs, honey baked ham, turkey and gravy, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, roasted butternut squash with pecans, carrots, stuffing, cranberries, homemade rolls, cake, cookie/truffle platter. |
| Lamb loin chops, duck, salad, roasted root veg, noodle soup, rice |
| Shrimp cocktail, prime rib, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and chocolate cheesecake. |
|
Just three of us, so a small menu
Smoked rib roast with bourbon-maple-pecan glaze Green beans Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes Wild rice with cranberries |
|
We threw a Festivus brunch for friends today that included homemade:
Green-red-white striped bagels Sage & rosemary-smoked labneh Whipped feta & charred scallion spread Hummus Cranberry chutney Pickled cauliflower Tomato-pomegranate-barberry salad Shredded kale-cabbage slaw Plus: Lox, Smoked ham, Caviar, CC, crudites Christmas Cookies, Panettone, Cheesecake Bellinis & cranberry juice spritzers |
This is my menu too. Have been doing it since my kids were really young because stuffed shells is their favorite. |
| Beef tenderloin, roasted potatoes and carrots, apple crisp. |
I do stuffed shells. I boil the jumbo shells for like 10 minutes then run them under cold water. I separate them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. When they’re cool I pipe in the filling and place them in an oven safe serving dish. I use at least one jar of sauce for a pound of shells. Then I sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and cover loosely with foil. I bake for an hour at 350 then remove the foil for 5-10 minutes then let it set for 10 or so minutes. For filling I use a large tub of ricotta and a pound of mozzarella. I add two beaten eggs. For spices I like fresh parsley but don’t always have it. I use Italian spices and salt and pellet to taste. You can add other stuff like sausage, chicken, hamburger, spinach or whatever but my kids are purists so I don’t. |
This is the method I follow too. For filling I do 50/50 ricotta and cottage cheese with a little shredded parm and some parsley. Some of our extended family members have dairy allergies, so if they’ll be with us, I make a separate tray of shells filled with a mixture of Miyoko’s plant-based mozzarella, Treeline cashew cheese, an egg, and parsley. |
PP - whoops, I forgot to mention I also add an egg to the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture. |
|
Christmas Eve - 6 adults, 3 kids (ages 8-16)
Sausage rolls with cranberry sauce Chex mix Cheese and crackers Filet roast with horseradish cream Parmesan potato tart Arugula salad Various cookies Christmas brunch at relative’s house Christmas dinner - 2 adults, 1 teen Clam chowder Rolls Arugula salad Various cookies |