Stuffed Shells Take Two

After making taco stuffed shells, I still had some shells left, along with some extra mushrooms and a few wedges of Laughing Cow to use up, so I came up with a beef and mushroom stuffed shell with cream sauce. Oh, and I also discovered tonight that I definitely do NOT like roasted broccoli. Gag!! I love it fresh and steamed, so I guess I'll stick to that. Two strikes: paprika and roasted broccoli.Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

1 lb. ground beef (or turkey, chicken, deer, whatever)

~8 mushrooms, chopped

2 oz fat free/light cream cheese

1 T minced onions (dried or fresh)

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t basil

1/2 t parsley

1/2 c water

1 1/2 c low sodium beef broth

18 jumbo pasta shells

2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese

1 T light margarine/butter

1 1/2 c skim milk

2 T flour

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c fat free mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Cook pasta shells according to box directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside to cool.

2. Brown beef, drain, rinse, and return to pan. Add 1/2 c water plus mushrooms and parsley, oregano, and basil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 425. Pour beef broth into a 9x13 baking dish.

4. After beef mixture has simmered, add cream cheese and keep on low heat. Stir together so it melts in with the mix.

5. In a small saucepan, melt the Laughing Cow and butter together. After melted, quickly whisk in the flour. After this has formed a ball, slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes or until thickened (basically like making gravy) and season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. To assemble shells, fill each shell with a portion of the mixture and place in baking dish. Pour cream sauce over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, uncover, top with mozzarella, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese melts and is slightly browned.

(This is done a lot quicker than it seems with the steps. Clean up is all done by the time it comes out of the oven! I think when I make these next time, I will get them assembled the night before. They would be a quick easy thing to stick in the oven the next night with no mess at all.)

and Norris' catch of the day. Guess who's having a fish fry?!?
You can also see a glimpse of our fence in progess! I won't even pretend like I've been a good helper, unless you count making dinner for them to eat when they're done working... :)