Stuffed Shells!!! Without the icky poo ricotta!!!

I tackled a recipe that I have always avoided because most of the stuffed shells I have seen have ricotta cheese. Now some people enjoy the taste of ricotta but I absolutely can not get down with the mushy stuff. So I set out to develop a recipe that included cheese, just not the ricotta kind. So alas I came up with my own and after nearly jumping in the oven because it smelled so delicious, I deemed it a success. DH doesn't eat much pasta but he ate a good bit of this. Hope you all enjoy!



Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
18-24 jumbo pasta shells
1 lb ground turkey or ground beef
1 jar (26 oz.) of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 egg...beaten
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz mozzarella or Italian blend cheese
1 small diced onion
1 garlic clove... diced
8 oz can of tomato sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  
• Bring a nice size pot of water to boiling and add 18 to 24 jumbo shells to the water. Salt and bring back to a boil. Cook for about 12-14 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK -> this will cause the shells to rip apart.
  
• In the meantime brown your turkey/ground beef along with EVOO, one turn of the pan, with the onions and garlic. Break up into crumbles as the mixture cooks.
  
• In a large bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, Italian bread crumbs, and the beaten egg. Set aside.
  
• Once the meat mixture is complete, drain, and combine with the mozzarella mixture being sure to incorporate all the ingredients well. The cheese will begin to melt which is fine.
  
• Drain your shells and allow to cool for just a bit.
  
• Combine your pasta sauce and tomato sauce together and pour about 1/4 of the mixture on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
  
• Place your shells on top of the mixture and begin to stuff with the mozzarella mixture.
  
• Pour the remaining sauce on top of the shells, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and back 20-25 minutes until bubbly!
  
• Take out and serve with salad! EnJoY!
  

Pointers:
1. You may incorporate some fresh herbs into your meat mixture or a dried Italian seasoning blend if you prefer.
2. This recipe freezes well~you can make it ahead of time and reheat when ever you need it!
3. Make sure to boil a few extra shells just in case some break.
4. If you have extra of the meat mixture, feel free to sprinkle this around the shells.
5. If you like ricotta cheese you can eliminate the mozzarella and add the ricotta instead.