Simple Stuffed Shells Bake

There are some days that I am just not into thinking about making dinner. I make decisions all day long and what to eat can feel overwhelming at times. Silly, I know, but true.

Anyway, A few nights back I took a chance and threw some things in a pan, baked it, and the results were AWESOME! So here it is.

From my dysfunctional kitchen to yours….

Stuffed Shell Bake

What you need:

• Package of frozen stuffed shells
• Family size jar of Alfredo sauce. I used Ragu because I had a coupon for it and got it for $1.50!
• Fresh vegetables, I used asparagus, carrots and celery. If I had an onion, that would have gone in there too. I wouldn’t recommend frozen vegetables if you want them to be a little crisp when you eat
• Seasoning of your choice. I went with some dried parsley and a cracked pepper blend with garlic powder and celery powder
• Mozzarella cheese (optional)
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

What to do:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
• Spread your frozen stuffed shells out in a shallow baking pan. I used a 9×13
• Wash and dice your vegetables, then lay them out evenly in the pan with the stuffed shells
• Sprinkle with your seasonings
• Pour the sauce over everything in the pan and stir it up good so it is all coated evenly
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
• Uncover and if you want sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for another 5 minutes
• Serve and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

*Adjust accordingly if you are making a double size of the recipe. I would suggest a second jar of sauce if using two bags of frozen stuffed shells.

Please come back and share if you decided to try this out. It was a hit in our house and the leftovers were even better.

Until next time,

One Cool Nerd Mommy

Follow me on Facebook

Greek Salad – A Summer Favorite!

I love fresh vegetables and summer where we are has so many delicious choices right at hand. This Greek Salad is chocked full of good tasting, good for you, goodness. Eat it as a side or as your meal, either way it is delicious and filling.

I'm not one for all of the filler fluff in recipes, so we are going to get right to it.

What you Need:

Cucumber (I used one large cuke) 🥒

Peppers (I used two) 🌶

Onion – yellow, sweet, red, your choice (I used one medium size yellow onion)

1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed

1 container of feta cheese

1 can of black olives drained (I used the pre-sliced ones)

One pack of cherry tomatoes sliced 🍅

Olive oil – I used Palermo olive oil

Garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Dried Oregano 🌿

What to Do:

Wash and peel the cucumber, dice it and place in a large bowl

Wash and dice your peppers

Peel and dice the onion

Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas

Add the feta cheese

Add the drained black olives

Add the sliced cherry tomatoes

Add Palermo olive oil (or other brand) to coat everything, mix in garlic powder, salt/pepper, and dried oregano to taste. A spritz of lemon would also taste great and compliment the flavors well.

Mix, chill and serve

Enjoy and as always, feedback is much appreciated along with complimentary ideas.

Until next time,
One Cool Nerd Mommy

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Instagram at onecoolnerdmommy

Grilled Asparagus, Shallots, and Tomatoes 🍅

We love, Love, LOVE to grill! I happen to love asparagus as much as grilling, so pairing the two together is an absolute win in my book. The prep is easy, the cook time is short, and the results are amazingly awesome.

What you need:

• Asparagus (I used two bushels)
• Shallots (I used three, but you could use more)
• Container of grape tomatoes
• Olive oil
• Spices/seasonings of choice

Here’s how to do it:

• Create a tray dish with sides out of aluminum foil and lay your asparagus, shallots, and grape tomatoes in it. For this one, I used two bushels of asparagus, three shallots, and one container of organic grape tomatoes.

• Add a little olive oil (just enough to cover everything lightly) and some spices. I used garlic powder and a salt/pepper mix. Toss it all gently to evenly cover all of the vegetables. 
• Spoon out a few tablespoons of butter (I used a vegetable based butter) and lay on top of the vegetables

• Place the foil dish with the seasoned vegetables on the grill and cook for 8-10 minutes

That’s it! Quick and easy plus super delicious! I hope you enjoy this as much as we do in our house. 

Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Until next time,

One Cool Nerd Mommy

Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter

Blog and photos are copyright of One Cool Nerd Mommy 2017

Easy Meatballs – a Freezer Favorite 🍝

I am all about little effort and big reward in our house. Good tasting and homemade food are an added plus in the daily calendar. You can’t beat knowing what is in your food and where it came from. So, with that said, this meatball recipe is easy and not too time consuming…and it tastes great!

What you need:

1 – 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Handful of fresh basil – washed and minced

1 tablespoon of garlic powder (more or less depending on your preference)

1 teaspoon of salt and pepper mix

1/4 – 1/2 of a large onion diced (more or less depending on your preference)

What you need to do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, whisk your two eggs and then mix all of your ingredients together except for the meat.

Once all of the ingredients are mixed together, add the ground beef and mix completely with hands.

After your meat is thoroughly mixed in, form golfball sized meatballs and place on a baking sheet in rows. I used a silicone baking mat for easier clean up after. You could also use parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. 

These are the perfect size for your pasta dinner, make great meatball sandwiches, a perfect snack, and freeze well for later.

My littles love meatballs. I usually make more than I need and freeze the rest for snacks and meals later on. They defrost well and don’t lose their flavor. 

Simple, quick, and easy. From my home to yours, enjoy!