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Makeover Cheese-Stuffed Shells
 
recipe image
Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Ready In: 85 Minutes
Servings: 12
You'll love the great flavor in these shells. Our Test Kitchen made them over without using any reduced-fat ingredients, yet still saved a ton on fat and calories!
Ingredients:
3/4 pound ground beef
1 italian turkey sausage link (4 ounces), casing removed
1 large onion, chopped
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups 4% cottage cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
24 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
sauce:
3 cans (8 ounces each) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions:
1. Crumble beef and sausage into a large nonstick skillet; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the spinach, ricotta and egg. Add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, Italian seasoning, pepper and cinnamon if desired; mix well.
3. Stuff pasta shells with meat mixture. Arrange in two 11-in. x 7-in. baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Combine the sauce ingredients; spoon over shells.
4. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 12 servings.
By RecipeOfHealth.com