Money Saving Shells

For the last year Jason and I have been trying to save up to buy a house. To aid in that effort we made a budget and have done a pretty good job of sticking to it. This summer, however, we fell off the wagon a little bit. Between lost rings, vacations, and new work wardrobes, we did not save as much per month as we should have. So this fall we are cracking down a little bit. Under normal circumstances this would primarily mean limiting our extraneous expenses but unfortunately this fall we have some (e.g., two out of town weddings and a car that needs new tires) that are somewhat our of our control.  So we are having to get serious about other aspects of our budget—like eating out.

As I’ve mentioned before, I generally cook Sunday-Thursday (I say generally because there are weeks like this past one where I get home late/tired and we end up picking up Panera or ordering pizza once or twice). That means Friday and Saturday are reserved for eating out. Really, two nights a week is not that much but Jason and I decided that it would be an easy place to save a little extra money so we’re now limiting restaurant meals to once a week.  That doesn’t mean that I am cooking an extra night a week, however; we agreed that this would only work if Jason took on responsibility for planning/making one meal a week  (because as much as I love doing those things, 5-6 nights a week gets to be a lot!).

We put our plan into motion two weeks ago when I made Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells for dinner on a Saturday. The nice thing about this recipe is that it makes a lot—I usually freeze half of it and that still gives us two dinners and a lunch. The recipe is good—hearty yet still healthy (thanks to the ground turkey and part-skim ricotta). The perfect way to fill our bellies and our bank account.

Turkey and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:
1 box jumbo pasta shells
3 TBL olive oil
½ large yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey (I use white meat)
1 can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 (15 ounce) container of part-skim ricotta cheese
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup chopped basil
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 (36 ounce) jar of tomato sauce
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese

1.Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
2.Add ground turkey, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until turkey is cooked through. Add artichokes and stir to combine. Remove from heat and let cool.
3.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4.In a large bowl, combine cooled turkey mixture, ricotta, parmesan, basil, and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.
5.Cover the bottom of a baking dish with some of the tomato sauce (just a thin layer will do). Take a shell in the palm of your hand and stuff with a large spoonful of the turkey mixture—don’t be shy with the stuffing! Place in the baking dish and repeat. This makes a lot so I always do in two pans and freeze one for future use (see below).
6.Top shells with tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and shells are bubbly.
To freeze: Cover unbaked shells in two layers of plastic wrap. Wrap the entire pan in at least 1 (if not 2) layers of aluminum foil to ensure it is well sealed. Place in freezer. To bake, unwrap the pan and bake (still frozen) for about 60 minutes or until shells are hot and cheese is melted.