Sausage Stuffed Shells

This meal is perfect for impressing a crowd or a weekday dinner.

It looks great on the table and tastes even better! Serve this alone or with a ceaser salad and some garlic bread. Either way you will get rave reviews.

This recipe is easily converted into a delicious gluten free dish by simply substituting the noodles and using a homemade sauce.

There are also wonderful gluten free salad dressing and garlic bread options.

Diet restrictions are no reason to miss out on your favorite meals.

• 8x8 glass baking pan
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 package of large pasta shells
• 1 pound ground turkey sausage
• 1 cup shredded mixed cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 ½ cup red pasta sauce

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
2. Lightly grease an 8x8 baking pan with canola oil
3. Spread approximately one tablespoon of sauce into the bottom of the pan
4. Cook ground turkey sausage in medium sauce pan until brown and crumbly. Break it up with a spatula often
5. Add half of the shredded cheese to the pan with the ground sausage and mix thoroughly
6. Cook pasta shells according to package directions or place them in boiling water for 8 min. *
7. When the pasta shells are done, drain and rinse with cool water immediately
8. Spread the pasta shells out on a piece of aluminum foil or waxed paper
9. Stuff turkey sausage mixture into the shells and place in the 8x8 pan
10. After the bottom of the pan is covered with shells, use a large spoon to drizzle the pasta sauce over the stuffed shells.
11. Then sprinkle the shredded cheese over the shells
12. Continue stuffing the remaining shells with the sausage mixture and place another layer in the pan
13. When all the shells are in the pan, drizzle more pasta sauce on each shell and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese
14. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 35 min or until heated through and the cheese is melted completely.
15. Remove the foil and allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes before serving

Stuffed shells are very filling so one pan should be 5-6 servings

*Add a little olive oil and salt to the water prior to boiling. This will keep the shells from sticking to each other and makes them easier to stuff 

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 448.3
• Total Fat: 13.6 g
• Cholesterol: 75.3 mg
• Sodium: 490.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 48.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g
• Protein: 31.7 g

People do amazing things with pasta sauces.

Some recipes have numerous vegetables, freshly grown spices and many recipes have a secret ingredient or two that make it just right!

There is no substitute for those amazing sauces but sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day to create the masterpiece. For the days when time is an issue there is another option so you don’t have to skip your favorite recipes that include pasta sauce.

This is a delicious and simple pasta sauce that is really quick to put together and it is gluten free!

• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup tomatoes sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Dash black pepper

1. In a medium pot combined the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and all the spices.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat
3. Cover the pot and reduce the heat
4. Allow the sauce to simmer for 15-20 minutes

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 44.2
• Total Fat: 0.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 335.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 10.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g
• Protein: 2.1 g