Ham Stuffed Jumbo Shells

These were yummy, although a little time intensive. I was talking to a friend on the phone a couple of hours before I had planned to start preparing these. I said, "Come on over. I'm trying a stuffed shell recipe." Then, somehow time got away from me. The baby has a cold and didn't want to be put down. I was trying to straighten up a little and clear the dishes out of the sink. Anyway, when our guests arrived I had just put the shells on to boil. I had a lovely visit with my friend while I chopped and sauteed and stuffed. Then the shells still needed to bake for 30 minutes. I'm generally a reliable hostess. If dinner is promised at 5:30, I'm pretty close. I was running about an hour behind with this one. Not good. About every 5 minutes the kids ran through the kitchen, announcing "We're hungry!" By the time that I put dinner on the table, the kids were stuffed with Cheerios and crackers and juice. They all took 2 bites and ran off to play and we "grown ups" actually had 10 minutes of uninterrupted adult conversation with our stuffed shells. Beautiful.

I began the stuffed shells by cooking 24 jumbo pasta shells according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.


Next, I sauteed 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms and 1/2 cup each of chopped onion and sweet red pepper.


While the veggies cooked, I started this simple sauce. I just mixed 2 cups of milk with 3 tablespoons of flour and a little salt and cooked until thickened.


Once the mushroom, onion, and pepper are tender, add 1 pound of diced ham, 1/2 cup of shredded swiss, and 3 tablespoons of parmesean cheese. Cook and stir until the ham is heated and the cheese is melted.


Remove the filling from heat and add in 1/2 cup of the sauce.


Spoon the filling into the shells.


Place your stuffed shells into a 13 X 9 in. baking dish, coated with non-stick cooking spray.


Now pour the rest of the sauce over the shells. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30minutes.


Remove from the oven and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded swiss, parsley, and paprika.






Ham-Stuffed Jumbo Shells adapted from Light and Tasty Magazine

24 jumbo pasta shells
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% milk
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, halved and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon oil
1 lb. diced ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese, divided
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan,
combine flour and milk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes
or until thickened. Remove from the heat; set aside. In a large nonstick
skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Reduce
heat; add the ham, 1/2 cup Swiss cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir until
cheese is melted. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of the reserved sauce.
Drain pasta; stuff each shell with about 3 tablespoons of filing. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining sauce.
Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with
parsley, paprika and remaining Swiss cheese.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts
One serving: 3 stuffed shells Calories: 274 Fat: 7 g Saturated Fat: 2 g Cholesterol: 26 mg Sodium: 703 mg Carbohydrate: 30 g Fiber: 2 g Protein: 23 g Diabetic Exchange: 2 lean meat, 2 starch.
WW points per serving: 6