Join me as I cook through Emeril’s new cookbook filled with recipes of One-Pot Wonders! Follow the 20 bloggers (myself included) as we bake, slow cook, braise and stir fry, delicious recipes! On Twitter you can follow us with the #sizzlingskillets hashtag, as well as liking The Secret Ingredient Blog Facebook page!
One of the things you all might be wondering about these One-Pot recipes might be: are they REALLY one-pot? I can speak for 5 recipes I’ve made and can definitely tell you they have all been one-pot. NOW, they do require some preparation, so you’ll be dirtying bowls and cutting boards. Take for example the latest Emeril recipe in my Grandma’s kitchen: Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Ricotta, Mushrooms, and Roasted Red Peppers. The only utensils we used were a large pot, a bowl, a cutting board, a knife, a spatula and a casserole dish!
“Clean As You Go”: This is one of the most important lessons you can learn to work in a kitchen. Thinking of your next step will help you prepare for what you need and might help you re-use a spoon, a bowl or a cutting board. This is a vegetarian recipe, so there is no risk of cross-contamination! Cleaning as you go will also give you peace of mind, because who many people have I heard say they “hate cooking” and it’s mainly because of the huge pile of dishes they need to clean at the end. If you wash that bowl the moment you finish using it, you’ll have one less dish to stack in the pile. Do this with at least 50% of the dishes you use and you’ll be halfway done and with a meal on the table in no time!
Baked Pasta is one of the best dishes to make for the family, but I love this even more for young adults living on their own and with no roommates to share your food with. Prep two casserole dishes during the weekend and you’ll have enough food for the entire week; a side dish such as these Jumbo Shells (that work perfectly as a meal as well) and a baking dish of Roasted Herbed Chicken Legs will reheat lovely and allow for a hot meal every day. Just pop out of the fridge and into the oven for 30 minutes to reheat slowly or in the quick and easy microwave and you’re having dinner while watching Top Chef in no time!
Jumbo Shells Stuffed with Ricotta, Mushrooms,
and Roasted Red Peppers
I can’t share this recipe (but remember you can
pre-order you book here!), but here are a few great combinations to stuff jumbo shells. As your base, use whole-milk ricotta cheese and add an egg to the cheese stuffing to make a creamier, more compact stuffing. Saute your veggies such as the mushrooms here, and be as creative as you want with your fillings. Here are a few ideas:
- Ricotta, Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Spinach
-
Ricotta, Cubanelle Peppers, Cilantro and Chorizo
-
Ricotta, Black Olives, Lemon Zest
You can break this dish into two steps and prepare the stuffing the night before to the flavors meld together even more. Stuff the shells in the morning, place in casserole dish and top with marinara sauce and lots of cheese!
What’s YOUR favorite baked pasta dish?
Full disclosure: For my commitment to this blogger cooking party, I received a copy of this cookbook, as well as a set of Emeril – by Zak! Table Art 7-piece Flame-Shaped Serving Bowls, and Emeril Seasoning; a $50 grocery reimbursement and Emeril cookbooks upon completion of the party. The top performing blogger, as selected by T-Fal, will be awarded an Emeril by T-Fal Slow Cooker. YOU will be eligible to win a copy of the cookbook, as well as the 7-piece zak! set.
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Mmmm this is like my Cheese Manicotti which is a favorite dish! Fabulous! This cookbook looks great!
Wow! That looks AMAZING! Come to San Antonio with that pasta ASAP! I love baked Ziti- that’s my baked pasta dish of choice 🙂
Stuffed shells are always an oven-baked treat! My personal favorite is lasagna (with a bechamel sauce) or homemade manicotti.
Congrats on a great review over at Cooks & Books & Recipes too! 🙂