Sausage Cannelloni in Bechamel Sauce

 

 

I love this recipe.  It is one of our favorites because its so easy and quick to make and just bursting with flavor. I use turkey Italian sausage for my filler and lots of chopped up mushrooms and cheese.  Then I stuff the Cannelloni pasta BEFORE I cook it. So much easier that way and less messy. Finally, it bakes in a rich creamy Bechamel sauce.  OMG this is so good!

 

Sausage Cannelloni in Bechamel Sauce

 

1 box Cannelloni or Manicotti pasta

1 Italian Sausage (I use turkey Italian sausage)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 oz mushrooms, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided

 

Bechamel Sauce

 

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

3 cups whole milk or half and half

1 teaspoon dried Oregano

 In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil, onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes allowing the onion to soften and the mushrooms to release liquid. Once most of the liquid has dissipated, add in the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to crumble and break up the bigger pieces. You want it small so it will be easier to stuff the pasta.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stir and continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is no longer pink and is starting to brown. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning.  Stir to combine and then transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

Bechamel sauce: 

 Melt butter over medium heat in the same skillet as you made the sausage. Add flour and stir until well incorporated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Slowly, add milk and whisk together until smooth. Continue whisking until sauce comes to a slow boil and starts to thicken. Season with salt and Pepper to taste and stir in the remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Add in half (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella and stir until cheese melts. Then remove from heat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Add about a quarter cup of the sauce into the sausage mixture you set aside earlier. Stir until everything is combined. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner clipped.  Pipe the mixture into your uncooked pasta and set aside. You can also use a small spoon to fill the pasta tubes. Start from one end and using your finger to push the filling all the way through.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread a couple tablespoons of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 oiled baking dish. Nestle the filled cannelloni in the sauce and cover with remaining bechamel sauce.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of oregano.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until heated through; and cheese starts to turn golden. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes then serve. 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

 

 

 

 

DEVILED EGGS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a time when you could buy a dozen extra-large eggs for .89 cents a dozen. And I would make two dozen deviled eggs at a time knowing they would all be gone in just a matter of minutes.  They were always at my family gatherings, always served at parties and cookouts. They were always up-front and center on my holiday table.  I even took them along to pot luck suppers.

Unfortunately, they are now considered a delicacy with eggs going for over $8 a dozen in the stores.  Luckily, I have my own chickens and they give me beautiful jumbo large eggs daily.  My only challenge is peeling them.  You can’t peel fresh eggs so I have to sit aside some for boiling after they age a bit.

I love deviled eggs. I make them just like my Mom....nothing fancy or complicated... and nothing much added other than mustard and mayo and maybe a sprig of dill or sometimes a sprinkle of paprika.

 

Deviled Eggs

 6 large eggs

1/4 cup Hellmann's or Dukes Real Mayonnaise

2 teaspoons yellow mustard

salt and white pepper to taste

paprika, for top of eggs, optional

A sprig of dill weed for garnish

 

Boil your eggs in a pan large enough to hold 6 large eggs. Cover with cold water about 2 inches above the eggs. Heat over medium high heat until the water boils. Boil for about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, cover and let sit for 10-12 minutes.  

 

Add cooked eggs to a bowl of ice water until they are cool enough to handle. Drain water, crack the eggs and remove all shells. After peeling, cut the eggs in half with a sharp knife. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gently scoop out the yolk into medium sized bowl. Place the whites on a serving dish.

Mash the yolks with a fork and add some of the mayonnaise and mustard and mix together.  Add more of each to get the consistency you like.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you want your mixture extra creamy and smooth, mix with a hand mixer on low speed. If the yolks are not creamy enough, add a little more mayo, but just a little at a time.  You want it thick and not too thin. If the mixture is too runny, it will not sit up well in the egg white.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snip the end of a Ziploc bag or fit the end of the plastic bag with a star tip. Use a large spoon and fill the bag with the egg yolk mixture, squeezing the filling into the bottom of the bag. Using a swirling motion, fill the eggs with the yolk mixture. 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Pasta Alfredo Chicken Bake

 

What can I say?  Who doesn’t love a good Pasta Bake?  This one is so easy and quick to make and yet so creamy and cheesy and delicious.  Whenever I feel like real comfort food, I get a skillet and some cream and cheese and make alfredo….. add some store bought chicken and you have a meal in no time.  Serve with a side salad and some garlic bread and you’ll wonder why you don’t make this more often!

Pasta Alfredo Chicken Bake

4 tablespoons butter

2 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons flour

2 cups heavy cream 

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 bag of Tyson Chicken strips (use as much chicken as you like)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups mozzarella cheese

water if needed to thin 

Cook pasta according to directions and then drain thoroughly and return to pot and set aside.

 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  

Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a skillet until foamy. Add the garlic and sauté until just tender and fragrant. 

 

Add in the flour with the melted butter and garlic and continue to stir for about 2 minutes.  Once a thick paste forms and the flour is cooked down, add in your cream and whisk until smooth. 

Add the Parmesan and chicken strips and stir until cheese has melted.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.   

Pour cheese sauce into the pasta that is still in your pot.  Then pour into 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Cover the top with the shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for 30 minutes.  

For a nice golden color, broil the cheese under the broiler for about 2 minutes, keeping your eye on it constantly until browned and bubbly.   Serve with a nice salad and some garlic bread.

 Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.