This is a wonderful recipe using sweet potatos and crescent rolls! Packed with cream cheese, marshmallows, sweet potatoes and cream cheese. It’s delicious! If you are a fan of sweet potatoes you will also want to check out these delicious Sweet Potato Pancakes. They have wonderful reviews! ❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE If you are...

These Stuffed Shells are a classic family-favorite meal! A creamy filling stuffed into jumbo pasta shells with a homemade meat sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese! AN EASY BAKED STUFFED SHELLS RECIPE I have been making this recipe for stuffed shells for over 25 years. It is my go-to meal that I know everyone will love. It’s easy to make. The only time-consuming part is stuffing the individual shells. But I promise it’s worth it! TIPS FOR MAKING STUFFED SHELLS You can use cottage cheese or ricotta cheese. I like the creaminess of cottage cheese but I know a lot of people are averse to it. Instead of making the sauce with tomato paste, hot water, oregano and beef bouillon – you can substitute with a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce. Serve with a delicious Italian Salad and some Warm Garlic Bread! INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) jumbo pasta shells – a few are bound to tear when you stuff them – it’s ok. ground beef – or ground Italian sausage works great with this. onion – if you don’t like onion just leave it out, this also goes delicious with green peppers if you want to add those in. garlic – you can use fresh or the jarred stuff but I love to use fresh where I can. tomato paste – instead of tomato paste (along with the hot water and bouillon cubes), you can use a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce hot water and bouillon cubes – you can substitute these two for beef broth. dried oregano – fresh oregano can be used – about a Tablespoon or so. small curd cottage cheese – ricotta or mascarpone cheese can be substituted, what I love about cottage cheese is it isn’t as dry as ricotta and keeps this super creamy shredded mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese – use the cheese that your family loves. I think mozzarella is a must. It’s a very mild cheese. Some people don’t like the saltiness of parmesan so you can leave it out or substitute with another Italian cheese. large egg – the egg is a binder, it helps hold the filling together as it cooks. HOW TO MAKE STUFFED SHELLS Prepare jumbo shells per package directions. Drain thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Cook beef, onion and garlic in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook until beef is brown and crumbled. Drain excess grease.  Stir in water, tomato paste, beef bouillon cubes and oregano. Stir and allow to simmer while preparing the shells. In a medium bowl, stir together cottage cheese, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese and egg. Now begin stuffing the cooked shells. About a Tablespoon of the cheese mixture will fit into each one. You should be able to fit about 24 into your 9×13-inch baking dish. You may have to put some in there horizontally. Pour sauce mixture on top of shells. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40-45 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle remaining cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve with garlic bread and your favorite salad! CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Taco Stuffed Shells The Best Crock Pot Lasagna Skillet Lasagna Grandma’s American Goulash Originally published: October 2011Updated & republished: May 2024 Print Easy Stuffed Shells These Stuffed Shells are a classic family-favorite meal! A creamy filling stuffed into jumbo pasta shells with a homemade meat sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese! Course Main CourseCuisine American Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 55 minutes minutesTotal Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes Servings 6 Calories 439kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook Ingredients1 package of jumbo pasta shells1 pound ground beef1 small yellow onion, finely diced1-2 cloves garlic, minced12 ounce can tomato paste2 cups hot water3 beef bouillon cubes1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano16 ounce container small curd cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided use)½ cup Parmesan cheese1 large eggdried parsley, for topping (optional) InstructionsPrepare 1 package of jumbo pasta shells per package directions (until al dente). Drain thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Cook 1 pound ground beef, 1 small yellow onion, finely diced and 1-2 cloves garlic, minced in a large pan over medium-high heat.Cook until beef is brown and crumbled. Drain excess grease. Put ground beef back into pan. Stir in 12 ounce can tomato paste, 2 cups hot water, 3 beef bouillon cubes and 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano. Stir and allow to simmer over medium heat while preparing the shells.In a medium bowl, stir together16 ounce container small curd cottage cheese , one cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 large egg. Begin stuffing cooked shells. About a Tablespoon of the cheese mixture will fit into each one. Place shells into a 9×13-inch baking dish You should be able to fit about 24 into the dish. Pour sauce mixture on top of shells. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for about 40-45. Uncover and sprinkle remaining one cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Sprinkle with dried parsley.  Bake for an additional 5-8 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with a little dried parsley, for topping (optional) then serve! Video Notes Instead of tomato paste and hot water, you can use your favorite spaghetti sauce and skip the use of the beef bouillon. NutritionCalories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 916mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

All the best flavors combine in this Amish Macaroni Salad! Pasta, veggies, cheese and a creamy, tangy homemade dressing! The must-make summer pasta salad! A FAST AND TASTY POTLUCK DISH Headed to a last minute picnic, backyard barbecue or neighbors pool party? This Amish Macaroni Salad is the perfect go to side dish to take so you don’t show up empty handed! It’s super quick to make and made with plenty of summer pantry staple ingredients so you don’t have to worry about hitting the grocery store. Just spend 20 minutes tossing it together and letting it chill in the fridge while you gather your family and other supplies for hanging out and enjoying the sun with friends and family and it’ll be ready in no time. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How do I make red onion taste more mild? If you’re not a huge fan of crispy, pungent red onion, soak the diced onion in cold water for up to 5 minutes. Be sure to drain the onion well before adding to your macaroni salad. It’ll give flavor without the potency. What else can I add to this pasta salad? This macaroni salad is super easy to whip up and can easily be changed up. Other options I would add to the salad are: – hard-boiled chopped eggs– diced cucumbers– diced carrots– peas – corn kernels – diced gherkin pickles– chopped jalapenos– pieces of crumbled bacon – green olives or black olives Can I make this macaroni salad ahead of time? You can but keep in mind that pasta salad will continue to soak up the dressing the longer it sits so you may want to make extra dressing to stir into it. Alternatively, you can prep the ingredients up to 2 days in advance and wait to assemble until you’re ready to serve. How to store leftover Amish Macaroni Salad? Any leftover pasta salad should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days, although this macaroni salad recipe is best when you first make it. Freezing this doesn’t always turn out great, so I don’t recommend it. When you aren’t serving this dish, it should be kept refrigerated for food safety purposes. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) uncooked elbow macaroni– other small pasta shapes are options- like bowtie, rotini, penne or ditalini. diced celery – instead of celery you could use sliced cucumbers. red bell pepper– can also use yellow and orange bell peppers cubed cheddar cheese – or any other soft cheese you enjoy. finely diced red onion – see the FAQ above about making the onion a bit more milder in taste. mayonnaise – use your favorite brand, can be full fat or light mayo. white wine vinegar – in place of white wine vinegar, you could use red wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, regular white vinegar, raw apple cider vinegar, or even pickle juice.  Dijon mustard – you could use regular mustard but the dijon is more mild in flavor. white granulated sugar – this doesn’t make the dressing super sweet. It just makes the dressing a bit more like a sweet and sour flavor. dill – if you don’t like dill then just leave it out. garlic powder  onion powder red pepper flakes – this is optional. HOW TO MAKE AMISH MACARONI SALAD Cook the macaroni in a large pot according to the direction (until al dente, about 8-11 minutes.) While the pasta is cooking, cut the vegetables. Remove the pasta from the stove. Drain the pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking. Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl. In a medium bowl add all the dressing ingredients. Stir until fully combined then set aside. Pour the prepared dressing over the cooked pasta and stir well. Then add all the diced vegetables and cubed cheese.  Sir again until all the ingredients are fully coated with the dressing. Serve immediately. Note: it will be creamiest if you serve immediately. The longer it sits, the macaroni will continue to soak up the dressing but if that is not a concern to you, you can cover and place into the refrigerator until ready to enjoy. CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  Amish Country Casserole No-Starter Amish Friendship Bread Dill Pickle Pasta Salad The Best Macaroni Salad Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Tuna Macaroni Salad The Best Potato Salad Chicken Macaroni Salad Italian Grinder Pasta Salad Taco Pasta Salad Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad Spaghetti Salad Print Amish Macaroni Salad All the best flavors combine in this Amish Macaroni Salad! Pasta, veggies, cheese and a creamy, tangy homemade dressing! The must-make summer pasta salad! Course Side DishCuisine American Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 8 minutes minutesTotal Time 18 minutes minutes Servings 8 servings Calories 483kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook IngredientsSalad Ingredients16 ounce box elbow macaroni2 cups diced celery2 cups diced red bell pepper1 cup cubed cheddar cheese½ cup finely diced red onionDressing Ingredients1 cup mayonnaise3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar2 teaspoons Dijon mustard2 teaspoons white granulated sugar1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt1 teaspoon dill½ teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder½ teaspoon red pepper flakes InstructionsCook the 16 ounce box elbow macaroni in a large pot according to the directions on the box (until al dente, about 8-11 minutes.)While the pasta is cooking, cut the vegetables. Remove the pasta from the stove. Drain the pasta under cold water to stop it from cooking. Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl.In a medium bowl add all the dressing ingredients:1 cup mayonnaise, 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dill, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Stir until fully combined then set aside. Pour the prepared dressing over the cooked pasta and stir well. Then add all 2 cups diced celery, 2 cups diced red bell pepper, 1 cup cubed cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup finely diced red onion. Sir again until all the ingredients are fully coated with the dressing.Serve immediately. Note: it will be creamiest if you serve immediately. The longer it sits, the macaroni will continue to soak up the dressing but if that is not a concern to you, you can cover and place into the refrigerator until ready to enjoy. Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. NutritionCalories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 27g | Sodium: 603mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g

Rice is a staple of many cultures and cuisines‚ and while it's relatively low-maintenance‚ that doesn't mean it's indestructible. Here's how not to store rice.

If you've been to a bar before‚ you've probably seen a bartender slap a mint leaf. This may seem unnecessary‚ but there is a reason to slap rather than muddle.