Super easy meatball stuffed shells recipe!

Hellooo, blogger! Happy weekend! 

So, I've attempted to be a bit adventurous in the kitchen this week (and for me, adventurous in the kitchen means merely touching a cooking appliance) and try some new things out. Last night I attempted a crescent roll calzone, and it was fabulous. So tonight, my Italian kick continued, and I wanted to try stuffed shells! 

(Yum!)

I've had said jumbo shells sitting in the pantry for months, but haven't touched them because I was scared of them since I'd never cooked them before. In fact, I had to dig a bit to even find them. I saw a recipe online for taco stuffed shells that looked delish, however- I did not have ground beef. But alas, I had meatballs. I then wondered if people even put meatballs in stuffed shells. So, I figured I'd try it anyway. 

So with a few ingredients and some determination, it turned out great! And it was so easy! My boyfriend LOVED them, so that's always a huge plus too ;)

Here's all you need for it:

(Half of a large jar of marinara sauce (of your choice), half box of jumbo shells, pre-cooked thawed meatballs, mozarella cheese, ricotta cheese)

I was cooking for two, so, used 13 meatballs (half the bag) and boiled 16 shells in case any of them had an accident during the prep. (We ended up with leftovers)

So first, I boiled the shells per the directions on the box- and added a bit of minced garlic and salt to taste. While boiling, I prepped my pan by lining it with foil and spreading a thin layer of butter and marinara sauce on the bottom.

-I also preheated the oven at 350 at this step!-

I then drained the pasta and placed them on the pan after they had a minute to cool. Them, I stuffed the shells. 

First, I put a spoon full of ricotta in each.

Then, placed a meatball inside.

Luckily, the shells all made it out alive- so I just stuffed the extras with extra cheese and left them meatless.

After that, I sprinkled the mozzarella inside the shells one by one. 

Next, I loosely poured the rest of the marinara on top of the shells.

I also sprinkled some garlic seasoning on top, but that's totally up to you!

Then, you bake them in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes, and that's it! 

Not bad, right? I'm so glad I tried this out.. and we will definitely be making it again very soon!