Fall Friday Night Dinner with Friends

(Gratuitous picture of Abbie just because it's cute)

It's been SO long since I've posted a menu! We haven't been doing a whole lot of entertaining at our house lately, just due to so many plans at so many other places. Plus, we've been trying to sell our house so we don't plan too far in advance and try to keep it neat around here!

But the housing market has slowed (um, from very slow during the summer to practically at a standstill right now) and it had been WAY too long since we got together with a particular group of our close friends; so we planned a night in. I'm getting help from my friends in the way of appetizers and dessert, but here is what I am planning on serving for dinner:

Fall Friday Night Dinner with Friends

• 
  
  
  
  Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu
  


• 
  
  
  
  Baked Orzo with Fontina and Peas



• 
  
  
  Tomatoes Provencal
  


• 
  
  
  
  Green Beans with Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette



• 
  
  
  Buttermilk Biscuits

with some Pumpkin Blondies to round out dessert!

Spinach and Turkey Stuffed Shells

Another fabulous weeknight pasta meal! These take a little bit longer than some other pasta bakes, only because you have to take the time to stuff each shell; but it's worth it. A creamy mix of ground turkey and healthy spinach make a delicious filling for these shells. I adjusted the amounts from the original recipe beacuse I wanted to make some for dinner and then freeze some. I also used ground turkey instead of sausage because I wanted to make these a little healthier (well, except for all the cheese!).

Otherwise, Molly's recipe was perfect and I will definitely be making them again soon!

Spinach and Turkey Stuffed Shells

slightly adapted from The Rookie Chef

makes 6-8 servings

10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

olive oil

1 or 1.25 pounds ground turkey

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

about 25 jumbo pasta shells

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups marinara sauce

shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 x 9 dish with cooking spray, set aside.

In large skillet, brown ground turkey, drain fat and set aside. In same skillet, heat a little bot of olive oil and add onion. Saute until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add spinach and cream cheese and cook until combined. Add ground turkey back in and stir to heat thoroughly. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and separate on a cutting board so they don't stick together. (A fabulous tip from The Rookie Chef.)

(The following directions are for preparing half of this mixture. I froze the other half - of just the stuffed shells - but if you wish to bake them all at once, just prep two dishes to bake.)

Spread some marinara sauce over the bottom of prepared baking dish. Stuff each shell with a tablespoon or two of the meat mixture. Place the shells in the baking dish and cover with another layer of sauce.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover dish, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

These were deeee-licious. We are big fans of buffalo chicken and as soon as we sat down and started to eat these Chuck said, "I didn't know this was exactly what I wanted to eat until I started eating it". Suffice it to say that we both loved them and I will be making them again soon! (Especially since we already ate the ones in the freezer as well!)


I didn't change anything that Jessica of How Sweet It Is wrote in the original recipe so I'll link you below. If you want to freeze half, just pile the enchiladas into a container, freeze half the sauce, and do the final baking when you defrost them. Enjoy!


Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas