Sausage Stuffed Shells - Healthy

As you can tell by the amount of posting I am doing (two today). I am on spring break.

Lucky you...

I am on my renewed health kick. I figure that I run now 23 miles a week, but can't lose any more weight...it must be what I put into my pie hole. So from now until 10k race day (April 26th) I am going to work very hard at watching what I eat...and am going to share some new recipes with y'all...did I mention I have been in Arkansas

Sausage Stuffed Shells

24 jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. lean Italian turkey sausage
1 (15 oz) container of light Ricotta cheese
2 c. shredded Italian cheese blend reduced fat
(or Mexican blend if you already have it in the fridge...no one will notice)
1 (9 oz) box frozen spinach
3/4 c. shredded carrots
1 jar spaghetti sauce
(I love my Trader Joe's traditional marinara with a can of tomato sauce)
Italian Seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Then you cook the shells according to the package
3. Remove casings from sausage...sorry...that just doesn't look right

4. Then cook sausage over medium heat breaking up and draining liquid.

5. Thaw and drain spinach.

6. Stir Ricotta cheese, 1 c. shredded cheese blend (Mexican or Italian...or whatever), spinach, carrots, Italian seasoning, and sausage.

(And if you live at my house, with my kids you make a batch with just sausage, cheese blend and Ricotta...)

8. Spray 13 x 9 baking dishes with cooking spray and put 1/4 c. sauce on the bottom of dishes.

7. Then put about 3 T. full of mixture into the cooked shells. (Saving unused shells in case either child doesn't like the stuffed ones...I ain't no dumb guy) I sprinkled more spinach on top of GS and my shells...and place them into the baking dishes. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce on top of shells. Spray foil with cooking spray and cover dishes. Bake 40 minutes, uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered another 5 - 10 minutes.
I forgot to take a picture until we ate some of them...still they look, and are, Delish.

12 servings of 2 shells each=

290 calories
9 g. fat
40 g. cholesterol
720 mg. sodium
33 g. carbs
2 g. fiber
7 g. sugar
19g. protein

My kids kinda liked them...although, no joke, my son after eating two bites said...these have a taco flavoring to them...now mind you the Mexican blend did not have any seasoning just a blend of "Mexican" cheeses (whatever that is). I think Andrew would have liked them better if I just had Ricotta and sausage. GS and I loved them. Isabella ended up just eating the plain shells, very happily I might add.

...see I ain't no dumb guy.

More later.

- A Ro