Patty Pan Squash Italian Style

The farmer next to me at the market had the most beautiful Patty Pan squash - nice big ones.  It is about this time of the year when all the squash are available.  You normally don't see these in the supermarket.  They are great for stuffing!!

I found this receipt on the Wishful Acres Farm Blog.  Another really easy recipe!!  The hardest part was scraping out the insides of the squash. 

Patty Pan Squash Italian Style by Wishful Acres Farm

3 medium to large patty pan squash
1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
1 small size onion, chopped
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cut a circle around the top of the squash like you were craving a pumpkin.  Scoop the seed cavity clean disposing of the seeds.  The inside should be hollow.  I sprinkle it with garlic powder and black pepper.

In a pan, brown the meat with the onions.  Drain any fat.  Add the marinara sauce.  Remove pan from stove.

Fill the squash cavity with the meat sauce.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of each squash.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the squash feels soft.

To eat, you eat the whole thing!  Cut with a knife and fork and eat the squash along with the stuffing.


Entire Recipe:

Patty Pan Squash Italian Style by Wishful Acres Farm

3 medium to large patty pan squash
1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
1 small size onion, chopped
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cut a circle around the top of the squash like you were craving a pumpkin.  Scoop the seed cavity clean disposing of the seeds.  The inside should be hollow.  I sprinkle it with garlic powder and black pepper.

In a pan, brown the meat with the onions.  Drain any fat.  Add the marinara sauce.  Remove pan from stove.

Fill the squash cavity with the meat sauce.

Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of each squash.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the squash feels soft.

To eat, you eat the whole thing!  Cut with a knife and fork and eat the squash along with the stuffing.

ENJOY!!

VERDICT:

It was very good and also VERY filling.  I think next time I will pick smaller squash.  My husband did enjoy it, thought it was very good.  Though he likes acorn squash better.  Thought the squash really didn't much taste to it.  Will I make this again, maybe.   Like I said above, Patty Pan squash are great for stuffing -you can do a meat/rice mixture, rice/spinach/cheese mix, just let your imagination run wild.

Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

It is getting that time of year when peaches are going out of season at the farmer's markets - though I am sure you can still find them in the grocery stores.  I had a few peaches left, not enough to make a pie, but enough to make a peach cobbler.

After searching through all my cookbooks, I decided on Paula Deen's recipe.  She's from down South and cobbler just sounds like a good ole southern recipe, doesn't it.  I figured Paula won't do me wrong! 

I found her cobbler recipe in her book, Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics.  Another real easy recipe to make.  It does call for self-rising flour.  WAIT before you make a mad dash to the grocery store, you can make self-rising flour right in your own home - AMAZING!!  I know - life just doesn't get any better than this and I will share my secret recipe for homemade self-rising flour here:

Self-Rising Flour - makes 1 cup of flour

1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together

Viola!! you now have 1 cup of self-rising flour without leaving your kitchen!!  Life is beautiful again!!

On to Paula's recipe:

Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

8 T butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup self-rising flour (see above)
3/4 cup milk
one 28 ounce can slice peaches or see below

Using fresh peaches

Peel and remove stone from 2 peaches. 

Slice 2 cups of peaches and place in a small sauce pan.

Add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. 

Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir often to make sure sugar dissolves.


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put butter in a deep baking dish or casserole and place in oven to melt.

Mix the sugar and the flour together.  Add the milk slowly to prevent any lumps from forming.

Remove pan with melted butter, pour sugar/flour/milk mixture over melted butter - DO NOT STIR!

Using a slotted spoon, place the fruit on top of the batter.

Gently pour the rest of the syrup over the fruit/batter.

The batter will rise during baking.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. 

Entire Recipe:

Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler

8 T butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup self-rising flour (see above)
3/4 cup milk
one 28 ounce can slice peaches or see below

Using fresh peaches

Peel and remove stone from 2 peaches.  Slice 2 cups of peaches and place in a small sauce pan.  Add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water.  Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir often to make sure sugar dissolves.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Put butter in a deep baking dish or casserole and place in oven to melt.

Mix the sugar and the flour together.  Add the milk slowly to prevent any lumps from forming.

Remove pan with melted butter, pour sugar/flour/milk mixture over melted butter - DO NOT STIR!

Using a slotted spoon, place the fruit on top of the batter.

Gently pour the rest of the syrup over the fruit/batter.

The batter will rise during baking.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. 

Great with whipped cream and even better with vanilla ice cream!!

ENJOY!!

Verdict:

I thought it was good, but mushy.  Not like the cobblers that I am used to.  BUT my husband loved it.  So what do I know - LOL!!  He thought it was great!!  Will I make it again - probably.  There is another recipe I do want to try first before I make a final decision on this one. 

Shrimp Parmesan

Have you ever watched the show The Goldbergs?  Great show!!  Anyway, the Dad, Murray, is always asking Beverly to make him Shrimp Parm - always with extra shrimp and extra parm.  It make me wonder if I could find a recipe for "Shrimp Parm."  And off to the Internet I went.  Lo and Behold, there were TONS of recipes with shrimp and parmesan cheese.  The one I chose was good ole Betty Crocker.  I figured Betty won't let me down and I was right!!

Of course, this does involve a trip to your grocery store for shrimp, pasta and shredded parmesan cheese, but it will be worth it!!  Please read the whole recipe and my comments before you leave!!

Parmesan-Shrimp Pasta Bake by Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 pkg (16 ounces) bow tie pasta (use only half of the box - a whole box is too much pasta!!)
6 T butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 T all purpose flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 3/4 cup half and half (I didn't have so I just substitute whole milk)
1/2 cup clam juice (I didn't have that either - so omitted it)
1 T tomato paste or ketchup
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (medium size)
2 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Cook and drain pasta according to directions on the box

Melt butter is a large sauce pan.  Add the garlic and saute for about a minute (your house will smell WONDERFUL!!).

Stir in the flour with a whisk, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.

Add the chicken broth, half-and-half (or milk), clam juice (if you have it), tomato paste/ketchup, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine until thick. 

Add the shrimp (if using large shrimp, cut into smaller pieces), dill weed and 1/4 cup of the cheese.

Add the bow tie pasta to the shrimp mixture.  Pour into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes.

Entire Recipe:

Parmesan-Shrimp Pasta Bake by Betty Crocker

Ingredients

1 pkg (16 ounces) bow tie pasta (use only half of the box - a whole box is too much pasta!!)
6 T butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 T all purpose flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 3/4 cup half and half (I didn't have so I just substitute whole milk)
1/2 cup clam juice (I didn't have that either - so omitted it)
1 T tomato paste or ketchup
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp (medium size)
2 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Cook and drain pasta according to directions on the box

Melt butter is a large sauce pan.  Add the garlic and saute for about a minute (your house will smell WONDERFUL!!).

Stir in the flour with a whisk, until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.

Add the chicken broth, half-and-half (or milk), clam juice (if you have it), tomato paste/ketchup, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine until thick. 

Add the shrimp (if using large shrimp, cut into smaller pieces), dill weed and 1/4 cup of the cheese.

Add the bow tie pasta to the shrimp mixture.  Pour into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

VERDICT:
Oh yes, this was good!!!  I used large shrimp which I should have cut into smaller pieces.  And you definitely do not need to use the whole box of pasta!!  My resident expert loved it, so I see me making this again in the near future.