I came home to stuffed shells and braciole.  My life is so good!  And so was dinner!

Saturday is often Victor’s day to play in the kitchen while I’m at work, and it can either be something simple or something extraordinary.  Tonight was definitely the latter!

Braciole in its most base form is merely thin-sliced beef with a bread stuffing, rolled, pan-fried, and simmered in a tomato sauce.  It can be done as a large roast-sized item or small, individual pieces.  I like the small ones the best.

Ya just place the meat on the counter, pound flat, if necessary, and cover with the bread crumbs mixed with a bit of grated cheese, garlic, and a bit of S&P.  Roll it up jelly roll-style and secure with toothpicks.

Brown in a skillet and then place in a casserole with sauce and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes.

Stuffed shells are one of my absolute favorites!  The filling is ricotta cheese, a bit of shredded mozzarella, an egg, a bit of chopped parsley, and a pinch of S&P.  Simple ingredients that pack a wallop of flavor.  They also baked at 350° for 30 minutes.  Victor had extra bread crumbs left over so they went on top, as well.

Shells are actually pretty easy to fill.  Place the filling in a ziplock bag and cut off a corner.  Use it like a pastry bag.

A totally successful dinner!  And to show my appreciation, I’m making a phyllo-crust pumpkin pie for dessert.

Experiments are fun.