I was planning stuffed burgers tonight.  Victor had other ideas while I was at work.  We’ve been on a bit of a kick to use up stuff that has been collecting in the cabinets, refrigerator, and freezer.  I buy on sale, buy bulk, and otherwise try to maximize my shopping dollar, so at some point there can easily be six different pastas on the shelf, 8 cans of tomatoes, cheeses and other assorted odds and ends left from other meals.  The fun and the challenge is putting them all together.

That’s what Victor did tonight!

We had pasta sauce left from Monday, a box of shells, pancetta  from last week, the ground beef I had taken out of the freezer for the burgers…

So…

Victor made a filling of the ground beef, garlic, bread crumbs, chopped oil cured olives, gorgonzola, roasted yellow and red peppers, salt and pepper.

Stuffed the shells and topped with the leftover sauce and then added crisply-fried pancetta and lots of freshly grated parmesan.

Into the oven for about 45 minutes.

We had rolls in the freezer that became garlic bread.

And fruitcake for dessert.

True Confessions Time…

After the picture was taken I added another shell to my plate – and then got two more after those were finished!  OMG it was good!