~ Poor Man’s Chesapeake Crab Macaroni Salad ~

Poor Man’s Chesapeake Crab Macaroni Salad

A creamy, zesty pantry classic with a modern smoky twist.

Ingredients

• Pasta: $1/2$ box Macaroni (approx. 8 oz / 225g)

• Protein: 1 can Crabmeat (drained)

• Produce: 1 Green pepper (diced), 1 Onion (diced)

• Aromatics: 1–2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped), Fresh Parsley (chopped)

• The Creamy Base: Mayo (to desired creaminess, start with $1/2$ cup)

• Seasoning: Tabasco sauce (to taste), Smoked Paprika (a generous dash), Salt and Pepper

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Instructions

1. Prep the Pasta: Boil the macaroni in salted water until al dente (Note: to cut the sodium, don’t add salt to the water!) . Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water until the pasta is completely chilled. Set aside.

2. Mellow the Garlic: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, chopped garlic, and several dashes of Tabasco. Let this sit for 5 minutes while the pasta finishes. This "cooks" the raw garlic in the vinegar of the Tabasco, removing the sharp sting.

3. Build the Base: In a large mixing bowl, combine your diced onions and green peppers. Stir in the garlic-mayo mixture until well combined.

4. The Mix: Add the chilled macaroni to the bowl. Fold in the crabmeat gently to keep the pieces intact.

5. The Finish: Add a dash of smoked paprika and stir. Taste for seasoning—add more Tabasco if you want more heat, or a pinch of salt if needed.

6. Garnish: Sprinkle the fresh parsley over the top right before serving.

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Chef's Note: If you have time, let it chill in the fridge for 20 minutes before eating. The macaroni will absorb the smoky paprika and garlic flavors, making it even better!

Nutrient	Amount per Serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	415 kcal	21%
Total Fat	22g	28%
Saturated Fat	3.5g	18%
Cholesterol	55mg	18%
Sodium	480mg	21%
Total Carbohydrates	44g	16%
Dietary Fiber	3g	11%
Total Sugars	4g	--
Protein	15g	30%

~Pineapple and Shrimp Macaroni Salad~

~Pineapple and Shrimp Macaroni Salad~

Ingredients: 

• 1 pound pasta, you can use any small pasta, such as bowtie, shells, or elbow but elbow macaroni is a classic choice
• 1 pound shrimp , peeled and deveined
• 1 can (8 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained (Reserves the liquid.)
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots diced
• ¼ cup of chives diced
• ¼ green and/or red peppers diced
• ¼ cup celery diced
• Salt & pepper to taste.

Options:

• Use OLD BAY Seafood Seasoning or Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning instead of salt and pepper.
• Add peas
• Add corn
• You can use chicken instead of shrimp.

Directions:

• Dice the cooked shrimp (I found that dicing the shrimp prevents people from picking out the shrimp for themselves.)
• Mix the shrimp, pineapple, peppers, shallots, celery, and chives together in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream together in a separate bowl and slowly add the reserved pineapple juice until the mayo and sour cream has thinned out a little. You don’t want to make it too thin or it will run off the pasta and shrimp.
• Season to taste, refrigerate before serving.

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Because this dish contains mayonnaise, it should be kept cool to keep it from spoiling. When bring mayo to a picnic I always worry about the mayo going bad, I found this nice two quart insulated bowl that you put in the refrigerator before and it will keep the food cool.

~~Stuffed Shotgun Shells~~

I was at a party where they had Stuffed Shotgun Shells and they were great! So my mind started working… how can I make them?

In the recipes that I looked at there are two fixed ingredients: manicotti shells and bacon. The stuffing had three ingredients: some kind of meat, some kind if cheese, and some kind of peppers.

So….

Ingredients:

• 1 box Manicotti Shells (Options: cannelloni pasta or large shells)
• 1 lbs. Bacon
• Dry meat rub
• BBQ sauce

Meats: any of the following as long as the total adds up to a little over a pound,

• 15% to 20% fat hamburger meat
• Sweet sausage meat
• Hot sausage meat
• Pepperoni 

Cheeses: any of the following as long as the total adds up to a little over eight ounces of cheese,

• Cream cheese
• Pepper jack cheese, shredded
• Cheddar cheese, shredded
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Peppers: any of the following finely diced peppers,

• Green or red peppers
• Jalapeno peppers*
• Habaneros peppers (If you want to go hog-wild on the spicy)*

*It is advised to wear gloves when handling hot peppers.

Directions:

• Pre-boil them first. Boil the manicotti shells for 3-4 minutes until the exterior is slightly soft, but they should still be firm and hold their shape.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, cheese, and peppers together.
• Stuff the manicotti shells with the sausage, cheese, and pepper mixture.
• Wrap the shells in bacon. Ensure that the entire manicotti shell is covered by bacon. This will help to prevent the edges from getting too crispy.
• Apply a generous amount of your favorite rub evenly over the bacon wrap stuffed shells. Make sure to cover it completely.
• Allow to rest for four hours or overnight.
• Cooking...
• Oven: Preheat your oven to 275°F. Place the shotgun shells on a parchment lined sheet pan or baking sheet and cook on the middle rack for 60 minutes.
• Air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy.
• Smoker: Preheat your smoker to 275°F. Smoke for 60 minutes.
• Grill: Preheat your grill to 275°F. Cook for 30 minutes.
• Check for an internal temperature of 165 – 170°F.
• Coat the shotgun shells with the BBQ sauce be sure to coat the shotgun shells well on all sides and the ends. The BBQ sauce will keep the noodles soft, so lather it on thick, and cook for another 10 minutes.
• Let them cool and cut them into one inch pieces.

Tips:

• The ones that I had were a little on the dry side, so it is important to use high fat content meats and if you are using pork you have to make sure you do not over cook them and make sure you cover them completely in BBQ sauce.
• To store them, let the shotgun shells cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat them in an oven-safe dish and heat them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. You can also heat them in the microwave or the air fryer.

~~ Spaetzle ~~

(Type of Germany noodle for soups)

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups All purpose floor
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 1 TSP Salt

Directions:

• Mix the ingredients together and spoon ( marble size pieces ) into boiling water.

History: My grandmother used to make spaetzle and add them to her homemade split pea soup.

~~Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna~~

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ pound ground beef
• ½ pound Italian sweet sausage  
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup chopped onions
• 24 oz. low carb. spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• No-cook lasagna noodles
• Dried basil
• Dried parsley
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F;
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic and chopped onion, cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; 
• Stir in half of the spaghetti sauce;
• Add a layer the no-cook lasagna noodles;
• In a bowl mix the Ricotta and cottage cheeses and half of the remaining spaghetti sauce (¼ of the jar) and season with the basil and parsley. Spread over the layer of he no-cook lasagna noodles;
• Add a layer the no-cook lasagna noodles;
• Add the remainder of the spaghetti sauce;
• Cover with the shredded mozzarella cheese and season with the basil and parsley;
• Bake until bubbly and golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

~~ Five Layer Lasagna ~~

 Ingredients:

• 1 Box of Lasagna noodles
• 1 Cup Cottage Cheese
• 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
• 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 LBS Sausage
• 1 LBS Meatballs ( see the Meatballsl recipe )
• 2 tbs. Dried basil
• 2 tbs. Dried parsley
• 32 OZ Spaghetti sauce

Directions:

• Boil 6 quarts of water and add the box of lasagna noodles. Cook for 10 minutes. 
• Mix 1 tbs. each of  the basil and parsley in to the cottage cheese.
• Mix 1 tbs. each of  the basil and parsley in to the Ricotta cheese
• Break up the sausage and brown the sausage in a frying pan, mix with a 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce. 
• Break up the meatballs and mix with a 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce. 
• In a 10" x 14" x 3" pan, coat the bottom with a layer of spaghetti sauce. Then add a layer of noodles, a layer of cottage cheese, a layer of noodles, a layer of meatballs, a layer of ricotta cheese, a layer of noodles, a layer of sausage and a layer of noodles. Cover with the rest of the spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese. 
• Bake at 350 oF for 20 minutes.