Cheesy Shells with Smoked Sausage

Greetings all and Happy new Year! Wow, it has been awhile since I have blogged! But it is safe to say that I AM BACK BABY! We are finally settled in our new (very cold) state of Colorado. So far so good! I got a new teaching job, we have a lovely house, I got an amazing new car, a Prius! I freakin love that car! The holidays have been good to me. I finally got a Kitchenaid stand mixer! Ans some new pots an pans. So be prepared to see every baked good you can imagine coming this way. I'm beyond excited to be cooking in my own kitchen again!You have no idea how hard it was being away from all of my kitchen stuff. I felt like I lived in the stone age! Seriously. I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas or whatever holiday you may or may not celebrate! But now, it is time for FOOD! (insert applause here) This is a super cheesy, super simple dish I threw together last night. I would make it again and again. I love cheesy and I love smoked sausage. So basically its a double whammy for me! I found this recipe in an old Betty Crocker magazine. I wonder if Betty Crocker was overweight...she sure knew how to cook!

Cheesy shells with Smoked Sausage

Prep time: 25 mins 

Servings:4

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups uncooked small pasta shells

1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas

1/2 lb smoked sausage, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 in pieces

2 cups shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend ***

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. in 3 qt. saucepan, heat broth to boiling over medium-high heat. Add pasta; heat to boiling. Boil 6 minutes; do not drain. Reduce heat. Stir in peas and sausage. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until pasta is tender. (there will be broth remaining)

2. Add American-Cheddar cheese blend. Toss gently until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

*** I couldn't find the American-cheddar blend so I got this and chopped up a few slices of American cheese and mixed it all together.

Eat up! Let me know what you think! Until next time...Adios!