This Week's Menu

It was a "comfort food" week at the Hatfield residence. We had ham balls (an Iowa classic), chickpea stuffed shells (getting our legumes!), and inside-out chicken cordon bleu. I think these are all good recipes and my kids love them. The ham balls make a lot, but I made them for a neighbor who just had a baby (or you can freeze them before baking them). I kind of made up the chicken cordon bleu one after seeing something similar somewhere.

Ham Balls

2 pounds ground fully cooked ham
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons ground mustard

In a large bowl, combine the ham, beef, pork, cracker crumbs, eggs and milk; mix well. Shape into 48 balls. Place in two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over ham balls. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until browned.


Chickpea-stuffed Shells

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 egg whites
1 carton (15 ounces) reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 small onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jar (28 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce, divided
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, place the chickpeas and egg whites in a food processor; cover and process until smooth. Add the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, onion and garlic; cover and process until well blended. Pour 1-1/4 cups of spaghetti sauce into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; set aside. Drain pasta shells; stuff with chickpea mixture. Place over sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.


Inside-Out Chicken Cordon Bleu

2-4 ounces of thinly sliced deli ham
chicken breast (enough for your family)
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
garlic or onion if you like

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cut up the deli ham into bite sized pieces and layer on the bottom of the pan. Spread chopped onion and garlic on the ham. Mix the chicken soup, sour cream and parmesan in a separate bowl. Place chicken breast on top of ham and cover with the soup mixture. Bake for an hour in a 350 degree oven or until bubbly. Great over potatoes or brown rice.