Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Shells

Name: Sweet Potato & Caramelized Onion Shells
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 7 servings.
Ingredients: 2 large onions, chopped; 3 tablespoons butter; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 21 uncooked jumbo pasta shells; 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth; 1 tablespoon sherry or apple cider; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1-1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes; 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese; 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley; 1 cup turkey gravy, warmed

Gorgonzola cheese and sweet potatoes add a fun and flavorful twist to classic stuffed shells. Delicious with a sprinkle of Parmesan, the pasta can be topped with leftover gravy, too. —Robin Haas, Cranston, Rhode Island

Ingredients

2 large onions, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
21 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon sherry or apple cider
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 cup turkey gravy, warmed

Directions

In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until softened. Add garlic powder and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Meanwhile, cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain pasta; set aside.
Stir the broth, sherry, thyme and pepper into onions. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is almost evaporated. Remove from the heat. Stir in sweet potatoes and Gorgonzola cheese.
Spoon into shells; place in a greased 11x7-in. baking dish.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with gravy.

Nutrition Facts

3 stuffed shells: 341 calories, 14g fat (9g saturated fat), 42mg cholesterol, 758mg sodium, 41g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 13g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 high-fat meat.

Originally published as Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Shells in Taste of Home November 2011

Reviews

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Average Rating:

kismet57

Oct 23, 2017

Question - "Apple cider or sherry" - VINEGAR or the real stuff?
muffbear74

Dec 9, 2016

Certainly an unusual take on stuffed shells, but my husband and I really enjoy trying new rhings and we both loved these.
mmariemon

Jan 10, 2014

This was a vary good dish and I definitely enjoyed the flavor combinations. The sweet potatoes provided a sweetness that mixed well with the caramelized onions and the gorgonzola provided a nice saltiness. My brother suggested adding bacon which I may try in the future. The gravy is a must as the shells tend to dry out a bit in the oven. Next time I will also add gravy to the bottom of the pan before baking. Other reviewers felt the gorgonzola taste was a bit strong so I only used 4 ounces and if anyone else prefers to use weight (like myself) 1.5 cups of sweet potatoes is about 13.5 ounces. Overall I enjoyed this dish and did not find it as time consuming as some others felt it was. I will be making this again.Kimmyjo62- Sweet potatoes are actually root vegetables, they just happen to be high in a type of carbohydrate known as starch. So what are you saying? Veggies and Pasta don't mix?
princessivy

Nov 9, 2012

Hey kimmyjo62! Ever heard of perogies??
merchris

Nov 8, 2012

My neighbor made these without the gravy and they were delicious. If you don't like gorgonzola though, you won't like them because that is the predominant flavor. I thought this was a very unusual, yet very tasty combo. I'll be making this myself very soon.
kimmyjo62

Nov 8, 2012

I'll say up front, that I haven't made this. Who in their right mind would put these two starches together? Pasta & potatoes? I like all the ingredients, but sounds like this would be a litte all together. I could be wrong, but this does sound weird. I'll save my money and time and prepare something else.
4dietrichs

Dec 15, 2011

My family enjoyed this enough we had it as a side dish in our Thanksgiving meal.
BettySkog

Nov 25, 2011

I thought it was delicious. Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner raved about them. But they were very time consuming to make.
CooksALotMike

Nov 18, 2011

I am not sure I want to do the gravy either but I think it sounds yummy and I am thinking of making it this weekend for a pre-turkey-day turkey day!
Hamlette

Nov 1, 2011

This was bizarre. I couldn't even bring myself to add the gravy. It was just too strange.