You can make the stuff shells on their own as a delicious mac dish. I recommend doing this rather than making the whole recipe, because this was definitely hat on a hat.

On the show we didn’t use a roux for the stuffed shells, which was a mistake. It is corrected here.

Stuffed Shells

1/2 large tub Utz Cheese Balls (32 oz)
1 500g package Giant Shell Pasta
12oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
4 sprigs of fresh basil, chopped
1lb Ground Sweet Italian Sausage
1 8 oz package Cabbot 5 cheese italian blend shredded cheese
1 8 oz package Cabot Mozzarella shredded cheese
½ 8 oz package Cabot New York Sharp shredded cheese
1 medium shallot chopped
6 cloves garlic chopped
1/8th cup chopped basil, adjust to taste
2 eggs
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
Salt for boiling and taste
Fresh ground Pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Start an assistant shredding cheese from utz cheese balls.

2. Set stove to boil large shells over medium heat in salted water. Cook, drain and set aside.

3. Cook italian sausage in a frying pan over medium heat until about half brown.

4. Add chopped shallot. Cook for about 5 minutes, crushing meat often with potato masher

5. Prepare baking dish, spray with cooking spray for easy cleanup.

6. Add garlic to cooking sausage. Increase heat to medium high and cook for 3 minutes.

7. Pour ricotta cheese into a large bowl.

8. Add 2 whole eggs and sausage mix to bowl.

9. Add chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

10. Add about 3/4 cup shredded utz balls to the bowl.

11. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted add flour and let cook until just barely golden.

12. Add 2 cups milk saucepan, let cook and thicken, stir often.

13. Put cheese sausage mix into a piping bag or cut off freezer bag.

14. Pipe the cheese sausage mix into shells one at a time, and place the finished shells in the baking dish. It is okay to layer the shells if necessary. If any extra filling is left over, just put it over the other shells.

15. Add the Italian blend cheese to the milk mixture. Stir until melted.

16. Add the mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheese to the milk mixture. Stir until melted.

17. Add ½ cup utz cheese dust to the milk mixture. Stir until blended.

18. Add salt and pepper to taste.

19. Pour cheese sauce mix over stuffed shells. Top with ¾ cup utz cheese dust.

20. Cover with foil and bake for 22 minutes at 350 degrees.

Utz French Mac V2

We made a ½ portion of this mac for the show to put over the shells. You could double it for a full portion. The recipe here is slightly adjusted from the show to correct the amount of cheese sauce (there was too much)

1 1/2 cups utz cheese ball shreddings
2 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Flour
2 cups heavy cream
8 oz Dececco Orecchiette Pasta
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp crushed red pepper to taste
1 tsp mustard powder
4 oz shredded cabot pepper jack cheese
8 oz cabot New York and Vermont shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz cabot Vermont sharp shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
Salt for water and to taste
Pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 if not already set.

2. Bring a medium pan of water to boil, cook Orecchiette pasta.

3. In a second pan, melt butter over medium heat.

4. Add flour and cook until just golden brown.

5. Add heavy cream, stir.

6. Add nutmeg, crushed red, mustard powder, stir.

7. Add cheese to sauce one at a time, mix each until melted.

8. Take a cup of cheese sauce into a mixing bowl, add 2 eggs, and whisk for 2 minutes, and return to the cheese sauce mix.

9. Add utz cheese ball shreddings and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

10. Drain pasta.

If preparing the recipe shown in the show, mix pasta into cheese sauce, and pour over shells. Top with remaining 2 oz. of Vermont shredded cheese and 1.5 cups more utz dust. Bake for 11 minutes uncovered. If preparing alone, continue with numbered directions.

11. Put drained pasta into a medium baking dish, pour cheese sauce over and mix well.

12. Bake for 8 mins uncovered, serve hot from the oven. It’s best served right away.