Cheesy Pasta Shells with Ham and Broccoli

Hectic school nights call for easy and tasty, family-pleasing meals like these Cheesy Pasta Shells with Ham and Broccoli!

I’m truly sad to see the summer break go, but one thing I always look forward to about back-to-school time is a return to my normal routine.  I love being spontaneous and playing with the kids full time for a few months, but the inner planner in me just craves a schedule.

 

I know I’ll be eating those words soon.  I always underestimate just how busy and exhausting life turns once homework and after-school appointments take over our evenings.

 

But, just because our calendar is full doesn’t mean that our bellies can’t be too when the evening rumblings begin.  You know how I take pride in serving up a warm and satisfying, made-with-love meal for my family, because gathering around the table has always ranked high on my “important” list.

 

But, that being said, I’m also a firm believer that dinners don’t need to be complex or time-consuming to be delicious.  Easy is my middle name…well, it should be.  🙂

So, when the kids hit the books again, I take it as a personal challenge to come up with scrumptious meal solutions that can be prepared and cleaned up at lightning speed.  Today’s dish totally fits the bill!

 

And speaking of challenge, my kids have this little competition going between them.  When I pull a food item from our pantry shelves, the child who spots the Box Top first on it is the one who gets to clip it and turn it into his or her teacher. With two kiddos in school and thus in the game too, they take it very seriously.  I’ll admit, sometimes I have to become the referee and make the final call about who won a particular round.

 

 

2 c. fresh broccoli, cut in small pieces

1 heaping cup sweet baked ham, cut into chunks

2 tsp. olive oil

3 boxes (6 oz. each) Annie’s Shells & Real Aged Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese (plus ingredients required to prepare it as stated on the package)

1 crust of bread

2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese

 

Cook broccoli (I boiled mine just until they weren’t crisp).  In a skillet over the stove top, fry ham bits in olive oil until they start browning.  Cook macaroni and cheese and prepare it according to package directions.  Break up bread crust into little pieces or pop it in a blender for very fine crumbs.  Stir in parmesan cheese with bread crumbs in a small bowl.  Once the macaroni and cheese is prepared, stir in cooked broccoli and ham pieces.  Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Do you participate in Box Tops for Education?

 

We just love helping the kids’ school in any way we can and we know that Box Tops do just that! Every little bit can really add up!  We’ve seen that first hand, because my son’s kindergarten class last year received new tablets thanks to funds earned from Box Tops.

So now, when we grocery shop, we actually look for products that have Box Tops, in order to build our collection.  The kids get a kick out of turning the meticulously-gathered treasures into their teachers.  It makes them feel so good, knowing they’ve done their part to help their school.

So when we were at Sprouts the other day and saw these Annie’s products that all included Box Tops, we were ecstatic, of course!  We really hit the jackpot!

Happy new school year!  I hope it’s one for the books!