Friday is surgery day for me. Although I’ve been in tremendous pain the last several months, I’m still not ready to have surgery. I’m guessing the fact that I’ll be down several weeks has me not looking forward to it. I’m going to meal prep a lot this week so I can grab meals out of the freezer to heat up for dinner. This week’s recipe is going to feature some easy meals your entire family will love.

This first dish is a kidfriendly one that is flavorful and fun and is also lower in fat. It comes two of my favorite things with Mexican and Italian flavors.

Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 tsp. chili powder

3 ounces fat-free cream cheese, cubed

1 bottle taco sauce, divided

3/4 cup shredded cheese blend, divided

20 baked tortilla chip scoops, coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water; drain again.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook and crumble beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cream cheese and 1/2 cup taco sauce until blended. Stir in 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons filling into each shell. Place in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with remaining taco sauce.

Bake, covered, until heated through, 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chips.

Freeze option: Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover casserole with foil; bake as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°. Top with cheese and chips as directed.

This next recipe is for tortellini soup. It’s one of those soups that doesn’t take long to make on a busy night and is full of healthy, tasty ingredients. The original recipe calls for spicy sausage links, but I’ve found that turkey sausage and even ground turkey breast is just as good.

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

3/4 pound Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

1 medium onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth

1-3/4 cups water

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

2-1/4 teaspoons minced fresh basil or 3/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dash crushed red pepper flakes

Shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Add tortellini; return to a boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; add the spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes. Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted and tortellini are tender. Serve with cheese if desired.

Freeze option: Place individual portions of cooled soup in freezer containers and freeze.

To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add broth if necessary.