Beef and Cheese Manicotti
- 4 teaspoons Olive Oil, Divided
- 1 Medium Onion, Chopped
- 1 pound Ground Beef, Or Ground Sausage Or Turkey
- 1 8 Oz Box Manicotti
- 15 Oz Ricotta Cheese
- 3 cups Shredded Italian Cheese Blend, Divided
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, Divided
- 2 Tablespoons Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
- 3 cups Marinara Sauce, Or Your Own Favorite Pasta Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Small Pieces
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- Garlic Powder, To Taste
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a preheated skillet, add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook until the meat is no longer pink.
- Drain and set aside to cool.
- Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still somewhat firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups Italian cheese blend, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and most of the parsley, reserving about 1 teaspoon for later.
- Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix.
- Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.
- Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
- Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture.
- Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups Italian cheese blend and the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta.
- Dot entire dish with the butter pieces.
- Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes, sprinke the top with the reserved parsley, and serve.
olive oil, onion, ground beef, ricotta cheese, italian cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, marinara sauce, butter, salt, garlic
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/beef-and-cheese-manicotti/ (may not work)