Wednesday, May 2, 2018

No Boil Manicotti

Manicotti is Luke's FAVORITE meal.  FAVORITE.  I have a go-to recipe that everyone in my house loves so I thought I'd share! 




Here's what you'll need...
- 15 oz Ricotta (I use reduced fat) 
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 package manicotti noodles
- 2 eggs
- 2 jars of marinara sauce
- salt and pepper
- dried parsley

Here's what you'll do...

Step 1 - Combine the bag of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, half a block of cream cheese and about half a cup of parmesan (I used shredded and grated), with the eggs, a few pinches of salt and pepper and some dried parsley.  Put the cheese mixture into a piping bag and pipe it into the uncooked manicotti shells.




Step 2 - Pour about half of the first jar of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  As you pipe the cheese into the noodles place them on top of the sauce and then when you're done pour the remaining sauce in the jar as well as the second jar on top of the noodles.  You want to make sure that they're totally submerged in sauce.  Top with parmesan cheese (or whatever yummy cheese you have on hand).






Step 3 - Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 50 minutes and then an additional 15 minutes with the foil removed.  





I serve mine with my kids favorite chicken sausage (found at Sam's) and Caesar salad.  Yes ma'am.  


A note - I use the Trader Joe's marinara sauce and have never had an issue with the noodles being fully cooked after the hour and five minutes of baking time.  If you find your noodles are still a bit too al dente you can always pop it back in for 10 more minutes OR add a little water to your sauce at the beginning. You're essentially boiling the noodles in the sauce as they bake in the oven so that's why you need so much sauce/liquid.  

I hope that y'all get a chance to try this out and if you do I'd love to know that you think! Happy Wednesday, friends!!!

Here's what you'll need...
- 15 oz Ricotta (I use reduced fat) 
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- shredded parmesan cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 package manicotti noodles
- 2 eggs
- 2 jars of marinara sauce
- salt and pepper
- dried parsley

Here's what you'll do...

Step 1 - Combine the bag of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, half a block of cream cheese and about half a cup of parmesan (I used shredded and grated), with the eggs, a few pinches of salt and pepper and some dried parsley.  Put the cheese mixture into a piping bag and pipe it into the uncooked manicotti shells.

Step 2 - Pour about half of the first jar of sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  As you pipe the cheese into the noodles place them on top of the sauce and then when you're done pour the remaining sauce in the jar as well as the second jar on top of the noodles.  You want to make sure that they're totally submerged in sauce.  Top with parmesan cheese (or whatever yummy cheese you have on hand).

Step 3 - Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 50 minutes and then an additional 15 minutes with the foil removed.  


A note - I use the Trader Joe's marinara sauce and have never had an issue with the noodles being fully cooked after the hour and five minutes of baking time.  If you find your noodles are still a bit too al dente you can always pop it back in for 10 more minutes OR add a little water to your sauce at the beginning. You're essentially boiling the noodles in the sauce as they bake in the oven so that's why you need so much sauce/liquid.  


14 comments :

  1. Almost exactly the same as my recipe except we add cooked drained spinach and onion (diced and softened in butter with a bit of garlic). I also use more ricotta and skip the cream cheese. I mix the onion/spinach mixture in with the cheese before piping and the warmth makes the mixture pipe nicely.

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  2. Looks so quick, easy, and very yummy!

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  3. This looks delish!!!! xoxo ERIN www.simplepurposefulliving.com

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  4. That sounds so good! We make something similar, but instead of the mixture you pipe into the noodles, you just slide in a stick of string cheese! Super easy!

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  5. I love that you can just bake these! I will have to try this. Sierra~Beautifully Candid

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  6. Oh my goodness! Why have I never thought to use a bag to pipe in the filling??!! GENIUS. Thank you for sharing, Andrea! 💕

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  7. Is it the Spinach & Asiago chicken sausage? I have seen it at Sam’s but was afraid to commit to buying a big one if it wasn’t great.

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    1. Our family loves the spinach and asiago chicken sausage. We usually get it at Publix (smaller package) but I imagine the Sam's Club version is the same.

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  8. Where do you get your piping bag for the cheese?? This looks GREAT!! Thank you, Andrea! :-)

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  9. Love this! Pasta - ANY pasta - is my daughter's nightly request. Spaghetti was my favorite food growing up, but I am SO sick of the same thing every night. Most of the jumbo shells recipes require cooking the noodles first, which just adds a step I don't want to do. I LOVE that this is a no-boil recipe and love the idea of piping in the filling. Super easy! Definitely trying this in the next couple days!

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  10. This has seriously become one of my family's favorite dinners. It's so easy to mix up and put in the oven after a busy day.

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