Melanie2008 Recipe ‹ Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

Homemade meat sauce served over manicotti stuffed with three cheeses. This is the best manicotti I have ever had. I always get requests for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti shells
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 30 ounces cottage cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, onion, and roasted garlic in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer until pan juices evaporate, about 10 minutes more. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and garlic salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend, about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook manicotti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and cool slightly.
4. Mix mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Spoon a generous amount of the cheese mixture into each manicotti shell.
5. Pour enough tomato-beef sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti over sauce; pour remaining sauce over pasta. Cover with aluminum foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over manicotti and return to the oven. Bake until cheese filling is melted, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts

• calories653.5
• carbohydrateContent55.1 g
• cholesterolContent129.1 mg
• fatContent26.3 g
• fiberContent5 g
• proteinContent52.6 g
• saturatedFatContent13 g
• sodiumContent2893.5 mg
• sugarContent17.9 g