MANICOTTI Makes 1 large and 1 small baking dish of manicotti
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SAUCE 1 package your favorite spaghetti sauce mix 1 large jar garlic-parmesan spaghetti sauce 2 14 oz cans tomato sauce Water to thin Make the spaghetti sauce mix per directions. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients. The sauce should be thin. It will thicken up during baking. MANICOTTI 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 lb low-fat hamburger 1 lb sweet Italian sausage 3 Tbsp minced onion 3 cloves garlic, minced Cook the hamburger and sausage. When most of the pink is gone, add the onion and garlic. Drain off all the fat. Cool. ½ cup soft bread crumbs 8 oz mozzarella cheese, grated 1 Tbsp chopped parsley½ tsp salt dash pepper ½ cup cooled sauce Mix the ingredients listed above with the meat mixture. ASSEMBLE THE DISH Preheat the oven to 400' F. 20 manicotti shells Parmesan cheese Fill each shell. For anyone who has never made manicotti: don't cook the shells. Don't squeeze the shells. Hold a finger over the lower end. Use a spoon to scoop filling into the open end, and use the back of the spoon to press it down. When filled, turn manicotti over and add some more into that end. Spread some of the sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 inch and an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Lay the manicotti side-by-side in the dish, leaving just a small space between. Pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti, covering about 1/2 inch. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let sit, covered, for about 15 minutes.