Cooking Thursday

Here's something new I tried last week. It was quite easy to make, other than getting the manicotti filled without breaking them. I split mine up into 2 8x8 pans - one to eat, the other to freeze. It was good!

The Best Cheese Manicotti

1 (14 count) box manicotti
1 jar marinara sauce
1 (30 ounce) container ricotta cheese
3 cups mozzarella cheese (more if you like a lot of cheese)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese (not grated)
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon basil
salt and pepper (optional)
minced garlic (optional)

Cook the manicotti shells according to the directions on the box. Drain in colander and set aside to dry.
Mix all the ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, and 1/4 cup parmesan in a bowl.  Add an extra handful of mozzarella and a little more parmesan if you like it cheesier.  Add the basil and Italian seasoning.
You can also add a dash of salt and pepper if you like or a little bit of garlic. 

Preheat oven to 350.

Once the shells are drained and the cheese is mixed together, begin stuffing the shells.

I put the cheese mix in a large plastic bag, and cut off one corner, then squeezed the cheese mix into the shell.  Be careful because they have a tendency to split.

Pour about half of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly before you place the shells in the dish.

Once all the shells are arranged in the baking dish, pour the remainder of the marinara sauce on top.

Add any leftover cheese on top of the sauce.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.

If you want to freeze this, wrap tightly with foil and thaw before baking.