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I am a stay at home mother of two young children and love making healthy meals for my family! I love fitness, playing tennis, cooking and traveling. Most of all I love spending time with my family!!! I hope you enjoy making these recipes for your family as well!!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Beef and Cheese Manicotti or Shells

I am a sucker for Italian food! I love any sort of pasta with really any sauce and the flavors of Italy. I got this recipe from Food Network and Giada. She's classic Italian so I figured it would be a hit. This is a great recipe to feed about 6-7 at one sitting or a small family who likes left overs. Its great served with a simple salad. It might look like a lot of work, but really its not. I made it last night and it took me about 20 min in prep time and it bakes for about 35 min.  I had some requests asking about the cost of the meals. I can estimate that this meal would cost about $15-$18 total.

Ingredients
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 Medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 package (8 ounce manicotti
1 (15 ounce) container whole milk ricotta
3 Cups shredded mozzarella
1 Cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces

Directions
Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.
Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.
Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2 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 of mozzarella cheese, then 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 and serve.

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