I doubled the recipe added 2c. hamburger 1Tbsp Italian seasonings 1Tbsp minced garlic and 1/2c. parmesan cheese. Then I used 2 jars of my favorite spaghetti sauce instead of tomato sauce. This perfectly made 4 pans of 7 shells each which I froze and baked at a later date.
I liked the taste. Not having to boil the manicotti shells was definitely a time-saver. In the list of ingredients the recipe calls for tomato sauce. In the recipe directions however it asks for spaghetti sauce. I used tomato sauce but I think that was an error: it should have been spaghetti sauce - the dish would have tasted even better.
i liked the fact you didnt have to boil the noodles first i have an easy lagana recipe that i make because i hate working with wet noodles. however made according to the directions this did come out very dry and bland. i will try it again but i will do it more like my lasagna recipe and add parmesan cheese mozzarella cheese and an egg to the "cheese" mixture. it also needs more water in the bottom of the pan i will put in 1 cup. and yes use your favorite spag. sauce this recipe doesnt call for that much along the lines of itailian seasonings and the spag. sauce will help.
The reviews are right. This is a good recipe with help. I added garlic eggs mozzarella and parmesan to the filling mixture and do use spaghetti sauce rather than tomato sauce. I also solved the problem of filling the shells by putting the filling mixture in a plastic zip-lock bag cutting off the corner and squeezing the mixture into the shells. This worked like a dream! The shells were filled in no time. For you seasoned chefs a pastry bag or cookie press would also work well. Once perfected I will post my version.
The filling isn't enough for the whole 8 oz package of shells. I ended up doubling the filling which was better anyway because what else would I do with the leftover half package of spinach;-) I also used spaghetti sauce (Hunt's in a can) and used a ziploc baggie to fill the shells. Just put filling in the baggie snip off tip and squeeze it into shells. Start to finish this takes about 10 min prep time maximum.
This recipe was fantastic. I served them at a dinner party and my guests loved them. Filling the Manicotti prior to cooking is brilliant and works to perfection when covered with foil.
These were fabulous! I made them last night and refrigerated them until today. I placed them on the counter (still foil covered) for about 4 hours today before baking. They taste great (noodles are a little more "done" than I'd prefer probably from sitting prepared in sauce all night...still GREAT I just prefer mine a little more al dente). I added 1 egg Italian seasoning garlic salt a small handful of grated Italian cheese parmesan and crushed red pepper to the cheese/spinach mixture. I took the advice of others and piped into the manicotti using a ziploc w/the corner cut off. I also used an entire "big" jar of spaghetti sauce. Quick easy yummy...thanks for a great recipe!
I started out stuffing the pasta with a teaspoon and quickly switched to a butterknife..worked a heckuva lot better. This went together VERY quickly..I love not having to cook the pasta! I added a little oregano and garlic to the cheese mixture along with about 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese. I used LOTS of marinara sauce. My picky three year old LOVED it my five year old begged for more and my husband thought I slaved!!!! 5 stars for that alone!
Great recipe with a few modifications. I used canned spaghetti sauce instead of tomato sauce and added garlic salt seasoning salt and parmesan to the cheese mixture. I had enough for 3 casseroles because it's only my husband and I. After baking for 45 min. I froze 2 dishes for later.
