Our Homemade Manicotti!

Ingredients:

• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• 1 and 3/4 cups of Ricotta Cheese
• 1 and 1/2 cups of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup of pesto
• 12 cooked manicotti shells
• 1/2 pound of cooked, hamburger meat
• Your Favorite Italian Seasonings

First and foremost, you cook the manicotti shells. Toss them in some water as you would any other pasta, but make sure to lay them out flat on wax paper after you're done so they don't stick to each other and tear. You'll also want to have already cooked up your hamburger meat.


Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Spread half of your jar of sauce into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix your cheeses, egg and pesto until blended in a mixing bowl. 

When you're done blending cheeses, spoon your mixture into a resealable, plastic bag. Use scissors to cut small corner from bottom of bag (it's a very similar process to making homemade frosting!)

Stuff your manicotti shells by first tossing a few pieces of hamburg into the center, and then squeezing the cheese mixture into both sides of each shell. Place them in your baking dish, pour the remaining sauce over them, and sprinkle some of your favorite Italian seasonings and mozzarella on top.

NOTE: you can easily prepare the manicotti prior to cooking and store it in the fridge! 

Bake the manicotti for approximately 40 minutes.