I get sick of the same old, same old things to make for dinner, don't you? My kids can be very picky, and don't often like to try new things. Sometimes, I just don't have TIME to make a tasty dinner from scratch (which is my preference!)
Well~my kids and I got to playing in the kitchen one day, and we made an amazingly yummy new dish, that EVERYONE loves! The best part is, you can make enough to throw in the freezer, to save for those days when you just don't have time...Simply take it out of the freezer, throw it in the oven, and you have a tasty home-made meal ready in no time!
We call it "Meat-Stuffed Manicotti", but my youngest refers to it as Lasagna Rolls...either way, it's GOOD! It's a pretty quick dish to make, although stuffing the manicotti tubes is a little time-consuming...If you have a wide-tipped pastry bag, though, that problem would be solved :)
Here is what you'll need~
Well~my kids and I got to playing in the kitchen one day, and we made an amazingly yummy new dish, that EVERYONE loves! The best part is, you can make enough to throw in the freezer, to save for those days when you just don't have time...Simply take it out of the freezer, throw it in the oven, and you have a tasty home-made meal ready in no time!
We call it "Meat-Stuffed Manicotti", but my youngest refers to it as Lasagna Rolls...either way, it's GOOD! It's a pretty quick dish to make, although stuffing the manicotti tubes is a little time-consuming...If you have a wide-tipped pastry bag, though, that problem would be solved :)
Here is what you'll need~
Obviously~name brands are not important...But, the ingredient list is~
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. mild pork sausage (unless you like spicy~get hot!)
1 egg
4 oz. cottage cheese
2 boxes of manicotti
2~ 24 oz. jars of spaghetti sauce (any flavors you like)
8 oz. shredded cheese (we used mozzarella this time)
You'll also need 2~ 13x9 cake pans, or 3-4 smaller ones, if you'd like to make smaller portions to freeze, a large mixing bowl, and some tin foil.
Directions~
In a large mixing bowl, add all 3 ground meats, the egg, and 4 oz. of cottage cheese. Use a mixing spoon, or, if you are like me~mash it together with your hands, until everything is thoroughly combined.
Now, grab a fork and start stuffing this mixture inside your UNCOOKED manicotti tubes. If you have a pastry bag, with a wide opening, you can put the meat mixture in that, and simply fill the tubes that way. Lay the stuffed tubes in your pan, in a single layer.
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 lb. mild pork sausage (unless you like spicy~get hot!)
1 egg
4 oz. cottage cheese
2 boxes of manicotti
2~ 24 oz. jars of spaghetti sauce (any flavors you like)
8 oz. shredded cheese (we used mozzarella this time)
You'll also need 2~ 13x9 cake pans, or 3-4 smaller ones, if you'd like to make smaller portions to freeze, a large mixing bowl, and some tin foil.
Directions~
In a large mixing bowl, add all 3 ground meats, the egg, and 4 oz. of cottage cheese. Use a mixing spoon, or, if you are like me~mash it together with your hands, until everything is thoroughly combined.
Now, grab a fork and start stuffing this mixture inside your UNCOOKED manicotti tubes. If you have a pastry bag, with a wide opening, you can put the meat mixture in that, and simply fill the tubes that way. Lay the stuffed tubes in your pan, in a single layer.
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The hard (and messy) part is done! The rest of this is a snap...Open your jars of spaghetti sauce, and pour them over the stuffed tubes. Since we used 2~ 13x9 pans, we just poured one in each pan. Now, cover the pan(s) with tin foil, and pop them in to your oven. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 45 minutes. If you are making this for freezer meals, you can either put them in the freezer before or after cooking. If you freeze them uncooked, you will want to allow about 15-20 minutes extra for the baking time, unless you thaw them first. If you freeze them AFTER cooking, you'll just be re-heating them at this point :)
 Ready to go in the oven! |  After 45 minutes of cooking at 350 degrees... |
After about 45 minutes, remove pan(s) from oven, CAREFULLY remove tin foil, and sprinkle your shredded cheese over the top. Since we used 2 pans, we split the bag, and used half on each pan. Now, pop it back in the oven, uncovered, for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you are making garlic bread to go with it, this is the perfect time to pop that in, too! When the timer is done, dinner is ready! Even my picky "I'm-not-eating-dinner-unless-it's-pizza-or-hot-pockets!" 8 yr old will come back for seconds!
 Add shredded cheese |  Bake an additional 10-15 minutes... |  Serve with garlic toast! YUM! |
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