Baked Manicotti With Meat
1 pound 85% or 90% lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion (I use 1/2 a cup.)
1-2cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can chopped spinach
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
12 cooked manicotti shells1 15-ounce jar of your favorite sauce (I make my own marinara sauce.)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (I just put as much as looks good to my eye, usually more than the 1 cup.)
Preheat oven to 350*.
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute 4-5 minutes or until onions are soft. Drain off excess fat. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the spinach, cottage cheese, eggs, salt and pepper until blended.
Spread some sauce on the bottom of a baking pan large enough to hold the shells in one layer. Fill each of the shells with 1/4 cup of the filling. Place filled shells in pan. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the top, making sure to cover each shell. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese, then the mozzarella cheese. Bake 30 minutes.
A tossed salad and crusty bread make this a hit with my family.
I always double this recipe as my family loves the manicottis the next day or even two days later.