Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe Is Italian Comfort Food In No Time by Donna John

One of my favorite things to order at my local Italian restaurant is their manicotti. Instead of going out for manicotti, I decided to make this pasta dish at home. This stuffed ground beef manicotti recipe was just the comfort food I needed! It was simple to prepare, cheesy, meaty and will be put into my dinner recipe rotation.

The ingredient list is short for this Italian recipe. Here is your shopping list: manicotti noodles, ground beef, garlic, Tuscan or Italian seasoning, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese. The filling cooks in a skillet then is stuffed into the cooked manicotti noodles. Spaghetti sauce joins the party and everything is baked until hot, melty and bubbly.

Serve this cheesy ground beef manicotti with your favorite side dishes. I served mine with fresh garden zucchini and a salad with homemade salad dressing. Delicious!

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 8 ounces manicotti
• 1 1/2 - 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Tuscan seasoning or dried Italian seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 23 ounces (1 jar) spaghetti sauce (about 4 cups)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Recipe Notes

• You can use half ground beef and half bulk Italian sausage. 

• Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded cheese, so grate it fresh.
  

• We wanted a little more sauce, so next time will buy a larger jar of pasta sauce.

• To keep the manicotti from sticking together, lay them on a piece of parchment paper or wax paper while you cook the filling.
  

• If using Tuscan seasoning, check to see if it contains salt. Mine did, so I didn't add any additional salt to the filling.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the manicotti according to package directions.
   
2. Cook the ground beef in a skillet until cooked through. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted into the meat. Add the Tuscan seasoning. Turn off the heat.
   
3. Add 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella to the meat and stir to combine.
   
4. Add a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.
   
5. Stuff the manicotti shells with the filling and place on top of the spaghetti sauce.
   
6. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top of the manicotti and spread to cover.
   
7. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
   
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake about 5 minutes more.
   
   

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