Cutting a corner....

Hey there guys! I took a little time to get settled back into my teaching schedule. Hope you didn't miss me too much. LOL. Although, catching up on my 'reader' has been difficult. You guys have been cooking up a storm. Sheesh!


What I've made for you to try at home is:

4 Cheese No Boil Manicotti

1 box manicotti
16 oz ricotta
2 cups mozzarella
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup cheddar
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste
French's onion rings for garnish
fresh chopped parsley

Grease your 9X13 pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl. Put your ricotta, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan and mix well.
Pour enough sauce to cover the bottom of your 9X13 pan. Now is the time to stuff your manicotti. Yes, you are NOT boiling them. A little secret about pasta people don't tell you....sometimes you don't need to boil them. You are going to use either a spoon or your fingers to stuff the cheese in the tubes. If you want a cleaner and easier method, use a pastry bag with no tip or a heavy duty ziploc bag with the corner snipped. You may want to reinforce that corner with some tape for the cheese mixture is thick!

Squeeze the cheese in the tubes and lay them in your 'sauced' pan. One box of pasta will fit fine. Cover all the manicotti with the remainder of the sauce and bake covered with foil for 1 hour.

When time is up. Toss all the remaining cheese on top (and the onion rings if you desire). Turn off oven and let cheese melt.

Lift out your manicotti and garnish with chopped parsley.

Mmmmmm, simply delicious. I should have made this on earlier for a Meatless Monday! One day a week being meatless is all they suggest....doesn't matter the day! I can't wait for the leftovers when the flavors will have married more!

Enjoy!