Herbaceous
Senior Member
I make this dish often when I have company coming. It’s really delicious, and it’s a good way to “hide” a few veggies (I have a friend who hates zucchini but will eat it in this).
When I made this for the challenge, I was running behind schedule, and when my husband tried it, he immediately said “totally worth the wait”.
This is a bit of a franken-recipe cobbled together, but originally by Janet and Greta Podleski.
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (make sure they will be small enough to stuff into the manicotti!)
1 cup each grated carrot and grated zucchini
1-1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp each dried oregano and dried basil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 manicotti shells
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Method:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions & garlic and cook until softened. Add chicken, increase heat to med-high and cook until no longer pink. Add carrots, zucchini, basil, oregano, and pepper. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add Parmesan, then transfer filling to a bowl and refrigerate for 20 min.
While filling is chilling, cook your manicotti shells (undercook them a bit so they’re less likely to tear) and make your sauce. For sauce, heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and stir until softened. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, mix well, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 min, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Use a teaspoon to stuff shells equally with filling. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a baking dish, and arrange manicotti shells over sauce. Pour some more sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the mozzarella (note that I had extra sauce when I made this; you can eat it over pasta or freeze it).
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 min. Let cool for 5 min before serving. Serves 6.
When I made this for the challenge, I was running behind schedule, and when my husband tried it, he immediately said “totally worth the wait”.
This is a bit of a franken-recipe cobbled together, but originally by Janet and Greta Podleski.
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (make sure they will be small enough to stuff into the manicotti!)
1 cup each grated carrot and grated zucchini
1-1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp each dried oregano and dried basil
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 manicotti shells
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Method:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions & garlic and cook until softened. Add chicken, increase heat to med-high and cook until no longer pink. Add carrots, zucchini, basil, oregano, and pepper. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add Parmesan, then transfer filling to a bowl and refrigerate for 20 min.
While filling is chilling, cook your manicotti shells (undercook them a bit so they’re less likely to tear) and make your sauce. For sauce, heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and stir until softened. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, mix well, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 min, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Use a teaspoon to stuff shells equally with filling. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a baking dish, and arrange manicotti shells over sauce. Pour some more sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the mozzarella (note that I had extra sauce when I made this; you can eat it over pasta or freeze it).
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 min. Let cool for 5 min before serving. Serves 6.
clever!