Beef and Cheese Manicotti
This easy beef and cheese manicotti recipe is stuffed with ground beef and not just one but three kinds of cheese! Your family will request this favorite again and again!
Beef and Cheese Manicotti
There are some recipes which are special because they taste amazing, and then there are some recipes which are special because they taste amazing AND they bring back good memories.
The same way grandma's butterhorn cookies can transport you back to feeling like a child at Christmas, these beef and cheese manicotti take me back to the night my husband proposed.
He went all out on the romance and decided to impress me by making dinner from scratch along with candlelight, champagne and the whole nine yards.
Pasta filled with meat and three kinds of cheese? Yes, the answer is yes!
These beef manicotti are sure to impress anyone you make them for, but they're simple enough to cook for a weeknight family dinner.
I've even used this recipe to teach students learning English as a second language since it's a very hands-on dish. Kids also love to help make these!
I rely on jarred marinara sauce to streamline the process. That way all I have to concentrate on is preparing the filling and stuffing the tubes. So much yummy cheese and beefy flavor!
If you use a zip-lock bag to pipe the filling into the pasta, that part goes rather quickly. Simply place the filling into the bag and snip off one of the corners.
Then, squeeze from the top and it's a fuss-free job, plus way less messy than using spoons! To make an even faster dinner reminiscent of this meal, try my Ricotta Pasta with Beef. There's no stuffing involved!
The manicotti will all fit in a 13x9 pan if you tuck them in snuggly. Then we douse the whole thing with sauce and extra cheese.
It makes for an ooey, gooey cheesy dinner. If you would like them to look "prettier" (more like the photos), space them out a little more and bake the extras in a square pan.
Now married, my husband and I still make these beef and cheese manicotti together. It's a great teamwork dinner and tasty reminder of the love we share.
Beef and Cheese Manicotti
Ingredients
- 8 ounces manicotti (14 pasta tubes)
- 3-4 cups marinara sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 dash crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (12 ounces)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the manicotti according to the package instructions; set aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13×9 baking dish. Spread 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in bottom of dish; set aside.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef along with the onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble the beef with a potato masher until cooked through and onion is softened. Drain of excess grease and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, 2 cups of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Add the beef and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer cheese mixture to resealable bag and snip one of the corners. Pipe the filling into the manicotti shells and place in a single layer in prepared baking dish.
- Top with remaining sauce (use more if you like it saucy) and remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.
Nutrition
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Was very delicious. I added a handful of fresh cropped parsley because I needed to put it in something. Turned out great.
I use this recipe for Stuffed shells and it's a big hit. I use fresh garlic and a little green pepper in the filling. Delicious
Love that, sounds delicious!
Have you made this with white (alfredo) sauce instead of he marinara?
I have not, but my husband would love that!
Excited to try them with the whole family. Does this recipe freeze well? I like to double or triple batches since I have an enormous family and there is always at least 1 neighborhood kid over for dinner.
I've frozen leftover manicotti and it re-warmed well so I think freezing it before baking would be even better! Making extra is a great idea!