Sausage Manicotti

It's no secret that we love Italian dishes around here.  Manicotti is another family favorite Italian dish.  I usually make a spinach manicotti and it's really good.  But, since we live in Wisconsin, I decided it was time to mix things up a bit and make a sausage and cheese manicotti.  It was delicious!  One thing I love about this manicotti is that you can make it in the morning, or even the day before, and then you can just pop it in the oven when you need it.  You also don't need to cook the manicotti noodles before you fill them with the delicious sausage and cheese filling.



To make this manicotti you will need manicotti noodles, ricotta cheese, eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, ground sausage and your favorite spaghetti sauce.

In a large bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix well.

Add in the cooked sausage and stir to combine.  I like to use part skim ricotta and turkey sausage, but feel free to add whatever kind of either that you like.  A spicy sausage would be delicious!   You could even add a little crushed red pepper to the filling for heat, if you like.

Pour the filling into a gallon size zip-lock bag.   You could also use a pastry bag instead of the zip-lock for this step. Cut off the corner of one side.
















Spread a little sauce around the bottom of a 9x13 or 11x17 baking pan.  Take the uncooked manicotti noodles and fill them with the sausage filling.  When you are done filling the manicotti, pour the remaining sauce evenly over the pan.



Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

When I use 9x13 pan, I normally have 2 extra noodles that don't fit as well, so I place in them a small single serving pyrex pan.  I cook that pan with the other, but then I let it cool and freeze it for Jeff for when he's on call.  I just thaw it a couple of days before he needs it and he can reheat it at the hospital and have a tasty meal on a long day.  Just make sure you bake it before freezing so the manicotti noodles can cook!

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.   Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the manicotti is cooked.

Sausage Manicotti
Recipe by : Prescriptions for a Happy Home 

Ingredients:
1 box manicotti
1 15oz. carton of ricotta cheese (I like to use the part skim kind, but use whatever you like)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. ground sausage, cooked (I like to use turkey sausage)
1 1/2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (roasted garlic is our favorite with this)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix well.  Add in the cooked sausage and stir to combine.

In a 9x13 pan (or a 11x17 if you have one) pour 1 cup of sauce and spread even across the pan.  Put your sausage filling in a large ziplock bag and cut off a small corner.  Fill the uncooked manicotti with the sausage and place in the pan.  Repeat until all the manicotti and filling is used.  Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the manicotti.  Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.   Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the manicotti is cooked.


Enjoy!