Red and White Beef Manicotti

My friend Jamie started a food blog a little while ago, and I've loved following her family's eating adventures. She wrote about dining in Disney land and she's always reviewing local restaurants (giving me great tips on where to eat!), and her recipes are good, hearty, easy, family-friendly comfort food. She posted this Red and White Beef Manicotti not too long ago and I could hardly wait to try it!

Manicotti is not something I've ever attempted before, but I was actually quite surprised at how easy they were to fill. I imagined the process of stuffing the meat inside the pasta tubes would be difficult, but with a really small spoon, I totally breezed through it. The combo of the alfredo sauce and the tomato red sauce is awesome, making for a deliciously creamy, filling family supper.

Thanks Jamie!

Recipe from Jamie @ Our Eating Habits

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Serves 6-8

1 225 g (8 oz) box manicotti noodles

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 egg

1 650 ml jar (22 oz) red pasta sauce
1 450 ml jar (15 oz) alfredo pasta sauce
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and basil. Once browned, remove pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of the red pasta sauce, parmesan cheese and the egg.

Spread 1/2 of the remaining red pasta sauce in a 13×9 inch pan. Fill the cooked manicotti noodles with the meat mixture and place in prepared pan. Pour on the alfredo sauce.

Top with remaining red sauce,

and mozzarella cheese.

Sprinkle with oregano. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes. At the end, I like to turn my broiler on, and broil the top for 2-3 minutes until the cheese gets golden. Remove from the oven and serve.

Click here for printable version of Red and White Beef Manicotti

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THE RESULTS?

This was so yummy! I loved the creaminess of the sauces combined with the garlicky meat and pasta. It made a HUGE pan, so it could easily be a potluck contribution, feed your friend's family that just had a baby, or serve for company. It also seems like one of those items you could make in a disposable pan and then freeze for later. Loved it!

Meal Ideas: