My husband is Sicilian and he loves a good o’l fashion Italian dinner. This easy manicotti recipe is delicious and only needs to bake for 40 minutes. His mom, if she were still alive, would probably die of a heart attack if she saw me using tomato sauce in a jar and boxed manicotti. She made everything from scratch and it was amazing. Sometimes when I have extra time, I do too. This time, I had about 15 minutes so this easy manicotti recipe worked just fine.
Easy manicotti recipe
Easy Manicotti Recipe Video Tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 box manicotti
- 2 jars Classico tomato sauce or whatever brand you like
- 1 lb hamburger
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 container ricotta cheese
- 1 packaged shredded mozzarella
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Add oil and garlic to pan and saute garlic for about 5 minutes on low (until light brown)
- Add hamburger and cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked
- Add 1 jar tomato sauce and simmer
- Cook Manicotti according to boxed directions, drain and cool
- Mix Ricotta, 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella and 2 eggs in a bowl and set aside
- Pour 1 cup of sauce from 2nd jar over 9x12 baking dish and spread across bottom
- Once Manicotti is cooked, drain and cool. Once cooled, fill each manicotti (using a knife) with ricotta mixture and place in baking dish. Once you have filled about 8 manicotti's, layer hamburg mixture across the top and finish by adding filled remaining manicotti on top. Top with remaining hamburg mixture. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded mozzarella across the top and bake for 35 minutes on 375.
- Bake 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees (done once bubbling and melted cheese is a light brown color
Manicotti with ground beef
Manicotti can be made with or without ground beef. We personally like the meat sauce as it adds a meaty taste and more substance to the meal. Ground turkey is also a good alternative to beef.
Manicotti Ideas
One of the best things about manicotti or lasagna is they both serve a lot of people and are great as leftovers. You may also like our crockpot lasagna dish too. I remember when I was in college, Sunday dinners at home were always some sort of Italian dinner. I would bring a group of 10 or so home from school (I lived at College but only 20 minutes away) and my mom always made manicotti, lasagna or spaghetti.
Next time you are looking for a dinner recipe that will serve a large crowd, try this easy manicotti recipe. Serve with toasted garlic bread and a fresh salad and you are good to go.
Betty says
looks delicious.
you have a typo in your pictures. hamburger not hamburg (Hamburg is a city in Germany)
Jessica Bruno says
UGH thankyou! Getting that fixed now 🙂 That’s what happens when I do a graphic at midnight! ha
gail says
Actually where husband is from the call hamburger “hamburg”, he is from Coshocton, Ohio
Jessica Bruno says
🙂
Dean Sullivan says
In step seven of Easy-Manicotti you have add cheese and bake 375 for 35 min step 8 you have bake 35-40 at 375 until brown and bubbly is that right?
Jessica Bruno says
Yes, I usually know it’s done once it starts to bubble on the sides.