Cheesy Beef Manicotti
on Oct 14, 2021, Updated Nov 30, 2023
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This cheesy beef manicotti pasta is great to prep and serve to the whole family throughout the week. Freeze portions to reheat later on!
Beef and cheese pair so well together and this pasta is the perfect comfort food. Pair it with some veggies for a dinner your family is sure to love!
Table of Contents
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Here is what you’ll need to make this cheesy beef manicotti:
- Pasta Noodles: I purchased manicotti noodles, but this recipe can also work with jumbo shells.
- Ground Beef: For added protein to this pasta.
- Onion: For added flavor to the beef and cheese mixture.
- Marinara Sauce: Use a good quality sauce for the best taste!
- Ricotta Cheese: Base of the beef and cheese filling.
- Mozzarella Cheese: I used whole milk mozzarella cheese, but a low fat variety works here as well.
- Parmesan Cheese: For added sharp cheese flavor in the beef and cheese filling.
- Oil (for pan frying)
PROCESS
- Boil the manicotti noodles for 6-7 minutes. Rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a pan on medium heat. Add in the onions and cook until soft. Add in the ground beef and cook until the meat is fully browned, breaking up the meat as needed. Set aside to cool.
- Add the container of ricotta, mozzarella cheese and parmesan to a bowl and mix until combined. Add the cooked meat to the bowl with the cheeses and mix until combined.
- Stuff the cheese and meat mixture into the manicotti noodles.
- Pour about 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a pan and add the stuffed manicotti on top. Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the noddles and sprinkle the rest of mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbly and slightly golden.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS
Once cooled, store the pasta in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, portion out pieces and store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. I like to individually portion out enough pieces for another day’s dinner for easy reheating.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- Ground beef – The ground beef may be substituted with another form of ground protein. Ground turkey works well here. You may also omit it to make a 3 cheese manicotti pasta!
- Ricotta cheese – The ricotta cheese may be replaced with cottage cheese.
- Onions: The onion may be replaced with 1 to 1.25 teaspoons of onion powder.
RECIPE NOTES
- Finely chop the onions so that there aren’t too many large chunks.
- Feel free to add in spinach when cooking the meat for added greens!
- You may add in sausage, but be mindful that this does contain added salt.
- When cooking the ground beef, feel free to add in salt to taste. I omitted this step for my family, but if you are making this just for the adults, a little salt or cajun seasoning adds great flavor!
- Use a good quality pasta sauce. I love the Rao’s brand marinara sauce!
- I love using a glass pyrex dish to bake this manicotti pasta.
- Slice the pasta into finger length strips to make them easy for your little one to hold!
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Cheesy Beef Manicotti
This cheesy beef manicotti pasta is great to prep and serve to the whole family throughout the week. Freeze portions to reheat later on!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small onion
- 2 ½ cups marinara or pasta sauce
- 1 box manicotti pasta
- 15 oz container ricotta cheese
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- Oil, for pan frying
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F (190 degrees C).
- Boil the manicotti noodles for 6-7 minutes. (Make sure that the water is already boiling prior to adding in the noodles). Rinse them with cold water to stop them from cooking.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to a pan on medium heat. Add in the onions and cook until soft. Add in the ground beef and cook until the meat is fully browned, breaking up the meat as needed. Set aside to cool.
- Add the container of ricotta, 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of parmesan cheese to a bowl and mix until combined. Add the cooked meat to the bowl with the cheeses and mix to combine.
- Stuff the manicotti noodles with the cheese and meat mixture.
- Pour about 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a pan and add the stuffed manicotti on top. Pour the rest of the sauce on top of the noddles and sprinkle the rest of mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbly and slightly golden.
Notes
- Finely chop the onions so that there aren’t too many large chunks.
- Feel free to add in spinach when cooking the meat for added greens!
- You may add in sausage, but be mindful that this does contain added salt.
- When cooking the ground beef, feel free to add in salt to taste. I omitted this step for my family, but if you are making this just for the adults, a little salt or cajun seasoning adds great flavor!
- Use a good quality pasta sauce. I love the Rao’s brand marinara sauce!
- I love using a glass pyrex dish to bake this manicotti pasta.
- Slice the pasta into finger length strips to make them easy for your little one to hold!
Nutrition
Calories: 299.68kcal, Carbohydrates: 16.84g, Protein: 18.94g, Fat: 17.27g, Saturated Fat: 8.93g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.65g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5.89g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 60.58mg, Sodium: 512.37mg, Potassium: 335.91mg, Fiber: 1.31g, Sugar: 2.98g, Vitamin A: 521.75IU, Vitamin C: 3.64mg, Calcium: 259.82mg, Iron: 1.57mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
This was so, so good! My little ate this all up- hardly anything was left over. Hubby and I enjoyed this very much too. Will definitely make again!
I’m so happy to hear that you all enjoyed this pasta! It is favorite in our house as well, thank you for sharing your great feedback, Leslie!😊