Easy Cheesy Manicotti

One 32 oz jar spagetti sauce (I use homemade and I always use more than 32 oz)
1/2 Cup water
one 8 oz package manicotti (got both of these off of Golden grain noodles)
Classic cheese filling (below)
one cup shredded mozz cheese

Heat oven to 375. Combine spagetti sauce with water; pour half of sauce into bottom of a 13x9 pan. Fill uncooked manicotti using rounded knife or teaspoon. Arrange in single layer in pan and cover evenly with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with foil; bake one hour. Uncover; top with mozz cheese . continue baking 5 min, let stand 10 min.

Classic cheese filling

3 C (1-1/2lb) ricotta ro cream style cottage cheese
1 C (4 oz) shredded mozzerella
1/2 C grated parmesan
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 tsp italian seasoning, crushed

Combine all ingred., mix well. Fill and bake.

Florentine version: Subsitute swiss cheese for mozz. For filling, add one 10oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained and 1/8 tsp nutmeg; omit italian seasoning. (I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS ONE)

Easy Cheesy Lasagna

1 lb ground beef or sausage or combo (I use 1-1/2 lb)
1/2 C onion ( I dont use onion but add a bit of onion powder)
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp rosemary
one 32 oz jar spagetti sauce ( I use homemade and always use more than this)
3/4 cup water
one 8 oz package wide lasagna
2 cups ricotta or cr. style cottage cheese (I always meed more)
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1 tbs chopped parsley
3 C (12 oz shredded mozz cheese (I always use more)

Heat oven to 375. Brown beef/suasage with onion and garlic; drain. Return beef to skillet and add spagetti sauce and water. Combine ricotta, 1/4 C parmesan and parsley. In 13x9 dish, layer 1/3 sauce mixture, half of uncooked noodles, half of ricotta mix and half mozzerella, then 1/3 sauce, then noodles, ricotta and mozz, then leftover sauce to top. Cover tightly with foil and bake one hour. Uncover and top with parm cheese. and let stand ten minutes.

I have experimented with the lasagna one a lot. I use twice the meat and mozz. and skip the ricotta now, using three packages and three layers of noodles. Raymond doesn't like ricotta. I have never varied the manicotti but I believe it can be done and I am going to try it with the chicken recipe. Otherwise, both no-boils work great! Gotta go-new tooth.

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