Recipe: Maggiano's Little Italy Chicken and Spinach Manicotti (Original, not a copycat)

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY'S CHICKEN AND SPINACH MANICOTTI
Makes 6 servings

3 cups chopped roasted herb-seasoned chicken (*A 2-pound rotisserie chicken will yield 3 generous cups of chicken)
1 cup ricotta
1/2 pound fresh spinach, rinsed, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese
Crepes (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
Alfredo Sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, make filling by stirring together chicken, ricotta, spinach, Italian cheese and Asiago.

Make manicotti by laying crepes on work surface, browned side down. Place 1/3 cup filling on bottom half of each crepe. Fold crepe in half and lightly push down so crepe is flat and filling is distributed to all the edges. Continue with remaining crepes and filling until all are used.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat until very hot. One at a time, lay each manicotti in the skillet and cook until brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip manicotti and brown second side, about 2 minutes. As each manicotti browns, move to the prepared baking dish, slightly overlapping manicotti with open sides all in the same direction. Continue until all manicotti are filled, browned and arranged, adding remaining tablespoon oil as needed.

After all manicotti are browned, ladle Alfredo Sauce over all and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake until golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY'S CREPES
Makes: 12

"The Maggiano's chefs note that the batter's resting time allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. If batter thickens too much during resting, add water, a tablespoon at a time, to thin the batter so it pours evenly."

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter, plus extra for cooking the crepes

In the jar of a blender, make batter by combining flour, milk, water, eggs and melted butter. Blend for 10 seconds. Refrigerate batter for 1 hour.

When ready to make crepes, heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush on just enough butter to lightly coat the bottom. When skillet is hot, pour in 2 tablespoons batter and swirl skillet quickly to evenly spread the batter. Cook crepe until first side is lightly browned, about 30 seconds, and then using a thin spatula, flip the crepe. Cook 10 seconds on second side and then remove crepe to a work surface and allow to cool. Continue until all batter has been used.

Once crepes are cooled, they can be refrigerated and stored for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

MAGGIANO'S LITTLE ITALY'S ALFREDO SAUCE
Hands on: 5 minutes Total time: 5 minutes Makes: 2 cups

2 cups cream
1 cup shredded Asiago (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, Asiago, butter and garlic. Bring to a simmer and season to taste. Keep warm until ready to use.