Meaty Cheese Manicotti

My family really enjoyed this manicotti! I knew my toddler wouldn't eat the italian sausage so we just used ground round. My sauce took a really long time to thicken though. I will make again for company!

I have prepared this recipe several times. Every time I got consistently good results! Our family is not fond of the spices in Italian Sausage..therefore, I adjusted the amount of Italian sausage due to our personal tastes. ALSO, because we have a toddler and my husband has spicy food issues, we switched to the MILD SAUSAGE. SO, we used only 1/4 lb. of sweet or mild Italian sausage and increased the ground beef/round by 3/4 lbs. to balance the flavors more to our liking. I found that if I over-cooked the pasta it became very difficult to FILL and would tear apart, making a big mess. Also, I had to be really careful not to over-stuff the shells...I just spread the leftover meat mixture around the outside edges of the pan around the shells...waste not, want not! An excellent recipe, and a family favorite!!

My husband is a very picky eater & in his words this recipe "is definitely a keeper”. Since the shells come 14 to a package and not 12, I used 1/2 lb. of sausage and 1 lb. of ground round. Some of the shells do split when cooking, but I still used them. It is a little messy so be prepared to get your hands dirty. Jumbo shells might be easier and less messy. For the sausage, I used turkey italian & used the sweet, not spicy. Otherwise I did not alter the rest of the recipe. Make sure your sauce simmers or it takes longer than estimated to thicken. I thought the italian seasoning might be over-powering, but after pouring the sauce over the shells and sprinkling the parmesan on it was a really nice flavor. However, if you're not a spice fan I would use a half to three quarters teaspoon to start and add more if you like it. It’s easier to add than take away. Overall, a good solid recipe.

This is a fabulous recipe. So easy! I've made it numerous times for company and there are never any left-overs. I prepare the manicotti and refrigerate it the day I'm serving it. The cream mixture is also prepared and refrigerated. Follow the recipe for when to add the sauce. I never need to broil it after adding the sauce. It browns quickly. A great recipe without any last minute preparation.

Absolutely delicious! I was a bit nervous the cream sause would not have the Alfredo flavor I was hoping for, but it was out of this world. The only change I made to the recipe was to add fresh garlic. Definitely a keeper!

A new favorite at our house. It has outstanding flavor and texture and tastes great leftover. I do usually use a little more sausage and less ground meat. I also cook the shells a couple minutes less than the box says, makes it easier to stuff without breaking. You can mix the tomatoes and cheese with the meat in the same colander you used to drain, it saves dirtying an extra bowl.

My hubby and I thought this was a great recipe. I did alter this quite a bit, but I NEVER follow recipes very well (even with a degree in culinary). I used one pound each of sausage and ground beef, 3 cups heavy cream and then I just adjusted my seasonings to taste since I used more heavy cream than called for. I still used the same amount of tomatoes and at first I thought it would be too dry, but it wasn't. Next time I may use 2 cans just to see the difference. I also increased the amount of Parmesan sprinkled on top, due to my hubby loving cheese. Overall, a great solid base for a recipe. I just entered it into "My Favorite Recipe Cookbook" because the hubby says, "It's a must-make again" recipe.

As the kids would say, "OMG." Very good. The sauce was to die for! Will use the sauce for something else. . .not sure what. . .but it will be good regardless:) Thanks for sharing.

Fabulous. I doubled the beef, sausage, cream and tomatoes. What didn't "fit" into the shells, I just spooned over the shells. My college sons loved this dish!

This was excellent!!!

Great dish, nice alternative to the traditional manicotti with red sauce.