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    Home » Main » Easy Three Cheese Manicotti Recipe

    Easy Three Cheese Manicotti Recipe

    Published: Dec 31, 2015 · Modified: Jun 14, 2021 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This super easy Three Cheese Manicotti recipe is a GREAT easy weeknight dinner. Perfect for large gatherings, too! Creamy, rich and easy to prepare.

    close up of piece of cheesy manicotti recipe on plate surrounded by sauce

    Original recipe posted: December 2015 | Recipe updated: October 2019

    We made this delicious Cheesy Manicotti recipe a few weeks ago and it was SUPER easy and yummy. Manicotti is one of those “scary” recipes that seems daunting, but I’m here to tell you that it’s really not daunting at all. This entire dinner is done in less than an hour.

    HOW TO MAKE THIS THREE CHEESE MANICOTTI RECIPE

    Just a few steps to make this baked dish – perfect comfort food!

    STEP 1

    Cook manicotti shells in a large pot of boiling water until 3 minutes shy of al dente. Rinse in cold water and set aside. Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

    STEP 2

    In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Evenly pour half of the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

    Divide the cheese filling between 10 cooked manicotti pasta shells.

    Hand holding a single cheese-stuffed manicotti noodle

    Carefully stuff the cheese mixture into the shells and form two rows in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper over the tops of the shells.

    stuffed manicotti noodles lined up in baking dish

    STEP 3

    Top with remaining sauce (pour over the manicotti), followed by the cooked ground beef and remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm!

    RECIPE NOTES

    • If you prefer a more simple sauce, with a tomato base, you can use a jar of marinara sauce instead if that’s what you prefer or have on hand. It’ll taste great!
    • Replace the beef with ground sausage for an even more flavorful dish.
    • Consider making your own homemade spaghetti sauce for this recipe!
    • Omit the meat to create a meatless meal!

    WHAT IS MANICOTTI PASTA?

    The word manicotti means “little sleeve” or similar to a muff. The American version of manicotti is different from it’s Italian counterpart. In Italy a manicotti is more like a filled crepe.

    In the US, it’s a tube shaped pasta that can be stuffed with different ingredients making a delicious filled pasta surrounded by a sauce.

    Baked dish of meat and cheese manicotti recipe just out of the oven

    WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS MANICOTTI RECIPE

    • These are the BEST Homemade Dinner Rolls you’ll find! They are fluffy, slightly sweet and delicious and they go great with your soup, the perfect addition to a simple weeknight meal.
    • Throw together a Chopped Salad to complement your bowl of soup.
    • Made for dunking into the soup, this Easy Homemade Garlic Bread is super easy to make, requiring only a few ingredients and 10 minutes of your time!
    • While this dish is sizzling in the oven, put your Instant Pot to work and create a healthy colorful side dish with green beans!

    WHAT CHEESES ARE GOOD FOR PREPARING EXCELLENT MANICOTTI?

    A mixture of cheeses blended together make for great pasta. I recommend a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, cottage cheese or Parmesan for your meal. You will also see cheddar cheese or cream cheese occasionally.

    WHAT OTHER INGREDIENTS CAN I ADD TO MANICOTTI

    The delicious tube is ready to be filled with any of your favorite ingredients!

    • Use ground sausage or turkey, or shredded chicken*
    • Spinach
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet peppers
    • Zucchini
    • Tomato sauce or a white sauce like my easy to make homemade alfredo sauce

    *Feel free to prepare with or without meat.

    HOW TO SAVE LEFTOVERS OR MAKE A FREEZER MEAL

    This is a perfect recipe to make ahead of time, and then cover with saran wrap or foil and place in the freezer. It’ll stay good and ready to reheat for 2-3 months.

    When you’re ready to eat it, take it out of the freezer, let it thaw 15 minutes and then reheat it at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

    Vice versa, if you have leftovers, this recipe can be saved in the refrigerator if it’s covered for 3-5 days and reheated when you’re ready to enjoy another bite!

    pan of comforting pasta with two pieces removed and spatula in pan

    FOR MORE CHEESY GOODNESS, CHECK OUT THESE RECIPES!

    • Pizza Pasta Bake – A pizza, pasta dish and casserole all in one! This is such a popular meal in our family and is loved by ALL. Satisfy your pizza craving by including all the pizza topping favorites you love.
    • Cheesy Noodle Bake – This is the perfect weeknight dinner for busy families. Filled with egg noodles and two kinds of cheese, ground hamburger and lots of flavor, you will be filled up!
    • Philly Cheesesteak Grilled Cheese – Introducing the perfect marriage of sandwiches! Philly cheesesteak + grilled cheese = ahhhhmazing!
    • Easy Cheesy Tortellini Bake – This dinner bake is EASY, cheesy and packed with delicious tortellini. Great recipe to add to your family dinner rotation!

    More Delicious Pip and Ebby Recipes

    • Reuben Pastry Bread
    • Tomato Pesto Bites
    • Oatmeal Spice Cake
    • Grilled Provolone Sandwich
    • Veggie and Salami Croissanwich
    close up of cheesy noodle cut down center with cheese spilling out

    Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
    If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

    Easy Cheesy Manicotti Recipe

    This easy Three Cheese Manicotti recipe makes a GREAT weeknight dinner. Perfect for large gatherings, too! Creamy, rich and easy to prepare.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 629.3kcal
    Author: Megan Porta

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz manicotti noodles
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 15 oz ricotta cheese
    • 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
    • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
    • 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce

    Instructions

    • Cook manicotti noodles in boiling water until 3 minutes shy of al dente. Rinse in cold water and set aside. Cook ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Even pour half of the spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Divide the cheese mixture between 10 cooked manicotti shells. Carefully stuff the cheese into the shells and form two rows in the baking dish.
    • Pour remaining sauce over the manicotti, followed by the cooked ground beef and remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm!

    Notes

    • If you prefer a more simple sauce, with a tomato base, you can use a jar of marinara sauce instead if that’s what you prefer or have on hand. It’ll taste great!
    • Replace the beef with ground sausage for an even more flavorful dish.
    • Consider making your own homemade spaghetti sauce for this recipe!
    • Omit the meat to create a meatless meal!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 629.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.11g | Protein: 47.81g | Fat: 32.9g | Saturated Fat: 14.6g | Cholesterol: 168.54mg | Sodium: 1139.86mg | Fiber: 3.75g | Sugar: 8.92g
    Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Samantha

      May 14, 2017 at 3:16 am

      I made this recipe tonight! Fantastic! Thanks for sharing!?????‍♂️

      Reply
    2. Trisha Jane

      January 12, 2017 at 10:46 pm

      I just made your manicotti dish. Was able to make my own sauce. I added FONTINA cheese in the mix and on top. Used spinach ran out if parsley to garnish and for the cheese mix.
      I just pulled what I had in the frig n cabinet.
      Thank you for your recipe. On a cold rainy day this is perfect.??

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        January 13, 2017 at 12:05 am

        Hi Trisha! I love the addition of fontina. Sounds delicious! Enjoy!
        Megan

        Reply

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