There are so many things you can use to stuff manicotti. We had a box of manicotti and all the ingredients on hand to make this beef stuffed manicotti and it was extremely tasty. You can either make this recipe as is, or perhaps you would like to use it as a starting point and alter it to suit your taste. For example — add some cottage cheese to the meat filling or use mozarella cheese instead of the cheddar.
The fun part of cooking is changing a recipe and making it uniquely your own!

Ingredients:
Makes 8 Manicotti in 8″ x 8″ casserole dish
4 servings

Meat filling:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 3/4 C chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 T dry oregano
• 1 T parsley flakes
• 3 T tomato paste
• 1/2 C water

Manicotti and sauce:

• 8 boiled manicotti
• 12 oz. tomato sauce
• 1/2 C water
• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Do this:

Saute chopped the onion and garlic in 1 T margarine until onions are translucent then add the ground beef and fry until brown. Now add the seasonings, tomato paste and water stirring to combine, simmer and allow the water to evaporate.  Set aside to cool and now is the time to boil the manicotti in water with a tablespoon of oil for 7 minutes.

Drain the manicotti and add about a cup of cold water in the pot to keep the manicotti moist and to cool them down so they can be handled. Fill each manicotti with the meat and place in an 8″ x 8″ greased casserole dish placing 6 down the center and 1 on each side. Sprinkle with 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese. Dilute the tomato sauce with 1/2 C water and pour on the manicotti then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 C shredded cheese on top.
Bake in a pre-heated 375º oven for 40 minutes. Serve with a tossed green salad and hot rolls.

Saute onion and garlic then brown the ground beef. Add tomato paste, spices and water. Stir to blend and simmer until water has evaporated

Stuff the cooked manicotti with the meat and place in greased casserole dish

Sprinkle half of the cheese on the manicotti

Pour the diluted tomato sauce over the cheddar cheese

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top and bake in 375º oven for 40 minutes.

Nicely browned in the oven and ready to serve

These lemon squares are addictive! You can’t eat just one. The tartness of the lemon and sweetness from the sugar make these a winner.

Ingredients:
Makes 16

Crust:

• 1/2 C Land o Lakes margarine
• 1/3 C powdered sugar
• 1 1/3 C flour

Top:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 3 T flour
• juice of 1 lemon
• grated rind of 1 lemon

Do this:
Cut margarine and let sit for 15 minutes or so to soften. Add the powdered sugar and flour and blend like pie crust with pie cutter. Press evenly into 9×13 cake pan and bake for 15 minutes in 350º oven until delicately brown. While crust is baking, beat the eggs and add sugar, flour, grated rind and the juice from one lemon. Pour this on hot crust and bake another 15 minutes or until delicately brown. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar. Cool and cut into squares. The center will be soft until cool.

Cut margarine and let sit for 15 minutes to soften
Cut the four and powdered sugar into the margarine using a pasty cutter

Crust will resemble pie dough

Now dump the crust into a 9″x13″ cake pan

Pat the crust evenly on the bottom of cake pan and bake 15 minutes in 350º oven

Prepare the top while crust is baking. Blend 3 eggs with electric mixer

Add sugar, flour, grated lemon rind and lemon juice to eggs and beat with mixer. Pour onto hot bottom crust and bake another 15 minutes in 350º oven

Take out of oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar

Cool and cut into squares

Shish Kabobs and grilling go together like peanut butter and jelly! You just can’t have one without the other.
I like to use both marinated chicken and beef with a variety of vegetables for taste and color. Let’s grill!!

Ingredients:
Makes 10

• 1.5 pound chicken breasts
• 1.5 pound strip steak
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red onion
• 16 oz. fresh mushrooms
• 2-3 tomatoes
• 1 zucchini

Marinade:

• Raspberry vinaigrette
• 2 tsp Cookies® All Purpose Seasoning

Do this:
Cut meat into 2 inch cubes and marinade in vinaigrette and Cookies seasoning overnight in refrigerator. Cut bell peppers, onion and tomatoes in 2-3″ inch wedges and slice zucchini. Clean mushrooms, cut stems and leave whole. Push the meat and vegetables onto metal skewers using 5 pieces of meat per skewer. If using bamboo skewers, be sure to soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes before using to prevent them from burning on the grill.
Place shish kabobs on grill turning often until meat is cooked and browned. Save the marinade and brush it on shish kabobs while they are grilling for more flavor.
I served the shish kabobs with a tossed green salad and scalloped potatoes with cheddar cheese.

Cut meat into 2″ cubes and marinade overnight in refrigerator

Cut tomatoes and bell peppers into large wedges

Now cut the onions into wedges and slice zucchini

Clean mushrooms and cut stems. Leave whole

Push the meat and vegetable onto metal or bamboo skewers using at least 5 pieces of meat per skewer. Place on hot grill

Grill shish kabobs until chicken is cooked thoroughly

Serve with tossed salad and potatoes