Fiesta Manicotti

Fiesta Manicotti

Serve the manicotti with sour cream or guacamole. Pair with Spanish rice.

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 (16-oz.) can refried beans

1 (1-oz.) pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 1/2 c. tap water

12 manicotti shells

1 (8-oz.) container cottage cheese, drained well

1 (16-oz.) jar salsa

2 c. sour cream

2 c. shredded fiesta cheese blend

2 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and season generously with salt. Cook the pasta shells according to package directions until al dente, rinse with cold water, drain and pat dry.

3. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large skillet, drain if necessary. Fold in refried beans. Stir together taco seasoning mix and water and then stir into the beef and bean mixture. Cover over medium heat for 5 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese and 1 c. fiesta cheese blend. Stir into meat and bean mixture.

5. Spread a couple tablespoons of salsa on the bottom of the baking dish. Fill the manicotti with the meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining salsa over the top completely covering shells. Sprinkle the remaining cheese of the top of that. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces.

6. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until heated through and the sauce is bubbly. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.

Apron Strings Tips: Do not overcook the manicotti shells in step 2 or they will be difficult to stuff and will tear. Add a quarter-cup of diced onion when frying the ground beef. Add sliced black olives or jalapenos on top before baking.

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