Manicotti with Italian Sausage and Cream Cheese Sauce

By kimvess

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) Manicotti pasta, uncooked
• 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 32 ounces spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 65mins
Adapted from bakerette.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Add salt to the water for more added flavor and to reduce stickiness. Also, do NOT overcook the pasta. By doing so they will go flat and crack in half. I usually cook them no longer than 7 minutes once the water reaches a rapid boil. Drain well. Lay out the Manicotti noodles on a sheet of tin foil to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, beef, and onion until browned and no longer pink. Add garlic and continue to cook one minute longer. Drain. Remove from heat and set aside.
In large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, salt, oregano, and parsley. Stir in the cooked meat. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. With your fingers, fill the cooled pasta tubes with the beef mixture and arrange the filled pasta in single layer over the sauce in the baking dish.
Pour remaining sauce over pasta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and heated through.