Maniladas with White Cheese and Roasted Tomatillo Sauces

By

Thanks Sunny Anderson for this unique recipe!
I put a little variation on it by using a mixture of fontina and sharp white cheddar.

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Ingredients

  • For Tomatillo Sauce:
  • 1 (8oz) package Manicotti shells
  • 2 Tblsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Sweet Onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 Rotisserie Chicken, shredded
  • Salt and Fresh ground Black Pepper
  • 4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 3 Tblsp. chopped Cilantro
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 lb Tomatillos, quartered
  • 1 small Red Onion, quartered
  • 1 Jalapeno, halved
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 2 Tblsp. Olive Oil
  • Salt and Fresh ground Black Pepper
  • For Cheese Sauce:
  • 3 Tblsp. Butter
  • 3 Tblsp. all-purpose Flour
  • 2 cups grated Fontina Cheese
  • 2 cups Heavy Cream, room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. Grated Nutmeg
  • Salt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Boil manicotti in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat and mix in chicken, tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro. Set aside.

To Make Tomatillo Sauce:
Place tomatillos, onion, jalapeno, garlic in a baking dish. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatillos turn golden around the edges and are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and blend ingredients together until smooth. Use reserved pasta water to thin sauce, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Make Cheese Sauce:
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add cheese and nutmeg and stir until melted. Season sauce with salt to taste.

To assemble:
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stuff manicotti tubes with chicken mixture and assemble in 9 x 12 baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top. Bake 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Drizzle tomatillo sauce on Maniladas before serving.

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