Beef and Cheese Manicotti
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Indulge in a mouthwatering journey with our Beef and Cheese Manicotti! This pasta recipe is the perfect blend of savory beef and creamy cheese stuffed into delicate manicotti shells for a taste sensation that will leave you wanting more.
Stuffed Manicotti
Pasta is one of my favorite types of comfort food and I love it in all forms – lasagna, baked shells, baked rigatoni, peanut noodles, teriyaki noodles, pasta salads, and Mac and cheese.
I recently made this manicotti to take to our son and daughter-in-law’s home for lunch and it was a hit. In fact, I made TWO casseroles – one to take and one to keep (plus we froze some). Win-win!
Why This Recipe Works:
- CLASSIC RECIPE – Our beef and cheese manicotti recipe is classic with manicotti noodles, a delicious spaghetti sauce, ground beef, and three kinds of cheese.
- FULL OF FLAVOR – The whole family will love the flavor in our easy manicotti recipe. The hardest part is waiting for it to be on the table!
- FREEZES WELL – This pasta dish is a great recipe to freeze for later. You can freeze it before baking or freeze some of the baked leftovers.
- IMPRESSIVE FOR GUESTS – We love serving this manicotti pasta dish on special occasions. Guests will love it – trust me! You could also make it for any night of the week.
Ingredients Used:
- Manicotti Pasta Shells
- Marinara Sauce – Either use store-bought sauce or our homemade pasta sauce.
- Onion & Garlic
- Lean Ground Beef – or use your choice of ground meat – Italian sausage, turkey sausage, ground turkey
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, dried oregano
- Ricotta Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Large Egg
- Baby Spinach
You will also need a 9×13 baking dish for this cheesy ground beef manicotti.
How to make Easy Beef and Cheese Manicotti:
Step 1
Cook the beef. In a large stockpot or Dutch Oven, add a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the diced onions, ground beef, and seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, and dried oregano.
Stir beef mixture frequently, breaking up the beef with a slotted spoon as you go. Cook until beef is cooked completely – about 7-8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 2
Combine cheese. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, an egg, and salt and pepper. Stir well.
Step 3
Sauté spinach. Use a nonstick skillet and warm over medium heat. Add olive oil and then the baby spinach. Cook until wilted – just a minute or two.
Step 4
Add spinach and beef. Add the wilted spinach and the cooked beef to the cheese filling. Stir well.
Step 5
Cook pasta. While the meat browns, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add uncooked manicotti and a good amount of salt to the pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook pasta until al dente. Strain pasta and add manicotti to a clean dish towel.
Step 6
Fill pasta. Add the beef and cheese mixture to a plastic zip-top bag. Snip the end off and squeeze the mixture into the pasta.
Step 7
Add to dish. Use a large 9×13 casserole dish and add about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, smoothing it to all sides of the dish. Lay the stuffed pasta in a single layer on top of the sauce, arranging the shells to fit the pan.
Step 8
Add remaining ingredients. Add the remaining few cups of the marinara sauce to the top of the manicotti and smooth evenly to all sides of the pan. Then add the shredded mozzarella cheese to the top of the sauce.
Step 9
Bake manicotti. Bake pasta in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
Step 10
Serve. Serve baked manicotti with your choice of sides. See below.
What to serve with Stuffed Manicotti:
- BREAD – Chewy French Bread, Italian Herb Bread, Sourdough Focaccia, or garlic bread
- SALAD – Arugula Caprese Salad or Spinach and Goat Cheese Salad
- OTHER – Pair with some Ricotta Crostini, Browned Mushrooms, or Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms.
Storing and Freezing:
- Store leftover manicotti in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also add to meal prep containers for lunches during the week.
- Freeze unbaked or baked manicotti in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator and bake (or reheat).
OPTIONAL: While you can use store-bought sauce, we love using our Homemade Marinara Sauce for our pasta recipes. It’s worth the extra steps and incredibly delicious too.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes, ground turkey can be a good substitute for ground beef if you prefer a leaner meat option.
Use a piping bag or a plastic storage bag with a corner cut off to pipe the cheese mixture into the manicotti shells with less mess.
Yes, you can assemble the manicotti ahead of time and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.
Other Pasta Recipes:
We have a variety of pasta dishes to share. Lots of pizza recipes too!
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Beef and Cheese Manicotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz. manicotti
- 3-4 cups marinara sauce – homemade or store-bought
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese – shredded
For the stuffing mixture:
- 1/2 medium yellow onion – diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic – minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 4 oz. mozzarella cheese – shredded
- 4 oz. parmesan cheese – freshly shredded
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups baby spinach – cooked and patted dry
Instructions
- Cook the beef. In a large stockpot or Dutch Oven, add a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the diced onions, ground beef, and seasonings – salt, pepper, onion powder, and dried oregano.Stir beef mixture frequently, breaking up the beef with a slotted spoon as you go. Cook until beef is cooked completely – about 7-8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Combine cheese. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, an egg, and salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Sauté spinach. Use a nonstick skillet and warm over medium heat. Add olive oil and then the baby spinach. Cook until wilted – just a minute or two.
- Add spinach and beef. Add the wilted spinach and the cooked beef to the cheese filling. Stir well.
- Cook pasta. While the meat browns, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add uncooked manicotti and a good amount of salt to the pot. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook pasta until al dente. Strain pasta and add manicotti to a clean dish towel.
- Fill pasta. Add the beef and cheese mixture to a plastic zip-top bag. Snip the end off and squeeze the mixture into the pasta.
- Add to dish. Use a large 9×13 casserole dish and add about 1/2 cup of marinara sauce, smoothing it to all sides of the dish. Lay the stuffed pasta in a single layer on top of the sauce, arranging the shells to fit the pan.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add the remaining few cups of the marinara sauce to the top of the manicotti and smooth evenly to all sides of the pan. Then add the shredded mozzarella cheese to the top of the sauce.
- Bake manicotti. Bake pasta in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Serve. Serve baked manicotti with your choice of sides.
Notes
- Store leftover manicotti in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also add to meal prep containers for lunches during the week.
- Freeze unbaked or baked manicotti in freezer bags for up to three months. Thaw in refrigerator and bake (or reheat).
- OPTIONAL: While you can use store-bought sauce, we love using our Homemade Marinara Sauce for our pasta recipes. It’s worth the extra steps and incredibly delicious too.
Good Morning, I meant to rate this recipe along with the Marinara Sauce. I made the Manicotti recipe that night as well. This recipe was so delicious we couldn’t stop eating. As I said in the review of the Marinara Sauce the only thing I changed was I used Oven ready Manicotti. They are much easier than having to cook them and stuff. I am basically lazy lol
Thank-you Sue
Thank you so much, Beverly!
Awesome recipe. The tip for the Homemade Marinara is real!
Thank you!