# Favorite Filling for Shells/Manicotti?



## CraigC (Dec 13, 2013)

We tend to use a three cheese mix (motz, ricotta and parm). Sometimes we'll throw in minced, precooked mild Italian sausage. What are your favs?


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## CarolPa (Dec 13, 2013)

I've never made this, but I would like a combination meat/cheese filling.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 13, 2013)

I like the three cheeses mentioned and then topped with a nice meat sauce made with Hot Italian Sausage.


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## CraigC (Dec 13, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I like the three cheeses mentioned and then topped with a nice meat sauce made with Hot Italian Sausage.


 
That would be great as well. I wonder if a Florentine style stuffing with a bechamel based sauce would be good. Maybe a tomatoe cream sauce.


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## CarolPa (Dec 13, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I like the three cheeses mentioned and then topped with a nice meat sauce made with Hot Italian Sausage.




We love hot sausage but I never think to put it in my meat sauce!  Good idea!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 13, 2013)

CraigC said:


> That would be great as well. I wonder if a Florentine style stuffing with a bechamel based sauce would be good. Maybe a tomatoe cream sauce.



Hmmm...I love spinach, I will try that next time with a marinara.  I do like the tomato based sauces the best.


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 13, 2013)

I like ricotta cheese, chopped broccoli or spinach, an egg, a little mozzarella, a little Romano and a few dried breadcrumbs.  Not much in the way of seasonings salt, pepper and a twist of nutmeg.

Years ago I made a batch of stuffed shells with chopped crab, shrimp and fish, ricotta, mozzarella, an egg and dried breadcrumbs.  I covered it with frozen cream of shrimp soup and baked it.  It was very good.

Now days I cheat and use the frozen ones most of the time.  I can't make them for the price of the frozen ones and they are quite good.  I put a little more effort into the sauce and the pan empties out just as fast as it always did!


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## Zhizara (Dec 13, 2013)

I made this dish once.  I stuffed the shells with ricotta and taco meat mixture, then put tomato sauce over the top.  It was very good. 

The reason I never made it again is just that I found other uses for my taco meat and just never got around to it again.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Dec 13, 2013)

CarolPa said:


> I've never made this, but I would like a combination meat/cheese filling.



The version made in my house goes something like this:

Jumbo shells, just undercooked.
Filling:
15 oz. diced tomatoes
4 oz. tomato paste
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced fine
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1/2 tsp. each - oregano, sweet basil, thyme, and rosemary
1/4 tsp. salt

Bring to a very low boil and reduce heat until the sauce is no longer bubbling.  Stir.

Grate -  1/2 lb. Monterey Jack, 1/2 lb. sharp Cheddar.  Add 1 cup large curd cottage cheese.  Stir to combine.  Let simmer for 10 minutes, then taste.  Correct the seasonings.  Typically, I'm adding more basil.

Fill the shells with the sauce and place in a greased casserole dish.  Pout any remaining sauce over the top.  Sprinkle any leftover cottage cheese on top.  Cover the dish with a lid, or with aluminum foil.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350' F.  Remove and serve with good veggie.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## cave76 (Dec 13, 2013)

Aunt Bea said:


> I like ricotta cheese, chopped broccoli or spinach, an egg, a little mozzarella, a little Romano and a few dried breadcrumbs.  Not much in the way of seasonings salt, pepper and a twist of nutmeg.:



Aunt Bea----- everyone else has some good ideas but yours takes my eye today----- do you have a recipe for that or a good guess-i-mate?  I'd probably add some Italian type spices because I love them.

CraigC had something like that too.


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## Addie (Dec 13, 2013)

All my life I have had only the ricotta cheese and I hate it. I would love to taste something different. I hate it in lasagna also. I have never made either dish because I hate the ricotta. When I am served one of them, I pull out the ricotta and leave it on my plate. Just eat the macaroni and sauce. I prefer raviolis with a meat filling also. Any filling that isn't ricotta.


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## Andy M. (Dec 13, 2013)

Addie said:


> All my life I have had only the ricotta cheese and I hate it. I would love to taste something different. I hate it in lasagna also. I have never made either dish because I hate the ricotta. When I am served one of them, I pull out the ricotta and leave it on my plate. Just eat the macaroni and sauce. I prefer raviolis with a meat filling also. Any filling that isn't ricotta.



Addie, you should try Luca Lazzari's lasagne recipe.  It doesn't have any ricotta at all.


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## Addie (Dec 13, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> Addie, you should try Luca Lazzari's lasagne recipe.  It doesn't have any ricotta at all.



Will take a look and pass on the suggestion to my daughter. She is the one who makes it in the family.


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## Andy M. (Dec 13, 2013)

Addie said:


> Will take a look and pass on the suggestion to my daughter. She is the one who makes it in the family.



Here's the link.  http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/luca-s-meat-lasagna-easy-recipe-franca-s-style-74951.html


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## Addie (Dec 13, 2013)

Andy M. said:


> Here's the link.  http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f20/luca-s-meat-lasagna-easy-recipe-franca-s-style-74951.html



Thank you Andy. Copied and pasted.


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 14, 2013)

cave76 said:


> Aunt Bea----- everyone else has some good ideas but yours takes my eye today----- do you have a recipe for that or a good guess-i-mate?  I'd probably add some Italian type spices because I love them.
> 
> CraigC had something like that too.



Recipe? 

I don't use a recipe for things like this, I just cook.  This recipe would be a good guide to get started.  I add an egg for a binder and a 1/4 cup or so of dried bread crumbs to soak up any liquid from the ricotta cheese and the vegetables.  If you use spinach really work to squeeze out the excess water.  These are nice with a tomato based meat sauce or an alfredo type sauce with some small flecks of red and green pepper added.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Shells Recipe - Allrecipes.com


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## medtran49 (Dec 14, 2013)

Craig and I don't use a recipe either for our cheese filling.  I use either the small or the large ricotta container depending on how much we decided to make (the stuffed shells freeze very well individually on a sheet pan in freezer and then bagged to pull out as needed later on) and then I just dump in shredded mozzarella and grated parm plus S&P and nutmeg until we like the taste and then I put in 2 eggs for the small, 4 for the large batch.  I'll admit I also taste after I add the eggs but I don't have any problems to contradict eating raw egg and we make fresh mayo quite often as well. 

A little old Italian lady told me to add the eggs to make a smoother texture and also to help spread if you are making lasagna.  She made the best lasagna I've ever had and that was almost 30 years ago.  

Reading this thread I came up with an idea.  Stuffed shells alla vodka.  That's going to be out next one.  I'll take some thin sliced pancetta, fry, then break up and mix in with the filling and I'll top with a vodka sauce.  That will probably be on the Christmas week's menu since we've already gone to grocery this week.


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 14, 2013)

A chicken filling similar to a chicken crouquette without the breading.  Cover them with a supreme sauce or veloute sauce and bake until heated through.

My lazy sister fills them with pierogi filling and covers them with melted butter and onions, not bad!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Dec 14, 2013)

Aunt Bea said:


> A chicken filling similar to a chicken crouquette without the breading.  Cover them with a supreme sauce or veloute sauce and bake until heated through.
> 
> My lazy sister fills them with pierogi filling and covers them with melted butter and onions, not bad!




That sounds good!  

Or how about filled with chicken salad and served cold on a bed of lettuce...


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 14, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> That sounds good!
> 
> Or how about filled with chicken salad and served cold on a bed of lettuce...



Macaroni salad on steroids, I like that idea! 

That would make a nice addition to a luncheon salad plate!


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## cave76 (Dec 14, 2013)

Aunt Bea and MedTran------ thank you for your ideas. (I don't use recipes for things lie that either, so I understand.)

So cooked and stuffed shells can be frozen easily? I'll try that, since making a large amount isn't that much harder than a smaller one. (But still wishing I had the humungus chest freezer we had on the ranch!)


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Dec 14, 2013)

Addie said:


> All my life I have had only the ricotta cheese and I hate it. I would love to taste something different. I hate it in lasagna also. I have never made either dish because I hate the ricotta. When I am served one of them, I pull out the ricotta and leave it on my plate. Just eat the macaroni and sauce. I prefer raviolis with a meat filling also. Any filling that isn't ricotta.



Addie, I was taught to make lasagna with a combination of shredded mozzarella, Parmigiana Regiano, and cottage cheese.  I too am not a great fan of ricotta cheese.  There are better flavors and textures out there.  Muenster is a surprisingly good cheese with pasta as well.


With heavy pastas, like large shells, lasagna, manicotti, etc., I over-spice the sauce, as the pasta tends to make the sauce bland if I don't.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## medtran49 (Dec 14, 2013)

cave76 said:


> Aunt Bea and MedTran------ thank you for your ideas. (I don't use recipes for things lie that either, so I understand.)
> 
> So *cooked and stuffed* shells can be frozen easily? I'll try that, since making a large amount isn't that much harder than a smaller one. (But still wishing I had the humungus chest freezer we had on the ranch!)


 
I'm not sure what you meant, so just to be clear, I cook the pasta shells per package directions, cool, stuff and then freeze.  When I use them later, I take them out of freezer and let them thaw for a couple of hours or so on counter (in fridge if they need to be out all day) and then pop in the oven with sauce to bake until hot.


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## cave76 (Dec 14, 2013)

Medtran----- that's very clear. Thank you.


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## Kayelle (Dec 14, 2013)

*Stuffed Manicotti was always the birthday dinner request from my boys. 

I'd just partially cook the pasta tubes and use a plastic bag with a corner cut out to stuff them with the filling from both ends.

I also don't like ricotta cheese, so my filling is cottage cheese, grated mozzarella, Parm, squeeze dried spinach, eggs and Italian Seasoning with a little fresh grated nutmeg. I covered the whole thing with home made marinara sauce and baked.

I made it once with meat added and everyone complained. That really surprised me as we are all defiantly meat eaters.    
*


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## bbobson (Dec 14, 2013)

Addie said:


> All my life I have had only the ricotta cheese and I hate it. I would love to taste something different. I hate it in lasagna also. I have never made either dish because I hate the ricotta. When I am served one of them, I pull out the ricotta and leave it on my plate. Just eat the macaroni and sauce. I prefer raviolis with a meat filling also. Any filling that isn't ricotta.



I am going to repeat what others have said about Luca's lasagna.  When I made this it totally changed my wife's idea of lasagna.  She now prefers Luca's style to any other that she has had or made.


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## CarolPa (Dec 14, 2013)

bbobson said:


> I am going to repeat what others have said about Luca's lasagna.  When I made this it totally changed my wife's idea of lasagna.  She now prefers Luca's style to any other that she has had or made.




I copied Luca's recipe.  It looks delicious, but I would probably add a layer of ricotta since we like it.  I buy a locally made ricotta.  It's Lamagna brand.  I don't know if it's sold anywhere but PGH.  It is so excellent, when I use it I have to buy a bigger container than I need because I eat it right out of the container by the spoonfuls while I'm cooking.


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## Whiskadoodle (Dec 15, 2013)

I know this is about fillings.  My question is, once you have this made,  

 How do you stuff the shells?   And how long do you bake manicotti.


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## Aunt Bea (Dec 15, 2013)

Whiskadoodle said:


> I know this is about fillings.  My question is, once you have this made,
> 
> How do you stuff the shells?   And how long do you bake manicotti.



I open them like those little plastic coin purses we had years ago, I hold one in the palm of my hand and push both ends towards the middle.  Then I fill them with a teaspoon or a small one ounce disher.  For manicotti I use sheets of fresh pasta and roll them up, I could never get the hang of filling the tubes.  I bake both 30 to 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  The time depends on the temperature when they go into the oven.  Everything is basically cooked so they just need to heat up and get bubbly.  Sometimes I start them covered with foil, sometimes not.  If I start them covered I pull the foil and let the cheese get brown for 10 or 15 minutes at the end.  They are very forgiving so you can slide a pan into the oven with other items, don't really be concerned with an exact temperature or time. 

I also bake my shells filled side down, some people bake them filled side up sort of like the Butter Battle book by Dr. Seuss!


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## 4meandthem (Dec 15, 2013)

I make a big batch of bechemel, then melt in fresh Parmesan and either Gruyere or fresh Cotija. reserve half of the sauce. Place uncooked shrinp and fake crab flakes in the other half while hot. spoon the shrimp sauce into the shells and cover with the reserved sauce. sprinkle with paprika and bake until bubbly and browned.


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## Kayelle (Dec 15, 2013)

Whiskadoodle said:


> I know this is about fillings.  My question is, once you have this made,
> 
> How do you stuff the shells?   And how long do you bake manicotti.



I prefer the pasta tubes (Manicotti) and as I previously said, *I'd just partially cook the pasta tubes and use a plastic bag with a  corner cut out to stuff them with the filling from both ends.
*I bake it the same as AB.


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## Andy M. (Dec 15, 2013)

CarolPa said:


> I copied Luca's recipe.  It looks delicious, but I would probably add a layer of ricotta since we like it.  I buy a locally made ricotta.  It's Lamagna brand.  I don't know if it's sold anywhere but PGH.  It is so excellent, when I use it I have to buy a bigger container than I need because I eat it right out of the container by the spoonfuls while I'm cooking.




I recall conversations with Luca back when he posted the lasagna recipe.  He said in Italy, ricotta in lasagna was not all that common.


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