CraigC
Master Chef
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
- Messages
- 6,486
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?
Favorite Filling for Shells/Manicotti?
- Thread starter CraigC
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
CarolPa
Executive Chef
I've never made this, but I would like a combination meat/cheese filling.
I like the three cheeses mentioned and then topped with a nice meat sauce made with Hot Italian Sausage.
OP
OP
CraigC
Master Chef
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
- Messages
- 6,486
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.
CarolPa
Executive Chef
Hmmm...I love spinach, I will try that next time with a marinara. I do like the tomato based sauces the best.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
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!
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!
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.
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.
Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
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
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.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
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. 
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
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.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Will take a look and pass on the suggestion to my daughter. She is the one who makes it in the family.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
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
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
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
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.
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.
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
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!
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...
Aunt Bea
Master Chef
Macaroni salad on steroids, I like that idea!
That would make a nice addition to a luncheon salad plate!
