We really enjoy manicotti around here, but it’s never on our menu because, confession, I really dislike stuffing the noodles.
When I saw this recipe for a crockpot version of manicotti that did not pre-cook the pasta, I had to give it a try.
It was so easy to fill and prep, and dinner tasted great. The only draw back to this recipe is that it only takes 4 hours on low in the crockpot, so it’s not one that you can start in the morning and come back to dinner 8 hours later. I suppose you could do that, but your noodles would be really mushy, and I don’t recommend it.
We used our favorite manicotti recipe and followed the crockpot directions from Mom on a Mission. We hope you will enjoy it too.
Crockpot Manicotti – Inspired by Mom on a Mission
Ingredients
- 4 C of your favorite spaghetti sauce (we used our freezer sauce)
- 8-10 manicotti shells
- 1 (8oz) container of ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. parsley
- 1 tsp. basil
- pinch of minced garlic
- salt & pepper
- 2 T Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Optional: chopped spinach
Directions
Layer 2 C of your favorite spaghetti sauce across the bottom of a lightly greased crockpot.
Mix together ricotta cheese with 1 tsp. parsley and basil and a pinch of minced garlic. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir well. If desired, stir in 1/4-1/2 C chopped spinach.
Finally, mix in 2 T Parmesan cheese.
Using a spoon, spoon the ricotta mixture into each of the manicotti shells. It works best to fill from both ends to make sure you get ricotta mixture all the way through the manicotti.
Place each filled manicotti over the spaghetti sauce. It’s OK if they overlap.
Cover with remaining spaghetti sauce.
Top with mozzarella cheese.
Cover and cook of low for 4 hours.
Serve warm.
Enjoy!
Oh, I've never tried doing a manicotti recipe in the crock pot before! I am going to have to experiment with this!
ReplyDeleteIt was super easy & turned out surprisingly well. I can imagine endless possibilities :)
DeleteThanks for stopping by, Jessica. I read your blog daily!
Oh you could always use a timer on your cockpit (I have one to control the outlet like you might use for a fish tank or something.) I often use it for recipes like this, or overnight oatmeal!
ReplyDeleteI loved this! I used a casserole crock pot. To make things easier I put the ricotta and spices in a stand mixer on low for one minute. Placed the cheese filling in a Ziploc bag, squeezed the air out before sealing, clipped a corner off and squeezed the mix into both ends of the shells. Easy, quick and less messy. Great recipe!
ReplyDeleteNot sure if my first post went through. Do you cook the manicotti in water first? I thinking no because the manicotti might get mushy after cooking in crockpot for 4 hours.
ReplyDeleteNo, you do not need to cook the manicotti shells before putting them in the crockpot. One less prep step! I'd also recommend about 3.5 hours in the crockpot to keep the manicotti al dente!
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