Cheese Manicotti in the Month of May!

Happy Friday to all on this glorious "summer" day!  I just love May . . . it's the beginning of the summer season but usually not unbearably hot.  I love going to graduations and weddings, and all the newness and excitement in the air because of both.  I love opening the windows each morning to a cool breeze, yet having it warm enough that the kids and I can get outside well before noon.  I love the new life of flowers, grass, and trees - a reminder that God's mercies are "new every morning". 

Since I have not been able to stomach the cooking of meat as of late, my poor family has been suffering a bit.  David was less than thrilled to have banana pancakes and yogurt for supper the other night!  I've been trying to come up with new "meatless" recipes that I can handle making and that the family won't mind eating! 

Last night I made cheese manicotti, and was fairly surprised that it was such a big hit.  When I saw the recipe said, "manicotti shells", I got the shells part in my brain.  So that's what I bought - giant shells.  When I actually started making it, I remembered that I had made this recipe once before, right after graduating high school.  And I remembered that manicotti is the big tube pasta.  Oh, well.  It worked well and the kids enjoyed the shape of the shells!

First I boiled the shells to al dente so they would hold up during filling.  I started to line the pan with them, but I think next time I'll pull them from the strainer as I fill them. There was just too much going on when they were already in the pan.

Next I mixed the cheeses and herbs.  It said to fill the shells with a long spoon, but I tried it using a ziploc bag with the tip cut off - so much easier than I remember when I used a spoon years ago!  Just don't fill the bag more than halfway, or the cheese will spill out the top while you're filling the shells!

Once all the shells were filled, I poured spaghetti sauce over the top.  I found Prego onion and garlic flavor on sale this week for $.99, so that's what this is.  Also, though the recipe doesn't call for this part, I sprinkled about 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and a little garlic salt on the top.

Here's the whole meal - cheese manicotti, broccoli slaw salad, and homemade bread and butter.  mmm!

Cheese Manicotti

1 pkg. manicotti shells
2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. parsley flakes
1 1/2 c. Ricotta cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook manicotti shells according to package directions, stirring often.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Stir together eggs, cheeses, and spices.  Fill manicotti shells with this mixture using a long spoon.  Arrange filled shells in large baking dish.  Pour spaghetti on top.  Bake, covered at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family did, and have a splendid weekend!  I think ours is going to include several hours outdoors!