This Beef Manicotti makes such an amazing family dinner. It’s one of those recipes that brings everyone to the table with a smile – no complaints, even from the picky eaters! The beef and ricotta filling is so flavorful, and you get to use your family’s favorite store-bought marinara sauce, we love a good short cut here at Mom’s Dinner.
Another pillar of Mom’s Dinner recipes is big flavor payout for not a lot of effort. I worked this recipe over a few times to get the right flavor and texture. The ratio of ground beef to ricotta is balanced with the addition of mozzarella and parmesan. Then adding garlic and onion powder to the filling along with chopped garlic is the key to lots of flavor. You are going to love this Manicotti with Meat.
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Why You’ll Love them
- Pure comfort food
- The recipe has the perfect ratio of beef-cheese-sauce.
- Easily customizable – ex. add spinach, sub sausage or ground turkey for the beef, add sauteed mushroom or zucchini to the filling.
- Family friendly dinner
- Perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients for Manicotti
Manicotti Shells – An 8oz store bought manicotti package will have about 14 shells, which is perfect for this recipe. Boil them in salted water for about 4-5 minutes, they will continue to cook after draining, and will cook in the oven as well.
Ground Beef – I recommend either an 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef for your manicotti. It will have enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much that your dish turns out greasy.
Ricotta Cheese – Definitely opt for a whole milk ricotta for the creamiest and smoothest stuffed manicotti.
Egg – One large egg will bind the filling together so it doesn’t spill out of the shells when it bakes.
Garlic & Onion – Adds amazing flavor to the beef and ricotta filling.
Mozzarella & Parmesan Cheese – The combo of two cheeses keeps the manicotti filling creamy and cheesy, and it makes for the perfect topping that gets melty and golden in the oven. Opt for a whole milk mozzarella for the creamiest melt!
Marinara – Choose your family’s favorite store bought marinara sauce as a great shortcut, we love Rao’s.
Tomato Sauce – Just an 8 oz can mixed with the store bought marinara gives you the right amount of sauce for the stuffed manicotti.
Seasonings – A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, black pepper and nutmeg season the filling perfectly!
How To Make Manicotti with Meat
Step 1
Cook the manicotti for about 4-5 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain and layout on parchment paper to cool.
Step 2
Saute the ground beef with onions. Add the garlic. Add the seasoning, then set to the side to cool.
Step 3
Make the ricotta and cheese mixture. Add the cooked ground beef mixture once it is cooled.
Step 4
Combine the marinara and tomato sauce, give it a taste and add seasonings as needed. spread about 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of the pan.
Step 5
Fill the cooked manicotti shells with the beef and ricotta mixture. Lay in the pan.
Step 6
Cover with the rest of the marinara mixture, remaining cheese and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake
Step 7
Cover with foil and bake at 375ยฐF for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes.
Freezing and Storing
Storing & Reheating
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350ยฐF covered with foil until warmed through, usually about 25-30 minutes. Single servings can also be microwaved in 60-second bursts. For best results, reheat baked manicotti in the oven so the cheese melts evenly and the filling stays creamy.
Freezing & Reheating
- To freeze before baking, assemble the manicotti in a disposable foil pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
- To freeze baked portions, store in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
Tips for the best Manicotti
- Spoon the beef/ricotta mixture into a large zip lock bag, cut a corner from the bag and use as a piping bag. To make it easier to maneuver, do this in two batches.
- You may need to push the filling to the middle of each manicotti shell with a small spoon or a clean finger.
- Use your family’s favorite jarred marinara – we love Rao’s.
- Don’t overcook the manicotti shells; they will continue to cook as they cool (carryover cooking), then cook again in the oven.
- Don’t leave the manicotti shells in the strainer; lay them out on a piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
- Boiling your pasta with chicken broth or with 2 chicken bouillon cubes and a bay leaf will add a lot of flavor to this dish! Use any combination of chicken broth and water or use only chicken broth.
- Crush dried herbs between your fingers before adding to the dish. It breaks them open and refreshes the flavor.
- If you can’t fit all the manicotti in your pan you can cut the noodles in half, then fill them and nestle them in the empty spaces.
Side Dishes For Beef Manicotti
Have More Questions?
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Manicotti with Meat Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Assembly
- 8 oz manicotti shells - (about 14 shells)
- 24-28 oz. marinara sauce - jar of your favorite brand
- 8 oz. tomato sauce - can
- 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley (optional) - chopped for garnish
Ricotta and Beef Filling
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion - heaping, finely diced
- 1 lb. ground beef - 90% or 85% lean preferred
- 1 ยฝ tsp. Italian seasoning
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ยฝ tsp. black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg - lightly beaten
- โ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 10 oz. mozzarella cheese - fresh shredded, divided
- ยฝ cup parmesan cheese - fresh grated, divided
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 375ยฐF. Spray the bottom of a 9×13 OR 10×15 baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Cook the manicotti shells in salted boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot, then drain and lay them flat on parchment so they don't stick together.8 oz manicotti shells
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sautรฉ the diced onion until softened, about 5 minutes.1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 cup yellow onion
- Add the ground beef and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook and crumble until the meat is browned and cooked through.1 lb. ground beef, 1 ยฝ tsp. Italian seasoning, ยฝ teaspoon onion powder, ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tsp. kosher salt, ยฝ tsp. black pepper
- Add the garlic and cook another minute. Drain any excess grease. Set ground beef mixture aside to cool.3 cloves garlic
- In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, 6 oz. of the mozzarella, and half of the parmesan. Add the cooled beef and onion mixture and stir well until everything is evenly combined.15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, โ tsp. ground nutmeg
- In another bowl, stir the jarred marinara and tomato sauce together. Add salt and seasoning as needed.24-28 oz. marinara sauce, 8 oz. tomato sauce
Assembly
- Spread one cup of sauce mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Carefully spoon or pipe the beef and ricotta filling into each manicotti shell and arrange them in a single layer in the dish. TIP: Spoon half of the beef/ricotta mixture into a large zip lock bag and cut off one corner. Use this to pipe the mixture into the shells. Then repeat with the rest of the filling. You may need to use a small spoon or clean finger to press the filling to the center or the manicotti shell.
- Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the filled shells. Sprinkle on the remaining 4 oz. mozzarella and ยผ cup parmesan.
Baking
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Optional – finish with the broiler on for a minute or two to make golden spots on the cheese.
- Optional – Garnish with parsley before serving.
To Make Ahead
- To make this ahead of time, assemble the dish up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate. Add about 10 minutes to the covered bake time if starting from cold
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat
- For best results, reheat baked manicotti in the oven so the cheese melts evenly and the filling stays creamy. Reheat in the oven at 350ยฐF covered with foil until warmed through, usually about 25-30 minutes. Single servings can also be microwaved in 60-second bursts.
Freeze/Thaw
- To freeze before baking, assemble the manicotti in a disposable foil pan. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
- To freeze baked portions, store in airtight containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed.
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