Mexican Manicotti

From: Chef Crystal Cooks

On Oct 2, 2008

Used Mexican blend cheese in place of the Monterey Jack and added more cheese to the top too. Just ok? Not in my house! It was excellent! If you don't want to stuff the manicotti, you can use ziti and just put the meat and sauce and cheese on top of the noodles and bake. Why frustrate yourself if you don't like stuffing shells Thanks for sharing!

From: lilchris

On Sep 3, 2008

This was just "okay." The beans, meat, and pasta were an odd taste/texture combination. Also, I was disappointed that I spent so much time cramming that mixture into all those shells, but a lot of it leaked out during baking. Probably won't make again, but thanks anyway!

From: yooper

On Apr 30, 2002

What a great do ahead dish! I was a little concerned about using the raw ground beef, but it turned out fine! I used 2 cups of shredded Taco cheese for the topping because I love cheese! This dish puts "Taco Bell" in the dog house!!

From: Lizzie-Babette

On Jun 6, 2002

Good heavens, the dish definitely has a Mexican/Southwest flair, so the name fits it. Made it last night, and it is fabulous, easy, and worthy of company. I did tweak it a bit, however as follows: added 1 heaping teaspoon of McCormick's Chipotle pepper powder as well as the heaping 3 teaspoons of regular chili powder, used refried beans with green chiles, added a couple of tablespoons of hot sauce to the picante sauce/water mix, and I topped it off with lowfat sour cream and pepper jack cheese. It was to our taste for spicy (we like food hot). I intend to try it with ground pork, chipotle salsa in place of picante sauce, and even more chipotle pepper powder. There are many ways to tweak this recipe - it's excellent.