These pretty little jewels are so good. Bursting with Italian flavors. They can be made using your own Marinara Sauce (recipe in the files) or you can use your favorite Jarred Sauce. I use Bertolli and Rao’s both, when I don’t have my own.
This recipe can be cut in half if you desire, or in my case, I make a full recipe and bake half of them in the sauce and freeze the other half without the sauce under them, for cooking later. (When you pull them from the freezer You will have to add a half of a jar of Rao’s sauce to your Cassarole pan and increase cook time to an hour).
If you prefer, change it up with a Cream of Mushroom sauce.. ( 1 can soup plus 1 c milk recipe for that in the link. You can also look up manicotti/stuffed shells or mushroom cream sauce. )
Makes 24-26 Shells
Oven 425°
26 Shells (cook as directed.)
For the Meat sauce:
1 Lb Hamburger.
1 lb sweet Italian sausage.
1 sweet Onion chopped finely.
4 cloves garlic Minced
1/4 c Parsley chopped.
1/4 c Fresh Basil chopped.
1/2 Tsp Salt.
1/2 Tsp Pepper.
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Jar Bertoli Spaghetti Sauce (this will go into the meat mixture)
3 Tbsp Evoo
1 Jar Rao’s Spaghetti Sauce divided, for the bottom of the Casserole pan. (Use half if only cooking 1/2 recipe and freezing the rest. You can freeze the sauce in a baggie along with the Shells if you want)
For the Cheese Mixture:
1 regular sized (16 oz) carton of Ricotta Cheese. (BelGioioso is super creamy)
1/2 c Cottage Cheese.
1/2 c Parmesean Cheese.
2 1/2 c Mozzerella Cheese divided in half (save half for the last 10 minutes)
2 cloves minced Garlic.
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/3 c chopped fresh Basil .
1/3 c chopped Fresh Parsley.
1 beaten Egg
Bring a Pot filled with 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the Shells to the water and par cook them until al dente’. (About 7 min…ish, check them). As they cook move on to the Meat mixture and as that cooks, mix up the cheese mixture.
As the Shells get done, use a slotted Spoon to carefully remove them…. a few at a time. Drain the water from each by tipping the spoon. Lay them on a plate to cool slightly. Off to the Next thing while they cool.
Working on the Cheese mixture now, add all ingredients to make the mixture into a medium Mixing Bowl. Stir it all up and set aside.
Next, is the Meat. Using a large Frying Pan, heated to medium high. Add the EVOO and the Burger and Sausage. Fry it up until done, drain… but leave a couple Tbsp of the fat. Next, add the Onion, Garlic, Parsley, Basil, Salt, Pepper, and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook until the Onion and Garlic are cooked. Add the Bertolli and stir in. Set that aside as well.
Preheat Oven to 425°
At this point, you will fill all of the Shells and either Cook them all, or cook just half and freeze the rest for another time, but you need to choose a Casserole dish accordingly. You can use a small Casserole dish, 8 x 11” or a 9 x 15” pan for them all.If your cooking just half like I do often, Pour Half of the Rao’s cold Sauce into the bottom of the dish. Spread it evenly.
Fill the Shells with the Meat filling, using a Tablespoon or Soup Spoon, filling each one to the top and not to tightly… don’t pack it in. Lay the 12 that you will be cooking into the Spaghetti Sauce in the Casserole pan. Put the others onto a non stick Pizza pan or sprayed with cooking spray to prevent them from freezing to the pan, or use something that you can easily place into the freezer.
Next, spoon about 1 Tbsp full of the Cheese mixture on top of the filled Shells, pat it down gently.
Put the ones that you won’t be cooking. And when they are frozen, transfer them to a gallon sized baggie carefully and keep frozen until ready to use.
Cover the Shells that are in the Casserole Dish with Aluminum foil and put it into the Oven.
Bake for about 30 min at 425°, they should be bubbling around the edges and hot in the center ones. Remove from the Oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle each Shell with about 2 Tbsp Mozzerella. Return them back to the Oven for another 10 min, until the Cheese is melted and browned.
