Cheese Manicotti Florentine

-16 manicotti noodles (uncooked) make sure there are 16 in the box, the Great Value ones only have 14
-1 lb ricotta cheese -- or cottage (I tried cream cheese and it SO SO yummy)
-1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
-1 cup parmesan cheese (I used half the crumbly can kind and half the "fresh" kind)
-2 eggs -- beaten
-1 tablespoon chopped parsley
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
-2 cup spaghetti sauce (I used twice as much)
-1 small onion
-1/2 lb mushrooms (I left these out because Ben hates them)
-1/2 lb spinach

Sautee chopped onions and mushrooms until tender. Steam chopped spinach until wilted (or use thawed frozen spinach). Combine ricotta (or other cheese), mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, eggs, parsley, spices. Add spinach and 3/4 of sautee to mixture.

Fill uncooked manicotti shells

(this is the best because you don't have to worry about

breaking or dropping the wiggly cooked ones)

Make sure it is all the way full!


Place filled shells in a single layer in a greased 13x9 baking pan. Add remaining sautee to spaghetti sauce. Cover manicotti with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes. This can be prepared before hand and frozen if you want. You would just have to cook it longer, like 60 minutes.

Navy Bean & Spinach Soup

4 cans Navy Beans

2 cans chicken broth

1/2 stick butter

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 pkg. Frozen chopped Spinach

1 lb. Hillshire Farm Sausage, sliced or in chunks

Saute' onions & celery in butter until tender. Add sausage and cook for 5 min. Pour all ingredients into pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp salt. Makes (3) 2-quarts jars. Great for freezing! (Mnisa)