Chicken Manicotti With Red Pepper Cream Sauce Food

SMOKED CHICKEN CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the chicken: Using kitchen shears, remove the backbone of the chicken and set aside in the refrigerator for another use (such as Smoked Chicken Minestrone). Cut the chicken in half, straight through the breastbone. By separating the chicken into two pieces it will ensure that the chicken gets smoked more thoroughly. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, the granulated garlic and smoked paprika.
• Place 1 deep aluminum roasting pan over the stove top. Line with aluminum foil. Add the soaked wood chips to a large piece of foil, and then fold in the sides to make a pouch. Punch holes in the top of the pouch, set it directly over a gas burner and turn on high. Leave for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully. Once it begins to smoke, using tongs, transfer the pouch to the bottom of the lined roasting pan. Set a wire rack over the chips in the lined roasting pan and position it so the wood chips are directly over the burner and continue to smoke. Place the chicken pieces bone-side down on the rack. Cover tightly with aluminum foil to seal in the smoke. Put the roasting pan into the oven and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove and cool. Shred the smoked chicken breast and set aside 1 1/2 cups for the cannelloni (reserve the rest for another use). Increase the oven to 375 degrees F.
• While the chicken is smoking, make the creamy roasted red pepper sauce: Bring the oil to medium heat in a large saucepot. Sweat the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat until fragrant, about a minute. Stir in the peppers and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Working in 2 cup batches, process the sauce on high in a blender until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot, reduce the heat to low and whisk in the cream. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. If making ahead, cool before refrigerating for up to a week.
• For the cannelloni: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, cream cheese, 1 cup of the Parmesan, the egg and nutmeg with a wooden spoon. Fold in the reserved shredded chicken, spinach, tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a medium pastry bag fitted with a large open tip. Spread 1/2 cup of the creamy roasted red pepper sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch gratin dish. Pipe about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the filling into the cannelloni shells and place them into the gratin dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the cannelloni. Sprinkle with the panko and remaining Parmesan. Cover and bake until the filling is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Bake uncovered until the top is golden and bubbling, an additional 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and cool on a resting rack. Garnish with Parmesan and serve.

CHICKEN ALFREDO MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the Alfredo sauce: Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
• Add the garlic and leeks to the skillet with the remaining bacon fat and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the half-and-half, Parmesan, crushed red pepper and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and cook until the sauce is thickened and the cheese is melted and fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the parsley and season with salt and black pepper.
• For the filling: Add the spinach, ricotta, chicken, Italian blend cheese, crushed red pepper, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to a large bowl and mix until fully combined. Transfer the mixture to a large disposable piping bag (or resealable plastic bag) and snip a large hole at the end of the bag.
• For the pasta: Spoon 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a flameproof (not glass) 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pipe the filling into both ends of the uncooked manicotti shells until filled and arrange them in the baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce, reserved bacon and Italian blend cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the pasta is cooked, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the foil. Turn the oven to broil. Broil until the top is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with more chopped parsley.

CREAMY CHICKEN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain and set aside.
• For sauce, in a medium saucepan cook onion in hot butter over medium heat for 4 minutes or until tender but not brown. Stir in flour and salt. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat; set aside.
• For filling, in a medium bowl combine Grilled & Ready® Grilled Chicken Breast Strips, ham, egg yolk, the 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the ricotta cheese. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce into a buttered 2-quart rectangular baking dish; spread in a thin layer over bottom of dish.
• Use a pastry tube fitted with the largest tip to pipe the filling into the cooked manicotti. (Or carefully spoon about 1/3 cup of the filling into each shell.) Arrange the filled manicotti in the baking dish in a single layer. Pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
• Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until manicotti are light golden and heated through. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with a sprinkling of ground nutmeg and parsley.

SHORTCUT CHICKEN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook chicken until opaque and juices run clear.
• In a medium bowl, combine cooked chicken, egg, spinach, cottage cheese and Parmesan. Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with chicken mixture. Arrange shells, not touching one another, in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, combine soup, sour cream, milk and Italian seasoning and stir until smooth. Pour over shells in dish and spread to cover completely. Carefully pour boiling water around the edge of the dish. Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle with Cheddar and parsley and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN MANICOTTI WITH RED PEPPER CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 3-quart baking dish.
• Cook the pasta until tender; drain and rinse under cold water, toss with 1-2 Tbsp oil so the pasta won't stick together; set aside.
• Meanwhile, for the sauce, in a heavy-bottomed small saucepan, stir the cream cheese and 1/4 cup half and half over med-low heat until smooth.
• Stir in remaining half and half cream.
• Stir in the sweet peppers OR pimiento (if using), and Parmesan cheese; heat through, and mix.
• For the filling, in a large bowl, stir together 3/4 cup of the sauce (set the remaining sauce aside), the cooked chicken, broccoli, onion, salt and pepper.
• Using a small spoon, stuff each manicotti with about 1/4 cup of the filling.
• Place in the prepared baking dish.
• Bake, covered for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
• Place 2 manicotti on each serving plate, spoon sauce over the shells.
• NOTE:If desired, fresh minced garlic may be added to the cream sauce.

CHICKEN MANICOTTI WITH CHIVE CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook manicotti according to package directions and also cool manicotti shells according to package directions.
• Drain shells; rinse with cold water.
• Drain again.
• Meanwhile, for sauce, in small heavy saucepan melt cream cheese over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
• Slowly add milk, stirring until smooth.
• Stir in romano or parmesan cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• For filling, in a medium mixing bowl stir together 3/4 cup of sauce, the chicken, broccoli, red sweet peppers or pimento and pepper.
• Using a small spoon, carefully fill each manicotti shell with about 1/3 cup of filling.
• Arrange the filled shells in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
• Pour the remaining sauce over shells.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

CHICKEN MANICOTTI WITH WHITE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the sour cream, parsley, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken. In a small skillet, cook onion and mushrooms in butter until tender; add to chicken mixture. Stuff into manicotti shells., In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese just until melted. , Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce in each of 2 greased 11x7-in. dishes. Top with stuffed shells and remaining sauce. , Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.