Mexican Manicotti Enchilada Style Food

MEXICAN CHICKEN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Cook manicotti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, half of the onion and 6 tablespoons chilies. , In another bowl, combine the soup, salsa, milk and remaining onion and chilies. Spread 1/2 cup in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Drain manicotti and rinse in cold water; stuff each with about 1/4 cupful chicken mixture. Arrange over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells., Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

MEXICAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain well.
• In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in tomato paste, taco seasoning mix and water. Cook over medium heat 5 to 10 minutes until hot and bubbly.
• In medium bowl, mix cream cheese, egg, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, the chiles and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro. Spoon about 3 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pasta shell. Spoon about 1 cup beef mixture into baking dish; top with filled shells and remaining beef mixture.
• Cover; bake 40 to 45 minutes or until hot. Uncover; sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over shells. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

MEXICAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cup cheese and refried beans.
• Stuff uncooked pasta tubes with cheese mixture, pressing firmly into shells.
• Meanwhile, in microwave safe dish, combine water, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce.
• Microwave on HIGH until mixture is steaming hot (about 5-6 minutes).
• Pour about 1/2 the sauce into a 9x13 pan.
• Place uncooked stuffed tubes in pan, turning each to coat with sauce.
• Top with remaining sauce.
• Cover and bake at 375ºF for 20 minutes.
• Then turn shells over.
• Continue baking, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Uncover, top with remaining cheese.
• Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
• Dollop with sour cream and sprinkle with onions and olives.

MEXICAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the uncooked beef, beans, chili powder and oregano. Spoon into uncooked manicotti shells; arrange in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine water and picante sauce; pour over shells. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour. Uncover; spoon sour cream over the top. Sprinkle with cheese, onions and olives if desired. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

MEXICAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• 2. Soak manicotti in really hot water for 10-15 minutes. Drain well.
• 3. In a skillet, cook beef until browned. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté until translucent. Add tomato paste, enchilada sauce, taco seasoning mix and water. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add additional water if too thick. (Remember you will want a little extra moisture in the sauce because you need to finish cooking the noodles in the oven.)
• 4. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, egg, sour cream, 2 cups cheese, chilies, and 2 Tablespoons of cilantro. Spoon 1 cup of meat sauce mixture into the bottom of your 9x13 baking dish. Filling Pasta: Pipe about 3 Tablespoons of filling mixture into each pasta tube (we used a ziploc bag with the corner snipped). Place filled pasta onto sauce, repeat with remaining noodles. Pour remaining sauce mixture over noodles.
• 5. Cover pan with sprayed foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and additional toppings if desired!

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Snap the tops off of the dried chilies, and place in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the water, and place chilies into a food processor or blender with the garlic and salt. Puree until smooth. Press sauce through a strainer, and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Soak each tortilla in the sauce, then place in the hot oil. Turn over almost immediately, and fry for about 5 seconds on the other side. Remove to a plate that is lined with paper towels. The easiest way to do this is to fry the tortillas and stack them directly on top of each other until you have fried them all. This will keep the tortillas pliable until you are ready to fill them.
• Take one fried tortilla at a time, and fill with about 2 tablespoons of the queso fresco. Roll up, and place seam side down on a plate. Place three of these on each plate. Top in the following order: Start with a layer of sour cream, then a small handful of lettuce, three tomato slices, 2 more tablespoons of queso fresco, and finally, 1 tablespoon of green onions.

MICROWAVE MEXICAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• Grease a microwave-safe 9x12 inch baking dish, and set aside.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the beef until crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
• Mix together the cooked ground beef, refried beans, oregano, and cumin in a bowl. Spoon the mixture into uncooked manicotti shells, and place the filled shells into the baking dish. Combine the water and picante sauce in a bowl, and pour over the shells.
• Cover the dish with microwave-safe plastic wrap, cut a few holes in the wrap with a knife to vent, and microwave on High power for 10 minutes. Carefully pull back the plastic wrap to avoid steam, and turn the shells over with tongs. Replace the plastic and microwave an additional 15 to 20 minutes on Medium power, until the shells are cooked and the liquid has been absorbed.
• Pull off the plastic wrap, and spoon sour cream over the shells. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and chopped green onions for garnish.

MEXICAN MANICOTTI (ENCHILADA STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350.
• Brown turkey, jalapeno, and green pepper until turkey is cooked through.
• Meanwhile heat water and cook manicotti according to package directions. (I always make a couple extra noodles because one or two inevitably break.).
• Drain turkey (if needed). Add water and taco seasoning. Simmer for about five minutes.
• Remove from heat and add refried beans. Let cool, so you don't burn yourself when you stuff the noodles.
• Put a thin layer of enchilada sauce at the bottom of 13X9 pan.
• Stuff cooked noodles with turkey mixture and place in pan.
• Top with remaining enchilada sauce. Cook for 30 minutes.
• Top with cheese and cook another 15 minutes.
• I like to serve mine with some shredded lettuce and tomato.

MANILADAS WITH WHITE CHEESE AND ROASTED TOMATILLO SAUCES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Boil manicotti in salted water for 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water and set pasta aside.
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat and mix in chicken, tomatoes, cilantro and sour cream. Set aside.
• Place tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and garlic in a baking dish. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatillos turn golden around the edges and are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and blend ingredients together until smooth. Use reserved pasta water to thin sauce, if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To make the cheese sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add cheese and nutmeg and stir until melted. Season sauce with salt, to taste.
• To assemble: Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Stuff manicotti tubes with chicken mixture and assemble in a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over the top. Bake 30 minutes until cheese is bubbling. Drizzle tomatillo sauce on Maniladas before serving.

SALSA VERDE CHICKEN MEXICAN MANICOTTI

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl, mix ground chicken (uncooked), refried beans and 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey pepper jack cheese and taco seasoning until well blended. Fill uncooked manicotti shells with meat mixture using a butter knife or by gently pressing shell into the meat until the shell fills. Pour 1/4 of the green enchilada sauce into the bottom of a large baking dish. Lay shells in single layer on top of enchilada sauce. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti shells. Add 1 cup warm water around the edges of dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and top with more cheese if you like and return to oven until cheese melts. Top with sour cream, sliced black olives and salsa verde. Enjoy!