Recipes from the Twit Army Mess Hall - Manicotti

Meat Stuffed Manicotti:
Serves 3 - 4 depending on your appetite

Ingredients
14 manicotti
2 lbs italian style sausage (I've used turkey or pork, the choice is yours)
1 -2 onions, chopped (depends on how much you like onions)
2 eggs
1/4 c. italian style bread crumbs (if you don't have italian style use plain and add 2 tsp. dried parley & 1 tsp. of garlic powder)
1.5 c. shredded pecorino romano (NOT the stuff in the green cardboard tube)
3 c. of your favorite tomato sauce

Brown meat & onions until fully cooked. Place in strainer over sink & drain well. Let cool to room temperature (This is very important if you don't want the eggs to be cooked)

While the meat mixture is cooling mix the eggs, lightly beaten, with the bread crumbs and 1/2 c. of the cheese. Refrigerate.

After the meat is cooled cook the manicotti according to package directions and drain.

Mix the meat mixture with the eggs (this is why you have to let it cool, if you mix the eggs in while the meat is still hot they will cook immediately and you'll have scrambled eggs).

Stuff the manicotti (I use my fingers but if you're fastidious you can use a pastry bag).
Place 1/3 c. or so of the sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 foil pan (just enough to cover the bottom). Place the manicotti on the sauce in a single layer. If there is any of the stuffing mixture left over you can spread it over the top of the manicotti. Pour on the rest of the sauce and then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake in 350 oven for 35 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy.

N.B. You can make this dish in advance and do the final baking right before serving. Just let it return to room temperature before you bake it.
Unbaked, refrigerated storage time 1 - 2 weeks
Unbaked, frozen storage time: 2 months or so