Mexican Manicotti Casserole

You know us and Mexican food. Any way to fix, have it, eat it...we are all over it. This was SO yummy! Kinda like enchiladas...kinda not. Kinda like Mexican...kinda like Italian....it was Mexitalian!! We had ZERO leftovers of this dish which is always kind of a bummer for me and IT Guy. While I'm cleaning up the kitchen from dinner, I enjoy having some leftovers to prepare for IT Guy's lunch the next day. I'm not sure who's more disappointed...him or me. Him, because if it's something he really likes and there's no leftovers, he doesn't get to enjoy it again...or me, because it's so easy to throw the leftovers in a plastic container and be done. Oh well...this dish was so simple to prepare, we'll do it another day and have leftovers THEN. As long as I keep it on the down-low.



Mexican Manicotti Casserole

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion - diced
• 1/2 of a 16 oz can (1 cup) refried beans
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 8 manicotti shells
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup water
• 1 8 oz carton sour cream
• 1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
• 1 cup cheese

Saute onions until tender then add the ground beef and cook until beef is done. Add refried beans, oregano and cumin. Mix well then spoon into the manicotti shells.

Arrange stuffed shells into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Combine salsa and water and pour over shells.

Sprinkle cheese and olives over the top of the salsa. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes until shells are soft and casserole is bubbly.

Serve with extra salsa and sour cream

The line-up of ingredients. You could 

even throw in a can of diced green chilies.

Brown the onion and ground beef until done. 

Then throw in half a can of refried beans, 

some sour cream, cumin, oregano and salt & pepper. 

 Stir that up until it's nice and combined. This is 

where you'd add the green chilies if you were using them.

Combine the water and salsa.

Stuff the UNCOOKED manicotti shells 

with the meat mixture. How do you like 

the nice and neat job I did with that? Not.

Then pour the salsa/water 

mixture over the stuffed shells.

Sprinkle with grated cheese 

and olives. Cover and bake for 

30 minutes or so until hot and bubbly.

Serve with extra sour cream and salsa!!!