Pic Credit: wendypolisi.com
Chicken and spinach manicotti is an Italian Cuisine that combines tender pasta shells filled with a creamy mixture of chicken, spinach, and cheese.
It is a suitable dish to be taken during a parent’s dinner or any other occasions that involves the entire family including the young ones since its taste is splendid
From this recipe, you will be able to follow through the entire process of cooking, whether you are an experienced cook or one who just opened a cookbook for the first time.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
- 12 pieces manicotti shells
- 500 grams cooked chicken breast, shredded
- 250 grams fresh spinach, chopped
- 400 grams ricotta cheese
- 200 grams mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 100 grams Parmesan cheese, grated
- 500 ml Alfredo sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
MEASURES & PRECAUTIONS
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Choose quality spinach, which has not been frozen as well as good quality cheese to be used in preparing your chicken and spinach manicotti. When cooked the ingredients make a lot of difference to make the dish enjoyable.
- Avoid Overcooking Manicotti Shells: In case you decide to partially cook your manicotti shells then it should be boiled until they tender but firm. Overcooking can lead to mushy pasta that may break apart during stuffing or baking.
- Drain Spinach Properly: In case of the frozen spinach, try to thaw it fully and squeeze out as much moisture as you can. Too much water can lead to making the filling too wet and therefore improperly cooked food.
- Check for Allergies: For any of your guest that may have certain dietary requirements always have a close look at issues to do with dairy or gluten. Substitute the ingredients as necessary so that everyone has something they can take during the meal.
Chicken & Spinach Manicotti Recipe
INGREDIENTS NOTES
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Chicken Variations: For added ease, you can get shreddued chicken from your local grocery store’s rotisserie section or the chicken you have cooked before that is still in stock at the back of your fridge. This way not only saves time, and effort but also bring some taste to the dish.
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Spinach Options: Nevertheless, using frozen chopped spinach makes the process easier, fresh spinach may also be used. If fresh, sauté briefly and wilting then chop and allow the liquid to drain.
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Cheese Choices: To get the best taste possible make sure to use full-fat ricotta cheese alongside freshly grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Some cheeses sold pre-shredded contain anti-caking agents that can hinder melting, says the researcher.
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Alfredo Sauce Alternatives: While getting the Alfredo sauce from the store is easy, preparing your own sauce makes a huge difference to the meal. If you have the time it is always much better to make it yourself from scratch to achieve the perfect taste.
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Herb Substitutes: More items like fresh basil, parsley can also be used in order enhance the taste of the food and as decoration. Dried herbs are also used; remember though that when using dried herbs they are much stronger than fresh herbs.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat Your Oven: Starting with, you need to warm up your oven to 180°C (350°F) for regular sized cupcakes. This allows the oven to be hot at the right time you want to bake your manicotti for dinner.
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Prepare the Filling: Add cooked chicken, ricotta cheese, chopped spinach if you used fresh one, but if you used frozen spinach make sure to squeeze the liquid out, ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Add all ingredients and stir simultaneously until all have been incorporated into the mixture well.
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Fill the Manicotti Shells: Spoon or pipe the filling mixture into the shells by placing a spoonful or cutting the corner of a plastic bag to a point and squeezing filling into odd center of manicotti shells. Ensure that there is no breaking of the shells as you fill each shell from one end, right to the other end.
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Prepare the Baking Dish: Pour a little of the Alfredo sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish to help prevent sticking and enhance the tastes.
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Arrange the Manicotti: Arrange the manicotti filled with the ricotta cheese mixture onto one layer over the baking dish. You should pour more Alfredo sauce over the shell bodies such that they are coated with it uniformly.
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Top with Cheese: Final layering at the end is to go over the manicotti with the remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
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Bake: Place the baking dish with the food in the pre-heated-oven and let it cook for about 20 minutes while covered by the aluminum foil. Then take of the foil and continue to bake the dish for another 10-15 minutes until the dish is bubbly and lightly brown on top.
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Rest Before Serving: Afterwards, transfer it back to bench and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes to help with easier slicing and for the food to fully absorb all flavors.
RECIPE TIPS & VARIATIONS
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Add Extra Vegetables: Trying substituting other vegetables, such as mushrooms or bell peppers, into the filling for increased nutrition and flavor.
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Spice It Up: If you like food with a little spice kick to it, add some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the meat mixture.
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Make It Lighter: For persons who are particular about their foods needing to be ‘Healthy’ they can substitute low-fat cheese options or use whole wheat manicotti shells to create a healthier version of this dish without sacrificing taste.
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Freezer-Friendly Option: It is recommended to make and freeze manicotti before baking; should make more manicotti than required and bake it using above revealed steps; bake from frozen manicotti will take little more time.
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Garnish Creatively: Finely chop and sprinkle on top further ingredients such as basil or parsley right before serving to increase beauty and freshness.
EQUIPMENT
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Large skillet
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Mixing bowl
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Baking dish
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Spoon or piping bag
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Aluminum foil
Note
SERVING TIPS 💡
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Serve hot directly from the oven for optimal taste; this dish is best enjoyed warm when all cheeses are melted and gooey.
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Pair with a crisp garden salad dressed lightly with vinaigrette to balance out the richness of the manicotti.
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Offer crusty garlic bread on the side; it complements this dish beautifully and makes for a complete meal experience.
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Allow guests to sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes at their discretion for those who enjoy spicy flavors in their dishes.
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For an elegant touch, consider drizzling balsamic reduction over each serving plate before placing manicotti on top; this adds both flavor and visual appeal.
If you're looking for a quick and flavorful meal, check out this easy Dave's Hot Chicken recipe.
