Mexican Manicotti

bellacola's Note:

Very easy and delicious. It is similar to enchiladas, but still different. Needs to be started the night before you want to eat it. This can also be made with 1 lb. ground beef and 1 can of refried beans, but I have never made it that way.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 2 (16 ounce) cans fat-free refried beans
• 2 ½ teaspoons chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons oregano
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
• 1 (8 ounce) package manicotti
• 2 cups sour cream
• ½ cup shredded cheese
• ¼ cup sliced green onion
• sliced ripe olives (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Mix the refried beans with the chili and oregano.
2. Stuff manicotti shells with beans.
3. Place shells in a greased 13x9x2 casserole dish.
4. Combine water and salsa.
5. Pour water and salsa over shells; place in refrigerator overnight.
6. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
8. Uncover, top with sour cream, cheese, onions and olives.
9. Bake for five to ten minutes longer or until cheese melts.

Reviews

[Julie F]

This gets five stars from me because it is so wonderful to have dinner all made and ready to go! Just an hour in the oven and voila! This is a basic, simple recipe but I thought it was very good as well. I do agree with the previous reviewer that adding some spinach to the bean mixture might be good. We eat a lot of meat-free dishes, so my family is used to that, but nobody minded here. In fact, even my picky eater ate it without a complaint! I ended up stuffing the manicotti with my fingers. Might try piping it in next time. Meant to put some enchilada sauce over it before adding cheese and olives, but forgot. I will do that next time as well. Thank you for sharing this life saver of a recipe!

[takaiser99]

My fiance made this dish without any difficulty and he is an amateur while in the kitchen! I would definitely add some ground beef or turkey to the recipe though. Adding some vegetables (like spinach) to the mixture would also be a tasty addition.