Cheesy Beef-Stuffed Manicotti

Okay, let’s talk pasta—like, seriously cheesy, beefy, saucy pasta. Enter Cheesy Beef-Stuffed Manicotti, a total dinner game-changer. This dish is perfect when you’re craving something that’s comforting but feels a little fancy, without actually being difficult to make. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, a date night, or having the squad over, this one’s a crowd-pleaser. 👏

What Makes This Manicotti SO Good?

First of all, can we all agree that anything stuffed with cheese automatically wins at life? Add some savory ground beef into the mix and it’s next-level. We’re talking tender pasta shells filled with a crazy-good combo of seasoned beef, cottage cheese, and parmesan, all smothered in marinara and melty mozzarella. Yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds. The best part? It’s simple enough to whip up on a weeknight but impressive enough to make you feel like a total kitchen boss.

Why You’ll Love It:

1. It’s a flavor explosion: The beef is perfectly seasoned, the cheese is melty and gooey, and the marinara brings it all together.
2. It’s customizable: Not into beef? Swap it out for ground turkey or even mushrooms if you’re feeling a veggie vibe. The cheese game? Add more, add less, or switch up the types. You do you.
3. Leftovers for days: Trust me, you’ll want to make extra because this reheats like a dream.

Let’s Get Cooking!

Here’s the rundown. You cook the beef, mix it up with cottage cheese and some parmesan, stuff that into manicotti shells, cover it all with marinara sauce, top with mozzarella, and bake it until golden and bubbly. Easy, right?

Pro Tip: If you’re new to manicotti, stuffing the pasta can get a little messy—just embrace it. A piping bag (or even a plastic bag with the corner snipped off) makes things a lot easier.

Serve It Up

Once it’s out of the oven and looking like an Italian masterpiece, let it cool for just a minute (trust me, the bubbling cheese is like molten lava!). Then plate it up and serve with a side salad or some garlic bread for dipping in that extra sauce. It’s a whole vibe.

And if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to have a second helping. It’s one of those dishes that tastes just as amazing the next day (hello, leftovers for lunch!), and it’s a real hero when you need comfort food fast.

Wrap It Up

So, whether you’re making this for a cozy dinner in or sharing it with friends, Cheesy Beef-Stuffed Manicotti is basically your new favorite go-to. It’s simple, delicious, and honestly, one of those meals that just makes life a little bit better. I mean, who doesn’t love a plate of cheesy, beefy pasta goodness?

Give it a try, snap a pic (because you know it’s gonna be Insta-worthy), and let me know how it turns out! You’ll be craving this on repeat, I promise.

Cheesy Beef-Stuffed Manicotti Recipe

This dish is perfect when you’re craving something that’s comforting but feels a little fancy, without actually being difficult to make. Whether you’re cooking for yourself, a date night, or having the squad over, this one’s a crowd-pleaser.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 18- ounce package manicotti
• 16- ounce container cottage cheese
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 teaspoons parsley
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups marinara sauce such as Rao’s

Instructions

• Start by heating up a medium skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil, toss in the onion and ground beef, then season with salt and pepper. Sauté everything until the meat is browned and the onions are soft and translucent—this should take around 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set it aside to cool.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Next, prepare your baking dish by brushing it with 1 teaspoon of oil. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of salted boiling water, just until they start to soften but still have a firm bite, around 4 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta to the oiled baking sheet so it can cool down.
• In the meantime, mix the cottage cheese, 1 1/2 to 2 cups of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, and some dried parsley in a bowl. Add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Once the meat mixture has cooled, stir that into the cheesy mixture too.
• Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then, fill each manicotti shell with the cheese-meat mixture (A piping bag… or even a plastic baggie with a large section of the corner snipped off makes things a lot easier.) Place them in a single layer in the dish. Pour the remaining meat-cheese mixture, then the marinara over the top.
• Finish it off by sprinkling the remaining mozzarella (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the pasta. Dot the top with little pieces of butter. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until everything is heated through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
• Once it’s done, let it sit for 5 minutes, then dig in and serve!

Servings: 4