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This easy manicotti recipe with meat makes delicious ground beef and cheese stuffed manicotti baked in a savory pasta sauce. A family favorite perfect for a simple weeknight meal!
Ground Beef and Cheese Manicotti
I have been making this easy recipe for manicotti ever since my daughter requested it for her 5th birthday. That was more than a few years ago, but she still loves protein-packed meals. And this easy dinner has become one of our favorite family recipes!
I like to bake the whole package of manicotti shells so that we have plenty of leftovers — one batch for dinner tonight and another for later in the week. It’s a great make-ahead meal! You can also freeze baked manicotti for a later date. If you love easy pasta recipes, try my shells and beef or easy pizza pasta bake, or crock pot chicken pasta next!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s what you need to make this baked pasta dish. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Onion — yellow or white, for the meat filling
- Ground beef — look for lean ground beef. You can also sub Italian sausage or ground turkey.
- Manicotti pasta — These usually come in packages of 12 or 14.
- Ricotta cheese — I like the texture of whole milk ricotta as it is richer and creamier than the part skim variety. You can use either, though.
- Mozzarella cheese — for the filling and topping
- Parmesan cheese — for topping and the filling. I like to grate my own.
- Marinara sauce — either store bought or homemade
- Seasonings — sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. You will need to season both the meat and the cheese filling. Add a dash of red pepper flakes if you like more heat.
- Olive oil — for frying the onion and to coat the baking dish
How to Make Manicotti with Meat
First, you cook the meat and onion in a large skillet and set aside to cool. Next, mix the cheeses until well combined. Cook the pasta shells in boiling water and set aside to cool. Combine the meat and cheese, and use a piping bag to pipe the filling into the pasta tubes. A ziplock bag also works. Place the filled pasta into a baking dish, top with marinara sauce and shredded cheese, and bake until heated through and bubbling.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty pasta dish with a green salad and garlic bread or crusty bread. We sometimes add a side of steamed broccoli or green beans instead of salad.
Storage
Store leftover manicotti in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can reheat smaller portions in your microwave or heat in the baking dish in your oven. Freeze manicotti for up to 3 months — just allow to thaw in the fridge before baking.
Recipe Tips
You can make a whole package of manicotti in an extra large casserole dish or 2 smaller 9×13 pans. The recipe remains the same.
Don’t cook manicotti noodles too long. 3-4 minutes is all it takes, as they are easier to fill when firm and will finish cooking in the oven.
Easy Manicotti Recipe with Meat
Ingredients
Meat
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Cheese
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pasta
- 8 oz manicotti pasta 14 pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or non stick spray
- 28 oz jar marinara sauce I use Rao's
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the onion in 1 tbsp olive oil until soft
- Add the ground beef, and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with a spatula as you go. Drain grease if necessary
- Season with sea salt, 1 tsp garlic powder and black pepper, and set aside to cool
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp garlic powder and Italian seasoning until combined
- Stir cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook the manicotti noodles for 3-4 minutes or until they just start to soften. Drain with a slotted spoon, and remove to a large baking sheet sprayed with non stick cooking spray or olive oil to cool
- Preheat oven to 350℉, and brush 1 tbsp olive oil in a large baking dish
- Spoon about half of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish
- Stuff the manicotti with the filling mixture, and place in the baking dish in a single layer
- Spoon remaining sauce on top of the manicotti, and sprinkle with 2 cups mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese
- Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling, pasta is heated through and cheese is melted
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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