Remember the manicotti trays that I used to store my pigments in the new storage cart? Here’s what I did with the actual pasta!

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package manicotti pasta
1 tub (16 ounces) ricotta cheese (Sargento)
1 bag (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella & parmesan cheese (Target’s Market Pantry)
1 bag (6 ounces) shredded Italian Six Cheese Blend (Target’s Market Pantry)
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup Italian Seasoning
Pinch of Garlic Powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, drain.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, about 4 ounces six cheese blend, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, sour cream, seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste; mix well.
In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spray dish with non-stick cooking spray and cover bottom of dish with a thin film of spaghetti sauce.
Fill each manicotti with cheese mixture and place in dish; cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of sauce.
Bake in preheated oven uncovered for 40 minutes.

A quick tip on filling the manicotti, fill a ziplock back with the filling, cut a small hole in one corner and pipe in the mixture. If it gets stuck, fill one end and fill the rest on the other end.

With Garlic & Herb Chicken Breasts and French Cut Green Beans, it was a hit!

I am a sucker for chicken tortilla soup and with the winter cold here, I am all about simple soups that I can make to keep me warm. This is one that even my picky Mini Me loves.

Super simple, and muy yummy!!

However, I have to make it my own and so my version is more like 5 cans and a pack of my fave boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I like dark meat.

• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1 (10 ounce) can chunk chicken (a package of chicken thighs)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
• Cumin
• Chili Powder

1. Season your chicken thighs (I prefer good ol’ Tony Chachere) and bake until fully cooked on 350 F. (or skip to step 2)

2. Open the cans of corn, chicken broth, black beans, and diced tomatoes with green chilies (and can of chicken).

3. Pour everything into a large saucepan or stock pot. Season to taste with cumin and chili powder.

4. Simmer over medium heat until it’s heated through. Usually about 20-30 minutes.

I top mine with shredded cheese, tortilla chips and sour cream.

Yum.