This easy no-boil cheese manicotti with meat recipe makes the most delicious, cheesy and comforting baked manicotti loaded with ground sausage and 3 types of Italian cheese!
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and a large bowl.
In the bowl, combine the ground meat, ricotta cheese, shaved onion, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic, and 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese. (Reserve 1 cup of cheese for later.) Mix the filling by hand until very smooth.
Pour half the jar of marinara sauce into the baking dish. To the remaining sauce add 1 ¼ cups of water and shake the jar vigorously.
Gently press the meat filling into the dried manicotti shells. Make sure they are stuffed all the way through. Lay each shell in the baking dish. Press them down into the sauce so there's a little sauce between each shell, so they are not touching.
Once all the shells are stuffed and pressed into the baking dish, pour the remaining watery sauce over the top.
Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Then remove the foil from the pan and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese over the top of the manicotti. Place the pan back in the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the pan and the cheese is melted. Serve hot!
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Notes
This manicotti can be made ahead and refrigerated to bake the next day or even frozen for later baking. Just make sure to thaw it completely before baking when ready to serve.Leftover manicotti with meat will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let the pasta cool completely before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating.To freeze: Whether unbaked or baked, the dish should be tightly wrapped in layers of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Keep manicotti in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before covering with a fresh layer of foil and baking.