One of our traditions for holidays is to serve some type of Italian food….this year for Thanksgiving I made Manicotti…seriously only took me 30 minutes to make enough to feed 8-10 people…yes…it really is that easy….After assembling the Manicotti, I covered it with plastic wrap and placed it in the freezer.  Thanksgiving morning I will remove it from the freezer and let it sit on the counter to defrost, then bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, covered, for about 45 minutes.  Recipe and step by step instructions follow:

In the bowl of a food processor (or large mixing bowl), add the following:

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

Blend the crepe (manicotti) batter until well combined and transfer the mixture into a medium size mixing bowl.

In a large mixing bowl add the following:

3 lbs. Ricotta

2 cups shredded mozzerella

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup grated cheese

1 tsp. black pepper

Mix until well blended.  Preheat a 8″ or 9″ non-stick skittle over medium heat.  Spray pan with cooking spray and wipe dry.  Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with your favorite tomato sauce (or see my previous blog).

Using a 2 oz. ladle, pour the crepe batter into the center of the skillet and tilt the skillet until the batter is evenly distributed.  Cook until the crepe is dry to the touch, about 1 minute.  Use a spatula to remove the crepe from the pan.  Place the crepe on the counter and add 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture in the middle of the crepe.  Roll up and fold edges as indicated below.  Place the crepe over the sauce lined baking dish.  Continue until all the crepes are made.  Top the manicotti with 1 cup additional shredded cheese and top with more tomato sauce.