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Stuffed with all your favorite pizza toppings, Pizza Manicotti is a family-friendly meal that’s perfect for those busy back-to-school nights!
Growing up, I always looked forward to back to school. Shopping for clothes and school supplies and the idea of seeing all my friends on a regular basis had me counting down the days until the first day of school. Now, as a full-time working mother, I’m not as excited about it. Sure, I have a daughter starting kindergarten and one starting preschool, making this a major milestone year. But the shopping for clothes and school supplies has become a chore instead of a fun outing, and the knowledge that my already busy life is about to become even busier is more than a little daunting.
One thing that makes my busy weeknights a lot less crazy is making an easy and delicious meal my whole family will love. Many days, this is easier said than done. That’s why I often turn to my tried-and-true meals that are a snap to whip up. Two products that always save me on busy weeknights are Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup and Prego Italian Sauce, both of which I can easily find in the soup/spaghetti sauce aisle at my neighborhood Walmart.
We love Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup and it’s the ONLY kind we buy. I always get the 4-pack from Walmart to stock my pantry. I love that it’s easy to prepare and you can add your favorite garnishes to make it your own. One thing we enjoy eating as a family is pasta with Italian sauce. Prego Italian Sauce is simple to prepare and a great accompaniment to any noodles. Packed with the perfect balance of sweet and savory Italian flavors, the deliciously rich sauce tastes homemade and is definitely a pantry staple for me.
In fact, Prego Italian Sauce is the perfect sauce for my fun and family-friendly Pizza Manicotti. It’s an easy meal to prepare using these simple ingredients.
First, boil a pot of water and cook the manicotti for just 5 minutes to prevent them from getting too mushy when they bake later. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water when they’re done. Meanwhile, brown the Italian sausage and add the fresh veggies to saute in the pan.
Add the Italian seasoning, garlic, and pepperoni. Spread half of the Prego Italian Sauce on the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking pan. Add the mozzarella and cream cheese to the sausage mixture and then carefully fill each manicotti noodle with about 1/4 cup of the mixture. You can use a spoon or your hands.
Place the noodles on top of the Prego Italian Sauce in the baking pan.
Spread the rest of the sauce over the top of the noodles and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Ahhhh, delicious baked Pizza Manicotti stuffed with all your favorite pizza toppings. Those busy back-to-school nights just got a whole lot easier—and yummier!
What is your favorite way to enjoy Prego Italian Sauce? For more great ideas on how to make your weeknights easier with Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup and Prego Italian Sauce, as well as other family favorites like Pace Salsa and V8 + Energy, click here. Best part? You can save on all your favorite products with these great coupons.
- 24-oz jar Prego Italian Sauce
- 1 8-oz package (14 uncooked) manicotti noodles
- 1 lb. mild ground Italian sausage
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- ½ large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup sliced pepperoni, each sliced quartered (I put a bunch in a stack and cut them)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ Tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 oz (2 cups) shredded mozzarella
- 4 oz (1/2 cup) whipped or regular cream cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan
- Fresh snipped basil (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare manicotti according to package directions, but only cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown Italian sausage. Add bell peppers and onions and saute until vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Add pepperoni, garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Saute until heated through.
- Stir mozzarella and cream cheese into sausage mixture. (Note: the cheese will make it quite stringy. This is normal!)
- Spread half of the Prego Italian Sauce onto the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan.
- Stuff each manicotti with about ¼ cup sausage mixture. (I used my hands because it was easiest and helped prevent the noodles fro cracking)
- Place manicotti on top of sauce in pan. Spread remaining Prego Italian Sauce on top of the manicotti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Cover pan with foil and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Top with snipped basil and enjoy!
Sound delish had to make them. My mother always made stuffed meat manicottis for me on my birthday.
Yum! What a great birthday meal. Thanks for visiting, Donna!