Homemade Cheese Manicotti

Better than any I have ever bought in restaurant or store

What you need:

1 small container ricotta cheese

4 oz cream cheese

1 small container pesto

1 cup italian blend shredded cheese

1 box manicotti noodles

1 jar alfredo sauce (or marinara sauce if you like it better)

What you do:

1. Boil you manicotti noodles until they are half way done or so (bendable without breaking but still firm)

2. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, pesto, and most (hold out a small sprinkle handful) of shredded cheese

3. Pour some of the alfredo sauce in a cassarole dish (or in bottom of crockpot if going that route)

4. Drain noodles

5. Stuff noodles with cheese mixture and lay in alfredo sauce

6. Cover with remaining alfredo sauce and small sprinkle handful of shredded cheese from earlier

7. Bake in oven at 375* for 20-30 minutes (until top starts to brown)

     or cook in crock pot on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 1-2 hours until sides start to brown and sauce 

     is bubbly

Healthy options:

1. Forget the cream cheese, use skim milk ricotta cheese, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese (you wont taste a difference but it takes more to fill the noodles)

2. add veggies (I don't think I need to list them again lol)

3. marinara sauce instead of alfredo sauce (alfredo does taste better)

4. whole wheat noodles instead of regular ones

5. Forget the noodles all together and mix veggies and make a casserole (crockpot casserole) with the shredded cheeses, pesto and veggies (the pesto makes things taste unbelievably delicious)