Turkey Manicotti with Italian Veggies

from Sandi Richard - Fixin' Dinner

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Eggs/Dairy/recipe.html?dishid=6098

Ingredients

Easy Turkey Manicotti

• 1 pound (450g) ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Table Blend seasoning
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (384ml)
• 1/4 soup can 1% milk
• Cooking spray
• 8 ounces (250g) manicotti noodles
• 1 8 ounce tub 1% cottage cheese (250g)
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (700ml)
• 1/4 cup low-fat grated Parmesan cheese
• Aluminum foil

Italian Veggies

• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 red pepper
• 1 cucumber
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning
• 1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese.
•  

• Directions

  Easy Turkey Manicotti

  1. Brown ground turkey in a large nonstick frying pan or work at medium-high.
  2. Once meat is thoroughly cooked add: spice, soup and milk to pan, in that order.
  3. Mix well to combine and then remove from heat.
  4. Spray lasagna or cake pan with cooking spray.
  5. Spoon filling unto uncooked manicotti until ¾ full. When all shells are filled and in pan, spoon cottage cheese over top, then spoon sauce over top.
  6. Sprinkle on Parmesan and cover tightly with foil, shiny side down.
  7. Bake in oven, set timer for 50 minutes.
  8. When timer rings for manicotti, uncover.
  9. Grate cheese directly over top.
  10. Return to the pan to oven and set oven to broil.
  11. Watch it carefully as it only takes a couple of minutes to bubble up.

  Italian Veggies

  1. Chop celery, pepper and cucumber.
  2. Place veggies in medium size bowl.
  3. Add carrots.
  4. Toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and spice.
  5. Let stand in fridge.

  
  I love Sandi Richard's recipes.  I laugh when I read the recipes as she tells you exactly when you can go change out of your work clothes.  The recipes ARE as easy to prepare and she promises and most of the time my family finds them as tasty as her family rates them.  This was easy to prepare.  I LOVE how you didn't have to cook the manicotti before filling them!
  

  

  
  
   These were really good!  Even Mr Picky and Miss Almost Vegetarian ate theirs without complaint.  I start to wonder though...is this because they are getting used to trying my new recipes all the time or was it as yummy as we thought it was?

Husband of Cheerios and I both loved the Italian veggies too.

We would make both of these again but next time - we would put a little sauce at the bottom of the pan so that the pasta would cook just a bit more.  It was just a tad too chewy in spots.  :)