best ever meat manicotti

This dinner was SO delicious and I was shocked that the original recipe I doctored up had  such a funny secret ingredient- APRICOT PRESERVES!!  Love my new super secret weapon!

The other cool thing about this recipe is that you don't cook the manicotti first.  You stuff the shells straight out of their package.  You will need TWO (2) packages for a total of 1 lb / 16 oz of manicotti

TO 1 1/2 lbs of ground chuck add:

1 onion- crushed in a food processor

2 eggs

1/3 C seasoned bread crumbs

2 T ketchup 

1 T apricot preserves

salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste (a few shakes of each)

1. mix all ingredients in a bowl then add meat LAST

2. combine until just mixed- do not overmix!

3. Gently stuff the raw manicotti, I wear gloves to do this.  really stuff them well.  I promise there will be enough meat.

4. place in a large baking pan

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 C marinara sauce

3/4 C water (DO NOT OMIT THIS! NEEDED TO COOK PASTA)

1 6oz can tomato paste

3 heaping tablespoons apricot preserves

2 t lemon juice (2 squirts)

1 1/2 t garlic powder

combine in a small bowl and then pour atop the manicotti.

bake covered 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  If your significant other or whoever shares this with you is coming home late add some more water and keep it in the oven at 200 till they get home.  Yeah Ali, it is in the oven now on low... story of my day...