Spicy Chicken Tenders or Non-Spicy Chicken Tenders.....whichever you prefer

Simple, simple, simple......and yummy!  These were slightly spicy and delicious.



They are coated in a cornmeal crust with some cayenne pepper and chili powder mixed in, which resulted in a light and crunchy crust that I loved.  But I am a little biased, and am also a huge fan of cornmeal these days.  (Note: If you're feeding either a kid, or a picky eater, you can adjust the cayenne pepper to suit. I have made it one other time and I believe I put in half the cayenne pepper that the recipe calls for, without a complaint from the natives.)


And you bake them in the oven.  No frying mess. Yay!  I was sold immediately. I breaded them a couple hours ahead of dinner so they were all ready to just pop into the oven. Really. They can't be beat.


The honey mustard sauce that accompanies these is a must-have.  It is frighteningly simple to put together, the kick from the dijon was wonderful, and it looks pretty alongside.  Your friends will ask you where you got it....


These could be served as an appetizer, or as a main dish.  I served them alongside a vegetable parmesan, to satisfy those at the table who need a little something else with an all-veggie dish.  It did the trick.

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard Sauce
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 to 2 lbs of chicken tenders
Olive oil, for drizzling
Kosher salt

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a heavy baking sheet liberally with vegetable oil cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.

Breading:
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour and 1 tablespoon salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and hot sauce. In a third medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, chili powder and cayenne pepper.

Dredge the chicken in the flour and then into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off and coat the chicken in the cornmeal mixture.

Arrange the breaded chicken in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, to taste. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 15 to 17 minutes.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup Dijon or whole-grain mustard

Mix the two together until smooth. Set aside to serve with tenders when ready.

Balsamic and Brown Butter Ravioli

Has your life gone a little crazy? Mine has.



Do you barely have time to cook dinner, let alone time to sit down and eat it? Yup, me too.



Let me share a dinner with you that not only took about 15 minutes from start to finish to whip up, but looked very gourmet, and impressed the pants off of both my diners on an evening a while back.



Ravioli.....yum. Simple? Definitely.



Toast some walnuts up, melt some butter in a pan, add some balsamic, pour it over the cooked ravioli of your choice, and presto! Dinner in about 15 minutes or so. We had it with a simple side salad and some crusty bread and I couldn't have been happier. Thank you Giada. You've done it again.


Balsamic and Brown Butter Ravioli
adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

***you can easily dress this up with some mushrooms and onions and perhaps some parsley or basil......ahhhhhhh the possibilities.....

18 to 20 ounces store-bought ravioli, of your choice (2 packages depending on what brand you buy)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
1/4 cup grated Parmesan



Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain ravioli onto a large serving platter.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 3 minutes, turn off the heat. Let cool for about 1 minute. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter. Sprinkle walnuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve and eat immediately.

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake

It's been quite the hectic and crazy busy summer around here..... my oven hasn't seen too much action in the last several weeks....


Last week I found myself in desperate need of a piece of cake.


Something light, sweet, and easy to make.


Naturally, I turned to Giada.  Naturally. My obsession remains undiminished by the passage of time.....just in case you were wondering.


Cake therapy....if you will.


This was just what the doctor ordered... I think I'll have to make this therapy thing a regularly occurring habit.


I drizzled a simple orange flavored glaze over it.


And voila!  Simple.  Perfect.  Delicious.
Thank you Giada.  I needed that.



Ricotta Orange Pound Cake
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

Note:  I made a few major changes to this recipe.... the original has fresh fruit alongside it, and amaretto in the batter.  I didn't have any strawberries, and I have no amaretto in the house...so I simplified things a little.  A friend of mine made this cake for a cookout recently and used Cointreau instead of Amaretto, and it was also delish.  I think you would have to try pretty hard to screw it up....  You can find the original recipe on foodnetwork.com, or in 'Giada's Kitchen' listed by the same name.

1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese (I used an entire 15 oz container)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange, zested

4 tablespoons orange juice
2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan.  (I used an 11" x 7" x 1 1/2" stoneware baking dish, and the baking time was unaffected, but if you sub out baking pans, make sure you do the toothpick test for done-ness... I have messed up quite a few cakes due to my need to change the called-for pan for something else.)

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.


Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and orange zest, and mix until combined.

Add the dry ingredients, in three batches, until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mix orange juice and confectioners sugar to the consistency that you would like.  Feel free to add either less sugar or less orange juice to suit your liking... Add more juice if glaze is too thick.  Drizzle over cake and eat.

Pecorino and Bean Salad

You guys didn't think we eat all junk around here did you???  All desserts, all the time?


I hate to dispel the fantasy, but we do try to eat at least slightly healthy.... at least during the week.  The weekend is another story entirely.  But I digress.....

Edamame.  Ever had it?  I hadn't before this.


I've made this twice now.  Once for us, and the second time for a cookout.  Let me tell you, I am not and never have been a fan of bean salad.  This however I loved.


I think it's the chunks of pecorino that do it for me.  In fact, I think they make the entire salad.  I would add more than the recipe amount if I were you.  I did.


Pecorino and Bean Salad
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis and foodnetwork.com

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 cups (9 ounces) shelled edamame beans (they are in the 'organic' section of my grocery store and come frozen)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
5 ounces pecorino, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (roughly the same size as the beans)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

In a small, nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, but not brown, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rosemary. Set aside.

Combine the edamame beans, cannellini beans, cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper in a serving bowl. Add the garlic mixture and toss well until all the ingredients are coated.

Zucchini and Olive Flatbread

A simple dinner.




I'm a little fuzzy on the exact differences between 'flatbread' and 'pizza'.  This sucker sure seemed like 'pizza' to me.  Perhaps I did not roll it flat enough.  I challenge you to try rolling it any flatter.  I have come to the conclusion that pizza dough is definitely a challenge.....and provides quite the arm workout as well.


Aside from the rolling out of the dough, the rest was a breeze.  And hey, if you have kids to roll the pizza dough out for you..... just give them the dough and let 'em rip!  Mine wouldn't do it.  He's no fool.

Just look at that.  Olives, mozzarella cheese, pecorino romano.....and, and, zucchini.  One of my favorite veggies on the planet. 



Zucchini and Olive Flatbread
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 pound pizza dough
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus extra, for drizzling
1 large (8 ounce) zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1/8-inch slices (I used my mandolin slicer)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano leaves, divided
1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella
1 cup (2 1/2 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano
1/2 cup pitted sliced black olives

Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a roughly 12-inch circle.  This particular step might take a while..... I will say that it's much easier to do, in my experience, if you leave the dough to sit out at room temperature for an hour to an hour and a half before you attempt any rolling.  Trust me.  You don't want to whip it out of the fridge and start rolling it while it's cold.  You won't get very far.

With a pastry brush, brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over the dough. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over.

Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the dough. Drizzle the zucchini with oil.

Bake the dough for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges begin to brown.

Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of oregano, the cheeses, and the olives. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle the flatbread with the remaining oregano, cut into wedges and serve.

Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate

We had a birthday around here this past weekend.
 





And no birthday around here would be complete without a birthday cake....from Giada, of course.



Things were not going according to the recipe, or instructions, when I made this cake, so it is somewhat changed from it's original and intended form.  But no love lost here.  It was delicious.



A delicious coating of semisweet chocolate chips, orange zest and chopped hazelnuts.



All layered onto a mascarpone cheese icing.  I mixed a bunch of chopped hazelnuts into the icing as well.



Just look at that...... yum.



And oh my goodness..... mascarpone cheese.  Who knew it was so good.





Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

1 box chocolate cake mix (and any ingredients listed on cake mix box)
1 cup (about 4 1/2-ounces) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (split amongst chocolate mixture and icing)
2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast them until lightly browned.  Then, if they have skins on them, roll them in a hand towel immediately after removing them from the oven (while they are still hot) and rub them vigorously together and against each other in a vain attempt to get most of the skins off.  In my experience with hazelnuts, you will never, never, get all the skins off.  But hey, who said there was anything wrong with hazelnut skins?  Just get as much as you can off, and pop the rest into the mix with or without their skins.  I really don't think it will hurt anything.

Once you have most of the skins removed from those hazelnuts, pop 2/3 of them in a food processor and pulse away until they are the consistency that you would like.  I ground mine up fairly small.  My yahoo doesn't like nuts and I thought I could pull a fast one..... not.

Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake according to package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.  My cakes baked unevenly across the top and one side was higher than the other.  Don't be a fool like me.  When they cool, go ahead and cut the uneven part of the cake off with a large serrated knife BEFORE you start the whole icing process.  Trust me.  It just makes life easier if you do it that way.

Put the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the 2/3 of chopped hazelnuts into the whipped cream.

Place the chocolate, sugar, orange zest, and the remaining 1/3 hazelnuts in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate is ground to the consistency that you desire.  Once again, I ground mine fairly small, but still fairly coarse.

Put 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with 1-inch of the mascarpone and whipped cream crunch mixture. Top with the second layer of cake and continue frosting the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream crunch mixture. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the ground chocolate mixture. I gently pressed the chocolate 'crumb' mixture into the top of the cake so that it would remain in place.

Cut and serve.

Almond Blueberry Cookies

Yes, I realize that the cookies are literally blue.  I always manage to turn the batter blue when blueberries are involved.  There's just something about the instruction that always says something like '...gently fold blueberries into batter...'.  No matter.  They are just as delicious blue.

 

These cookies were sweet, but not too sweet.  Delightfully crunchy (if you ask me) and light.  They taste very much like the top part of a blueberry muffin.  Which is my favorite part of a blueberry muffin, or any muffin for that matter.



Almond Blueberry Cookies
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup whole milk (or heavy cream if you forgot to buy the milk)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoons lemon zest, about 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed and drained

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and beat to incorporate. Add milk, almond extract, and lemon zest.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the almonds, then the blueberries. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spoon cookie dough onto cookie sheet in equal portions of about 1 tablespoon. I like to use one of those handy dandy cookie scoops so they're all evenly sized, but I'm crazy like that.

Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey

I have something very important to tell you.....



Gorgonzola cheese, honey, and crunchy italian bread.......



they go together so wonderfully.

This is the simplest appetizer.  And for such a simple appetizer, it makes an elegant presentation. It'll be a hit.  I promise.

Bruschetta with Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey
Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

36 slices (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread, about 1 loaf
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gorgonzola, sliced
3 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the sliced baguette on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake until the bread is pale golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.

Arrange the cheese on the toasts and bake until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes.

Drizzle the toasts with honey. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cupcakes

These were a quick make last weekend.  My goal was to use up some stuff that was already in my pantry.  Giada's chocolate chip walnut cupcakes were the perfect solution for the brownie mix that had been hanging around in there with no purpose.  I do have a confession to make.  You can use any brownie mix on hand for this recipe, however, the brownie mix that I happened to have on hand was from The Barefoot Contessa.  Sacrilege, I know.  Using the Barefoot Contessa's brownies for a recipe from Giada.... my 13 year old suggested that it might be cause for arrest... 



What can I say... the mix of the two ladies' recipes was absolutely delicious.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cupcakes
Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

for the cupcakes:
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
1 (21-ounce) box brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge)
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water



 for the icing:
4 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar




Special equipment: 12 paper cupcake liners, a 12-cup muffin pan

For the cupcakes: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small bowl combine the walnuts, 1 cup mini chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of the brownie mix. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the remaining brownie mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Stir for 20 seconds until blended. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan (cupcake liners will be full).

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the cupcakes comes out with moist fudgy crumbs.

Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting, about 30 minutes.

For the frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cheeses together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add and beat the powdered sugar into the cheeses, one cup at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Refrigerate the frosting until ready to use.

Spread the frosting on top of the cupcakes.  Eat one, or two, or perhaps half a dozen....

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

I know I say this every time, but you really should make these.



They have a chewy sugar cookie base... with chocolate toffee bar chunks mixed in there too...



and a creamy, chocolatey, decadent, top layer, sprinkled with the rest of the chocolate toffee pieces and roasted almond slices..... am I in heaven?



Oh my goodness.......

They are very, very decadent and rich. I would compare them to brownies. I cut them into small pieces because they were so very rich, and I stored them in the refrigerator because the chocolate/mascarpone layer got a little melty when left out at room temperature. I personally thought they were better served chilled, straight out of the fridge. Perfect for that late night chocolate craving...

Warning: I had some trouble with the pan that she is recommending for baking these. I did not have this particular size pan, nor did many people who commented on the recipe on foodnetwork.com. I used my stoneware 7 1/2" x 11 1/2" shallow baking dish. Many people who reviewed the recipe complained that her baking time was not near enough to bake the cookie layer completely through. I agree. 12 minutes was a joke. The cookie dough was practically raw. I believe that I put the pan back in the oven for another 8 or so minutes, but it will depend on what size pan you're using, and also I assume on whether the pan is metal, glass, stoneware, etc as well. I kept a really close eye on the pan after about 15 minutes and checked on it in 3-4 minute intervals until the top was a golden brown and looked done. Then do the whole toothpick maneuver to make sure. It's just sugar cookie dough, not rocket science people..... wing it.

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com

Vegetable cooking spray
1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough (recommended: Pillsbury)
2 (1.4-ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped, divided (Skor or Heath)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted * see Cook's Note

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.

Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.

Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.

*Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Stuffed Shells

Whether you have company coming over and want to make something fabulous, or are just craving a creamy, cheesy, pasta dinner, this dish will not disappoint.





Despite it's look, it was simple to put together and it was delicious.



Shells, stuffed with a mixture of swiss chard, peas and cheese.....all covered in a decadent creamy fontina cheese sauce....... it was heaven. At least it was for me last night.



The original recipe calls for manicotti, which I'm sure make for a very elegant presentation, but stuffing manicotti shells in the past has resulted in a huge mess and a very frustrated cook. So I used jumbo shells instead. They are a snap to fill, and make every bit as beautiful a presentation if you ask me. The filling only carried me through about 20 shells or so, so you may want to save the rest of the uncooked shells for another meal... I'm not sure exactly how many are in a box.
Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Stuffed Shells
recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis and foodnetwork.com
the recipe can also be found in 'Giada's Kitchen'.

Butter, for greasing the pan
approximately 20-24 jumbo sized pasta shells (I cooked the whole box, but only used about half. The filling might take you further if you don't fill the shells as full as I did, but I recommend that you stuff them generously.)

for the filling:
1 bunch of either red or white Swiss chard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
1 cup shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

for the fontina fonduta sauce:
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups (6 ounces) fontina cheese, grated
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) mozzarella, shredded

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish liberally with butter.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring milk and cream to a simmer, over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Add the fontina cheese and cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and basil.

Using a knife, remove the leaves from the stems of the chard. Discard the stems. Chop the leaves into 1-inch pieces. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the chard and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Place the ricotta cheese, peas, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cooled chard mixture and blend until smooth. Spoon some of the cheese sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Just enough to provide a layer between the shells and the bottom of the pan. Spoon the filling mixture into each jumbo shell, and place the stuffed shells in the prepared baking dish.

Pour the sauce over the stuffed manicotti and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.