Chicken Soup for the Body and Soul

4

I recently came down with both the flu and strep throat. Needless to say, making dinner was not on my to-do list. Mommies cannot get sick because the house falls apart,even with a superhero hubby like mine; things just arenโ€™t the same if I am bedridden.Thankfully, I had some amazing friends come to our rescue by providing great meals. Iย actually wept when these women texted me stating that they wanted to help us in someย way. I just have the flu, itโ€™s not like we canโ€™t dump something out of a can and heat it inย the microwave. Besides, the last thing I wanted was for anyone to trouble themselves,ย especially women who have their own kids and families to care for. But these specialย friends understand that nothing heals the soul and brings comfort quite like a homeย cooked meal. I could rest better knowing that my husband and son were eating somethingย healthier than hot dogs. My husband didnโ€™t have to worry about prepping food whichย freed him up to just play with our son and take care of his ailing bride.

The following recipe is one of the meals we were blessed with and it was delicious. Iย especially love the way it โ€˜sneaksโ€™ in spinach so my 14 month old even ate it! My friendย assures me that it is also super easy to make so I hope you try it and enjoy it as much asย we did!

Cheesy Spinach Manicotti

2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (16oz) carton fat free cottage cheese
1 (10oz) packaged frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry)
ยผ cup shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1 ยฝ tsp. oregano
ยผ tsp. salt
ยผ tsp. pepper
1 package of manicotti (14 shells)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 cup of water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine 1 ยฝ cups mozzarella, cottage cheese, spinach, parmesan cheese, oregano, salt
and pepper in medium bowl.
Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into each uncooked manicotti. Pour half
of pasta sauce into a 9×13 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Arrange shells in a single layer over sauce and top with remaining sauce. Pour 1 cup of
water into dish.
Sprinkle remaining ยฝ cup of mozzarella over sauce.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour or until shells are tender.

********************************************************************************************* ย Steph is a small town girl living the big city life with her superhero hubby of nearly 6 years, Scott and their superhero- in-training son, Weston who is 14 months old. ย  When she isn’t chasing her son away from electrical outlets she loves to throw theme parties, write notes to her friends, read, travel and cook. ย She is obsessed with taking pictures but has yet to complete her son’s baby album because she loves hanging out at antique stores and barn sales on weekends.

 

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