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Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe

By: Author Miranda

Posted on Last updated:

I used to have an ‘easy cheaters’ version of Manicotti but the cheese sticks just never melted well so I quit making it after awhile. Well, a few months ago, I found a new Cheesy Beef Manicotti recipe that sounded fantastic so I thought I’d give it a try. I’M SO GLAD I DID! Everyone gave it rave reviews. So I’m finally getting around to sharing it because this recipe is a must try.

Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 package manicotti noodles (uncooked)
  • 1 (8 ounce) block mozzarella cheese
  • 1 (8 ounce) block colby jack (or fiesta blend) cheese
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 1 jar Prego roasted garlic parmesan Alfredo sauce
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tablespoon ‘jarlic’ (or fresh garlic if you prefer)
  • seasonings for ground beef (garlic salt, onion salt, seasoning salt, pepper)
  • Italian seasoning

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray a 9×12 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet along with the 1 onion diced, 1 tablespoon ‘jarlic’, and your preferred seasonings. I use garlic salt, onion salt, seasoning salt, and pepper. Drain grease once fully cooked.
  4. Place manicotti noodles in the bottom of cake pan.
  5. Take the block of mozzarella cheese and slice it into about 1/2″ ‘slivers’ and then halve. (Should be a skinny rectangle shape.) Place one piece of cheese inside of each manicotti noodle and set back in pan.
  6. Pour 1 jar of marinara sauce over noodles, completely covering.
  7. Top with the cooked ground beef, covering evenly.
  8. Pour 1 jar of Prego roasted garlic parmesan Alfredo sauce over the top of the ground beef.
  9. Shred your block of colby jack (or fiesta blend) cheese and sprinkle an even layer over the top of the Alfredo sauce.
  10. Cover with foil or lid.
  11. Bake for 35 minutes.
  12. Uncover.
  13. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the noodles are soft and the cheese is soft, bubbly, and slightly browning.
  14. Enjoy!

***Tastes great served with breadsticks and steamed veggies!
***Pro tip: While you CAN substitute pre-shredded cheese instead of the block of colby jack (or fiesta blend), I HIGHLY suggest shredding your own. The flavors are so much fresher and it melts WAY better!

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Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.

Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe

Yield: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 package manicotti noodles (uncooked)
  • 1 (8 ounce) block mozzarella cheese
  • 1 (8 ounce) block colby jack (or fiesta blend) cheese
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 1 jar Prego roasted garlic parmesan Alfredo sauce
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tablespoon 'jarlic' (or fresh garlic if you prefer)
  • seasonings for ground beef (garlic salt, onion salt, seasoning salt, pepper)
  • Italian seasoning

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    2. Spray a 9x12 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
    3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet along with the 1 onion diced, 1 tablespoon 'jarlic', and your preferred seasonings. I use garlic salt, onion salt, seasoning salt, and pepper. Drain grease once fully cooked.
    4. Place manicotti noodles in the bottom of cake pan.
    5. Take the block of mozzarella cheese and slice it into about 1/2" 'slivers' and then halve. (Should be a skinny rectangle shape.)
    6. Place one piece of cheese inside of each manicotti noodle and set back in pan.
    7. Pour 1 jar of marinara sauce over noodles, completely covering.
    8. Top with the cooked ground beef, covering evenly.
    9. Pour 1 jar of Prego roasted garlic parmesan Alfredo sauce over the top of the ground beef.
    10. Shred your block of colby jack (or fiesta blend) cheese and sprinkle an even layer over the top of the Alfredo sauce.
    11. Cover with foil or lid.
    12. Bake for 35 minutes.
    13. Uncover.
    14. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the noodles are soft and the cheese is soft, bubbly, and slightly browning.
    15. Enjoy!

Notes

***You can substitute shredded rotisserie chicken in place of ground beef if you'd prefer.

***Bagged shredded cheese can be used in place of shredding your own. (BUT shredding your own gives a fresher flavor and melts better.)

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 396mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 29g

These nutritional facts are offered only as an estimate and could vary slightly.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Janessa Solem

Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
The block of cheese should be cut into the exact number of noodles you have. The ‘slivers’ slide easily into the uncooked noodles.
Noodles in pan. Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
Once each noodle is filled, they easily fit into a 9×12 cake pan.
Noodles covered in sauce. Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
Pour the entire jar of marinara sauce evenly over the uncooked noodles.
Ground beef over sauce. Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
The ground beef should be evenly sprinkled over the top of the marina sauce. ***You could also substitute the ground beef for shredded rotisserie chicken if you prefer.
Alfredo sauce spread over top. Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
The Alfredo sauce should be spread evenly over the layer of meat.
Block of cheese with grater. Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
This is where some magic happens. YES, you can use a bag of shredded cheese if you prefer. But I highly suggest you just TRY shredding your own at least once! The flavor is so much fresher and the cheese melts better too.
Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
I do use the entire 8 ounce block of cheese but you can definitely cut back a little if you prefer less cheese.
Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe.
The results are SO GOOD! This dish is a winner!

Did you try this Cheesy Beef Manicotti Recipe? If so, what did your family think!?

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Antoinette M

Thursday 18th of September 2025

I had the same problem with the cheese sticks not melting. I do like this recipe!

Kristie

Wednesday 20th of August 2025

I love manicotti but usually use shells because they are way easier to fill. I agree about shredding your own cheese.

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