Make ahead Manicotti - Super Easy

What you need:

1 box Manicotti noodles
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, I used Prego
1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes, I used home canned crushed
1/2 carton of cottage cheese
1 carton ricotta cheese
1 egg
shredded cheese to taste any kind
1 teaspoon Parsley flakes - optional
Chili Powder to taste - optional

In a bowl combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, parsley flakes, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and egg.  Mix well.  In a bowl or pitcher combine spaghetti sauce, canned of diced tomatoes with liquid and chili powder to taste (I probably used 1 to 2 teaspoons) and stir.

Spray pans with a non-stick spray and pour about 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce mixture into the bottom and spread around.  With a spoon, fill the manicotti noodles UNCOOKED.  Line up in pans.  Spoon remaining filling around if there is any.  Pour the remaining sauce over top, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.  If you are freezing cover with plastic wrap and then foil and place in freezer.

To bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly.  Top with shredded cheese and put back in oven to melt.  Remove, let it set uncovered for 10 minutes and serve.  For this recipe to work it must sit at least 8 hours before baking.  To cook right away, you would need to cook the noodles before filling.

 I forgot to add the egg...I just noticed!  Still tasted great though :)

 Make sure to cover as much of the noodles as you can.  You should have plenty of sauce.  And of course you can use a homemade sauce.

I put two trays of 5 in the freezer for later and baked one tray with 4 the next evening.