Spinach Manicotti

This is one of my favorite meals of all time - I got this recipe from Mo and thank her all the time :)  It's a little healthier than your typical manicotti - but sometimes it just doesn't matter since the normal manicotti tastes like HEAVEN!!  (and reminds me of The Lake since Palkerts have made that for "their meal" for probably the past 29 years....so I put that recipe below also!)  Anyways - either of these recipes is AWESOME!!

Ingredients:
2 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
14 uncooked manicotti shells
2 tablespoon Parmesan

Sauce:
1lb beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 (28oz can) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (8oz can) mushrooms stems and pieces, drained
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt

Cook beef, onion, garlic in 10in skillet until brown.  Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, parsley, salt, basil - breaking up tomatoes.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low and simmer 10 min.

Squeeze spinach to drain; spread on paper towel and pat dry.  Mix spinach, cottage cheese, 1/3 Parmesan, nutmeg, and pepper.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread 1/3 red sauce in ungreased 9x13 pan.  Fill uncooked shells with spinach mixture.  Place shells in pan - pour remaining sauce evenly over shells.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoon Parmesan.  Bake 1.5 hours or until shells are soft.

For Valentine's Day - my cutie hubby got me this magnetic board to hold my recipes!!  I put it right next to my stove, so while you are cooking you can still see the recipe!!  I love it - such a great idea!!