Mexican Manicotti

It's Friday and I am officially kid-free for the entire weekend! Of course the first thing I did was get this house cleaned up, it feels good knowing that it should stay fairly clean for more than an hour.

Yesterday we picked up our first CSA produce box. I have been anxiously waiting for this to start, it's been such a wet spring here in Iowa that our farmers have been spending lots of time trying to play catch up. Fields are still pretty wet and they are just now starting to get many crops planted and even re-planting those that have been lost due to all the rain. Nevertheless our first week is not as exciting as others will be but I'm still looking forward to using all of our goodies. I'll be honest, there are a few things we have never tried before but that's what's makes it fun!

I made this for lunch a couple days ago, our evenings have been so busy with softball and other activities that I don't always have much time to create new recipes. I don't think the kiddos minded, in fact everyone ate really well. It's sort of a taco/burrito meets pasta dish. One that most anyone would enjoy! Leftovers are delicious as well. I am not a fan of leftovers so that should say a lot right there.

Mexican Manicotti

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package manicotti shells
16 oz. can refried beans (or homemade)
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups salsa
1/3-1/2 cup water
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large skillet. Rinse and drain. Add refried beans and seasonings to ground beef and mix together well.

Lightly grease a large casserole dish. Fill each cooked shell with meat/bean mixture. Place filled shells in casserole dish. Top with salsa and sprinkle with cheese. Add just a little bit of water along sides of pan, to eliminate the pasta drying out. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and shells are heated through.

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Well the hubby and I are off to the movies soon. We've got a few things planned out for the weekend but it's going to be great just to relax a bit and enjoy some peace and quiet. I'll be ready for the girls to be home come Sunday though! Enjoy your weekend.