Spinach Chicken Manicotti Recipe

Spinach Chicken Manicotti Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Pepper and nutmeg spice up the rich sauce in this hearty pasta dish from Amy Luce of Mansfield, Texas. “I made this for my husband on our first Valentine’s Day when we were dating,” she says. “It was a big success.”

This recipe is:

Diabetic Friendly

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Spinach Chicken Manicotti Recipe

Prep: 1 hour Bake: 35 min.

Yield: 6 Servings

60 35 95

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 cup diced fully cooked lean ham
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash ground nutmeg
12 uncooked manicotti shells
SAUCE:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a small skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. In a large bowl, combine the onion mixture, chicken, spinach, ham, cheese, egg whites, basil, pepper and nutmeg; set aside.
Cook manicotti shells according to package directions. Meanwhile, for sauce, combine flour and broth in a large saucepan until smooth; gradually stir in the milk, salt, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Spoon 1 cup into chicken mixture. Add cheese to remaining sauce.
Spread 1 cup sauce into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain shells; stuff with chicken mixture. Arrange over sauce. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Cover and bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Analysis: 2 manicotti equals 372 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 58 mg cholesterol, 866 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 35 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Originally published as Spinach Chicken Manicotti in Taste of Home August/September 2005, p52