Chicken Manicotti With Chive Cream Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 12 packaged dry manicotti
• 1 (8 ounce) container soft cream cheese, with chives and onion (this is like the spreadable bagel cheese)
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup grated romano cheese or 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
• 3 1/2 ounces jars roasted red sweet peppers, drained and sliced or 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• paprika, to taste

Recipe

• 1 cook manicotti according to package directions and also cool manicotti shells according to package directions.
• 2 drain shells; rinse with cold water.
• 3 drain again.
• 4 meanwhile, for sauce, in small heavy saucepan melt cream cheese over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
• 5 slowly add milk, stirring until smooth.
• 6 stir in romano or parmesan cheese.
• 7 remove from heat.
• 8 for filling, in a medium mixing bowl stir together 3/4 cup of sauce, the chicken, broccoli, red sweet peppers or pimento and pepper.
• 9 using a small spoon, carefully fill each manicotti shell with about 1/3 cup of filling.
• 10 arrange the filled shells in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish.
• 11 pour the remaining sauce over shells.
• 12 sprinkle with paprika.
• 13 cover with foil.
• 14 bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through.