Ground Chicken And Spinach Cannelloni Recipes

SPINACH & RICOTTA CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Put the spinach and a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the nutmeg, season with sea salt and black pepper, cover and leave to sweat. Help the kids to stir it occasionally until the spinach has cooked down. Place in a bowl and set to one side to cool a little.
• Dice the onion and squash the garlic. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and gently sweat the onion until soft.
• Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands and add the garlic and bay leaf. Pick in a few basil leaves and grate in the zest of the lemon half, then let it gently simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
• Have the kids squeeze the moisture out of the spinach into the bowl. Place the spinach on a board so you can chop it up. Return the spinach to the liquid in the bowl.
• Beat the egg and grate 2 teaspoons of Parmesan cheese. Get the kids to stir the ricotta, egg and Parmesan into the spinach. Season to taste.
• Sit a piping bag in a jug, fold its edges over the rim, then spoon in the spinach mixture. Have the kids help pipe the mixture into the cannelloni tubes and lay them in a 20cm x 25cm oven dish.
• Spread the tomato sauce over the cannelloni. Pick the remaining basil leaves and scatter most of them over the tomato sauce. Slice the mozzarella and lay the slices on top, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and season.
• Place in the oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes or till the top is golden and the pasta tender (if the top browns too fast, cover the dish with foil). Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving with the remaining basil leaves.

CHICKEN CANNELLONI

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion, peppers, garlic, celery and mushrooms in oil until onion is tender. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes., Meanwhile, pound chicken breasts to 1/4-in. thickness. Combine ricotta cheese, green onions, Parmesan, parsley, pepper and remaining Italian seasoning; divide evenly and spoon on top of chicken breasts. Roll up; place seam side down in an 8-in. square baking dish. Spoon sauce over chicken., Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with pasta if desired.

CHICKEN CANNELLONI (WITH OR WITHOUT SPINACH)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, simmer the chicken breasts, onion, broth, wine, and thyme, until chicken is done.
• Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and allow them to cool slightly.
• While the chicken breasts are cooling, strain the chicken broth to remove the onions and thyme.
• Reserve the broth into a large saucepan.
• Put the onions and thyme into your food processor.
• Chop or tear the chicken into big chunks, and put into food processor with the onions and thyme.
• Pulse the chicken in the food processor until finely chopped (you may need to divide the chicken into 2 batches).
• (I've also used my old, heavy meat grinder for this).
• Prepare spinach, if using. Wash well, chop, and lightly sauté in a saucepan with 2 tbs olive oil until done to your preference. I personally don't like "mushy" spinach. You may also substitute frozen chopped spinach, but be sure to squeeze it out really well.
• In a large bowl, mix the chicken/onion mixture with the ricotta and cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 c parmesan, nutmeg, and white pepper.
• Mix thoroughly; set aside.
• In a large saucepan, melt butter.
• Whisk in flour, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
• Whisk in the reserved chicken broth, stirring constantly.
• Add the wine, and then the milk, stirring constantly, until sauce is velvety-smooth.
• Simmer, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes, while you start to assemble the canneloni.
• Assemble the canneloni: Lay 4-5 egg roll wraps out on the counter.
• Place approx 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken/cheese filling on center of wrap, and roll up, setting aside.
• Repeat until you're done.
• When sauce is done simmering, pour approx 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Tilt, to make sure it's spread evenly.
• Arrange canneloni in dish, and top with remaining sauce.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan.
• Cover with foil, and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
• During last 10 minutes, take the foil off so that the parmesan browns.
• Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

CHICKEN AND SPINACH CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Parboil the pasta squares in a large pot of salted boiling water; remove with a slotted spoon and spread them on a clean tea towel. Cook the spinach in a pat of bubbling butter, then chop them thoroughly along with the boneless roast chicken.
• Place the mixture into a mixing bowl and add a small ladleful of bechamel, salt, pepper, nutmeg, 2/3 cup of grated Parmigiano and mix well. Spread onto the parboiled pasta squares and roll them up to form the cannelloni.
• Place them in a baking dish on top of a layer of bechamel, then top with the remaining bechamel, grated cheese and pats of butter. Top each with a tablespoon of the passata and bake for about 20 minutes at 425°F. Serve hot.

GROUND CHICKEN AND SPINACH CANNELLONI

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• First take out a skillet and saute ground chicken, onion and garlic.
• Using a spatula, make sure you break up the chicken making sure there are no chunks.
• Allow mixture to cook for approximately 5 minutes until it is nicely browned and remove from heat.
• Add your spinach, salt, pepper and 1/2 of your parm.
• cheese to the chicken and thoroughly combined.
• In a bowl, combine your tomato sauce with your herbs, adding additional herbs if you desire.
• Take our a baking dish and put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
• Place a small amount (about 1/3 cup) of your chicken mixture into your egg roll wrapper.
• You will want to make a bunched line with the mixture closer to one side of the wrapper, making sure that you are placing it lengthwise down the longer side of the wrapper.
• Fold the shorter side of the wrapper in (the side that runs lengthwise next to the mixture) completely over the mixture, and then fold over both sides of the wrapper that run the other direction.
• Then you will want to go to the end with the mixture and start folding (rolling) it tightly to make a cylinder.
• Make sure that when you come to the end of the last edge, that it is sealed tightly.
• Place the closed, filled wrappers into your baking dish and top with the remaining sauce and parm cheese.
• Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and the 1/2 cup of mozzerella cheese.
• Place your baking dish in the oven and bake for 40 minutes.