Manicotti for Dinner

I had a potluck to attend one evening and I decided to try a new pasta dish for the potluck. The pasta had been sitting in the pantry for quite some time after I saw it sitting on the shelf in the supermarket and randomly decided "Hey these look like fun" picked them up and purchased them. As part of my challenge to stay active and keep try and doing new things, I try a manicotti recipe. I am also significantly altering the recipe...so I guess then it means I'm making my own :S (this should be very interesting hahaha).

I'm terrible with giving directions and with measurements but here is my version:

Cheese Sauce
cheese
milk (I cook with evapourated milk because I drink evapourated milk)
mustard
ham
chives

manicotti pasta
pasta sauce

Ok soooo I boiled the manicotti pasta as the directions on the box instruct. Add a pinch of salt to the water for the pasta. While that was boiling I prepared the cheese sauce. For the cheese sauce I put milk, cheese and mustard in a pan on low heat. As the cheese melted, I added the chives and ham. Do not let it boil, and it may burn at the bottom. By that point that manicotti was done. I then filled the manicotti with the cheese sauce and placed them side by side in the dish. After all the filled manicotti were placed in the dish, I poured the pasta sauce all over the top and topped with a bit a cheese. I baked the dish for about 10 mintues at 375 F. You don't want it to be too dry, so keep an eye on it. It may be less time.

Serve hot!

I don't know how many it serves or the calories. You can always try it, give your measurements and the servings too :D

If you want, you can add butter to the cheese sauce, not much. About a tablespoon will do depending on the amount of sauce you're making. And you can also add some pepper (black, white, pepper sauce, whatever floats you boat) in the cheese sauce too. Try it out and let me know :) I think you could also try using chicken or another meat alternative if ham/pork is not your thing.