Chicken Manicotti

Here is a recipe for chicken manicotti (makes 12):

Crepes:

-  4 eggs

-  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-  1 1/2 cups water

-  1/2 teaspoon salt

-  1 teaspoon olive oil

Filling:

-  2 cups cooked chicken, chopped/diced

-  2 eggs

-  2 cups ricotta cheese (I used my homemade ricotta cheese)

-  1 cup grated parmesan cheese

-  1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-  1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley 

-  3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

-  1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

-  salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

After manicotti is wrapped together add these ingredients:

-  3 cups marinara sauce (I made my own)

-  1 tablespoon olive oil, more or less if needed (to brush the sides of baking dish)

-  2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

-  1 to 2 tablespoon olive oil (to drizzle on top before baking)

-  2 to 3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (to sprinkle on top after baking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Whisk 4 eggs, flour, salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil together thoroughly in a bowl to make a very smooth batter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate batter for at least 1 hour.

Mix chicken, ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, marjoram, red pepper flakes, and parsley in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Season with salt to taste.  If you are making this earlier in the day, refrigerate until ready to use.

Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brush generously with 1 teaspoon olive oil, or as needed. Swirl about 1/4 cup batter into the bottom of the pan and tilt to form a thin pancake covering the bottom of the skillet. Cook until bottom of crepe is dry, approximately 1 minute.  Flip crepe and cook until other side has small browned spots, approximately 1 minute more. Repeat with remaining batter to make 12 crepes. Transfer crepes to a plate as you make them.

Spread about 1 cup marinara sauce (1/2 cup on each pan) into the bottom of a two 9x13 inch baking dish. Use a brush to spread about 1 tablespoon of olive oil (between the two pans) in a thin layer up the sides of both dishes. Place a crepe onto a work surface or in you hand and spread or spoon approximately 1/3 cup filling onto crepe in a line down the middle. Roll crepe over filling and place filled crepe onto the baking dish with the flap side own. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling to make 12 manicotti.

Spread remaining 2 cups marinara sauce onto the manicotti in a line down the middle of the crepes, covering middle 2/3 of manicotti. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup (+/-) parmesan cheese all over manicotti. Drizzle manicotti with remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Sprinkle approximately 2/3 cup (+/-) parmesan cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until manicotti are slightly browned and puffy, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes to cool. Garnish with 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley before serving.