Chicken, ricotta and spinach cannelloni

[snappy]

Just bumping this up again for any newbies.  It's a great recipe and regularly on the menu around here - although i tend to put the cannelloni's in a pyrex dish, pour the sauce over, cover with mozarella and bake in the oven rather than the steaming method.

For tonight i have substituted the spinach for basil and added some pinenuts to create a pesto chicken ricotta cannelloni!

[KarenH]

I managed to get a bargain on 1kg fresh ricotta this morning - use by date tomorrow.  Could I make up a whole heap of the filling and freeze it in portions?  Does ricotta freeze OK?

[judydawn]

In one word Karen, yes 

[KarenH]

Thanks Judy!     Now to go over to the neighbours garden and scrounge a whole heap of spinach 

[*suzanne*]

This sounds yum, I have it on my menu for this week 

[KarenH]

OOPS!!  HELP!!  i read this recipe wrong.  I made the cannelloni as per the recipe, but wanted to cook them in the oven rather than in the varoma.  So I put them in a baking dish, and then made the sauce.  BUT - I didnt cook the sauce at all.  Thought it was a bit weird - but I just zapped the veggies, added the tinned tomatoes, pepper and cream, mixed it all up and poured it over the cannelloni.  So the sauce was completely raw.  Will this still be OK if I bake it in the oven??

And if I want to freeze this, would you freeze it cooked or raw?

[snappy]

It should be fine karen, the sauce will cook in the oven. 

I cook mine with sauce but without cheese in the oven and then freeze.  When i want to eat, i defrost add cheese and heat in oven for about 20 mins at 180.

[Greyhoundmum]

Can anyone help out with a quick answer as I want to make this later?  I am a bit concerned about putting the raw chicken in the cannelloni tubes with varoma on speed 1 will it be cooked through? I have gone back to this thread as I though I maybe did not write a step down and perhaps the chicken mixture cooked in TMX first before putting in tubes.  Many thanks.

[judydawn]

It's been a long time since I made this one GHM but, apart from sauteeing the onion first, I followed the recipe and didn't have any problems with the chicken being cooked.  40 minutes is quite a long steaming time and everyone seems happy with the results.

[Greyhoundmum]

Thanks JD. Did you use fresh pasta sheets or the pre bought cannelloni tubes?

[judydawn]

I would have used the fresh pasta sheets because I find the tubes too fiddly and time consuming to fill GHM.

[teagg]

Just in case someone sees this as I'm trying the recipe out.... If I'm baking the end result what temp and time should I be doing it for please??
Thanks
Gillian

[judydawn]

Gillian, here's a recipe using raw chicken mince as a guide to oven baking.  It says 180^oC for 25 - 30 minutes.

[Greyhoundmum]

hi Gillian
Mine is in the varoma as we speak!  I will pour sauce over then put under grill with Parmesan over to finish off. The mixture actually made a lot of cannelloni tubes. I put two layers in aroma separated by baking paper so they don't stick.  Let us know how yours goes!
Thanks JD with the quick response, always good to know someone on forum to answer those little niggling questions.

[Amy :-)]

Thanks for bumping this one girls, my mum is going to absolutely love it