Slow Cooker Two-Meat Manicotti — When the Smoker Has Company and the Crock Has Your Back

Emma took the SAT on Saturday. She came home and said, "I think I did well." Then she went to her room and slept for three hours. The girl who falls asleep studying wakes up testing and falls asleep recovering. She runs on food and determination and an engine that doesn't know how to idle. Results in two weeks. I'm not worried. She's not worried. We're both pretending not to be worried. Halloween: the annual report. Tyler handed out candy at my house while wearing no costume except a Shipley's hat, which is arguably a costume representing "minimum wage labor." Emma went to her party as the deconstructed pho bowl and won the costume contest, which confirms that Houston's food culture has penetrated every aspect of life including Halloween party judging. Lily went as a cat. Year four. She purred at every house. The neighbors now expect it. Smoked mac and cheese: annual tradition. This year's twist: I added smoked brisket burnt ends to the mac. Cubed, smoky, crispy pork belly mixed into the cheese sauce before it goes on the smoker. The combination of creamy cheese, smoky pork, and fish sauce (always fish sauce) was absurd. It was the kind of food that makes you close your eyes and question every decision that led you to eat regular mac and cheese for the first forty years of your life. Bobby and Hector's October cookout was last week — the pho vs pozole rematch. This year I brought the pop-up pho broth (Ma's recipe, my execution) and Hector brought a pozole verde — green, with tomatillo and jalapeño, lighter than the rojo. The neighborhood voted: tied. Because the neighborhood is diplomatic and because both soups were perfect. Ma's Sunday temple walk continues. The weather is beautiful for walking — sixties in the morning, the air crisp and clean. She told me another story this week: about a man named Thanh who was on the boat. He was a musician — played the dan bau, a traditional Vietnamese instrument. He played it on the boat, on the fourth night, when everyone was terrified and the engine had died and they were drifting. He played a song and the boat went quiet and for a few minutes, the music held them. Thanh settled in San Jose. Ma doesn't know if he's alive. She hasn't spoken to him since 1976. The stories keep coming. I keep listening. Emma keeps recording. The boat carried forty-three people and every one of them had a life and a name and a story, and my mother is the only one I can ask.

The smoked mac and cheese with brisket burnt ends was the star of Halloween weekend — absurdly good, the kind of dish that makes you rethink every casserole you’ve ever let slide. But not every weeknight has a smoker going, and the slow cooker sitting on the counter was making a compelling argument. This two-meat manicotti hits that same layered, deeply savory note: two proteins, a generous pour of cheese, and enough slow-cooked depth that it carries the weight of a long week without asking much of you. If the fish sauce goes in the mac, the Italian sausage goes in here — both are the kind of move you can’t un-know.

Slow Cooker Two-Meat Manicotti

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 4 hrs | Total Time: 4 hrs 30 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 14 uncooked manicotti shells
• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• Fresh basil, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the meat. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and garlic together, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain excess fat and let cool for 10 minutes.
2. Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Fold in the cooled meat mixture until fully combined.
3. Prep the slow cooker. Stir together the marinara sauce and crushed tomatoes. Spread about 1 cup of the tomato mixture across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker to prevent sticking.
4. Fill the shells. Using a small spoon or piping bag, carefully fill each uncooked manicotti shell with the meat and cheese mixture. Arrange filled shells in a single layer over the sauce in the slow cooker. If needed, add a second layer offset from the first.
5. Top and cook. Pour the remaining tomato sauce evenly over the stuffed shells. Scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, until the shells are tender and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
6. Rest and serve. Let the manicotti rest uncovered for 10 minutes before serving. Scatter fresh basil over the top and serve directly from the slow cooker.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 580 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 980mg