Chicken Spinach Manicotti

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix together 2 cups chopped spinach, 2 cups cooked shredded chicken, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Stuff mixture into 15 manicotti shells and set them aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour. Continue whisking until smooth. Add 1 cup chicken broth. Add cream and stir until smooth. Stir in tomato sauce. Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Stir well and simmer until just thickened. Remove from heat.

Grease a 9×13 baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Put stuffed shells in dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the manicotti shells until all the shells are generously covered. You’ll probably have some sauce leftover. I like to refrigerate the leftover sauce and make spaghetti the next day! It also makes a great dip for breadsticks.

Bake your dish, covered with foil, at 350F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven, remove the foil and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!