This Ground Chicken and Beef Cannelloni combines two types of meat for a rich and flavorful Italian pasta dish. Tender pasta sheets are filled with a savory blend of ground beef and chicken, then smothered in marinara sauce and melted cheese, which delivers terrific flavor. This homemade cannelloni recipe rivals any restaurant version and can be made ahead for busy weeknights.
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This delicious beef and chicken cannelloni is a perfect Sunday dinner pasta recipe or special occasion pasta dish that goes beyond the usual lasagna or stuffed shells.
If you think that cannelloni is a dish best left to restaurants, I beg to disagree! it’s actually as approachable as making lasagna.
While traditional cannelloni often uses only beef, I like to use a mix of meat and chicken. Prosciutto, marsala wine, and Parmesan add complexity to the filling.
I used to avoid making cannelloni because I had to use pastry bags to stuff the cannelloni shells, which was messy. Learning how to make Italian beef cannelloni with lasagna sheets was a game-changer!
I like to prepare the filling in advance and refrigerate it. It makes assembly that much easier, making it perfect for a make-ahead classic Italian dinner for the family or entertaining!
➡ If you enjoy pasta recipes, try some of my other recipes like shrimp broccoli mushroom pasta, Cajun chicken pasta, and chicken curry pasta.
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need for Baked Cannelloni
💡 Tips for this Chicken and Ground Beef Cannelloni Recipe
🍅 Tomato Sauce: I prefer to make my sauce from scratch but you can use a store-bought pasta sauce. Rao’s is my preferred brand. You can also use your favorite bolognese sauce or meat sauce.
🍗 Meat: I like to use a mix of ground beef and ground chicken, not just because it’s a leaner option but because I like the flavor. You can substitute the chicken with beef.
🥣 Filling: Grinding the meat mixture in a food processor makes the filling airy. Although this isn’t a required step, I highly recommend it if you have the time. Add just enough sauce to the filling so it isn’t too dry but still sticks together.
🧀 Cheese: Try and use freshly grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. They are much more flavorful. You could also use fresh mozzarella. Tear the ball into small pieces and spread it over the sauce.
🍝 No Boil Lasagna: I find it way easier to use oven ready lasagna sheets (no boil) and roll them up with the meat mixture. It cuts out all the mess! You’ll need to blanch them first. Don’t overcook them or they’ll fall apart. Cook them until they’re just pliable.
If you can find fresh pasta sheets, that cuts down on some time because they don’t need to be blanched. You could also use cannelloni tubes or manicotti pasta tubes. Cook them as directed and use a piping bag to fill them.
🥄 Bechamel Sauce: Many recipes for cannelloni use bechamel sauce. I don’t use it because I prefer a tomato-forward flavor but feel free to add bechamel white sauce over the pasta sauce in the final step.
❓ FAQs
For make ahead easy beef cannelloni, assemble it up to 24 hours in advance and store it covered in the refrigerator before baking. You can also prepare only the filling ahead of time, and that cuts down on some time when preparing a weeknight meal.
You can use manicotti or cannelloni tubes. To make this cannelloni without tubes, regular lasagna noodles will work – cook them according to package directions until al dente.
Dry white wine or chicken broth can be used instead of marsala. While you’ll lose some unique marsala flavor, it’ll still be delicious.
You can add finely chopped spinach, mushrooms, or grated zucchini. Be sure to remove any excess moisture before adding to the filling.
A simple green salad and garlic bread make great sides for this recipe.
♨️ How To Make Easy Cannelloni
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and when heated, add beef and chicken. Saute until they lose their pink color.
- Add prosciutto and saute briefly.
- Add onion, and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Deglaze with the marsala wine and simmer until the liquid evaporates, scraping the bottom of the pan so the brown bits are incorporated.
- Set aside to cool so the eggs don’t scramble in a subsequent step!
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Line a couple of baking sheets with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil. Cook the pasta for about 2 to 3 minutes, working with three lasagna sheets at a time until they’re pliable. Be sure not to overcook them! Lay the lasagna sheets on the foil. Set aside.
- Once the beef mixture has cooled, add eggs, parmesan, some pasta sauce, and parsley. Mix well. Use a food processor to mince the meat mixture, which makes it airy. This step is optional but recommended.
- Spread some chicken and beef mince at the short edge of a blanched lasagna sheet.
- Roll it up into a cylinder and place it seam-side down on the sauce. Repeat with remaining lasagna sheets.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Spread some tomato sauce in a 9 x 13 baking dish. (Note: the picture above is for half the recipe)
- Arrange the cannelloni on top of the sauce.
- Top the cannelloni with the remaining sauce, making sure the cannelloni is wholly covered.
- Sprinkle your no-boil lasagna cannelloni with cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until browned and bubbling.
Ground Beef and Chicken Cannelloni Recipe
Ingredients
- water to blanch lasagna sheets
- salt to blanch lasagna sheets
- 16 no boil lasagna sheets
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ lb ground beef (500 grams)
- ½ lb ground chicken (500 grams)
- 4 oz prosciutto diced (113 grams)
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
- ¼ cup marsala wine or sherry
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated [See Note 1]
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 3 cups marinara sauce [See Note 2]
- 1¼ cups mozzarella cheese shredded [See Note 1]
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated [See Note 1]
Instructions
Prepare the Lasagna Sheets
- Bring a large pot of water with salt to a boil.
- Line a couple of baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease the foil.
- Blanch the lasagna sheets for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until pliable. Don't overcook them or they will fall apart. Work with 3 sheets at a time.
- Lay the 16 no boil lasagna sheets on the foil and let them dry thoroughly.
Make the Filling
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoon olive oil and saute ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb ground chicken until browned.
- Add 4 oz prosciutto, ½ cup onion, and 1 tablespoon garlic and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (if using) and cook until the onions are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Deglaze with the ¼ cup marsala wine and simmer until the liquid evaporates.
- Allow to cool slightly or the eggs will scramble in the next step!
- Add 2 eggs, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoon marinara sauce [See Note 3], and ¼ cup fresh parsley.
- Transfer mixture to a food processor and mince. [See Note 4]
Assemble the Dish
- Spread 2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Spread 2 tablespoon of the filling at the short edge of a blanched lasagna sheet.
- Roll it up into a cylinder and place it seam-side down on the sauce. Repeat with remaining lasagna sheets.
- Top the cannelloni with remaining marinara sauce, making sure the cannelloni is covered.
- Sprinkle with 1¼ cups mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese and cover with foil.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake until browned and bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Robin says
I love your recipes & saved this to make soon. Am sure the lasagna sheets will be easier than filling cannelloni!
Neena Panicker says
Hi Robin, thank you so much for following my recipes – I’m humbled!