Minced meat and white sauce cannelloni

A truly delicious recipe and an absolute crowd pleaser. Even if it is considered quite elaborate it is worth giving it a try. 

Ingredients

• 24 cannelloni tubes
• 2 tea cups of plain tomato sauce
• For the filling
• 1kg beef minced meat, thinly ground
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 tea cup of grated tomato
• half a cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 tea cup of brandy
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 1 tea cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• For the white sauce
• 1litre warm milk
• 100g butter
• 100g flour
• a pinch of grated nutmeg
• salt

Method

Brown the minced meat in the olive oil for 7-8 minutes until it changes colour. Add the garlic, onion and herbs and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour the brandy in, add the tomatoes, sugar and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes until all the liquids are completely reduced. Remove from heat and let the minced meat sauce cool off. Then add the beaten eggs and Parmesan cheese and give everything a good toss. In the meantime prepare the white sauce. In a casserole-type pan melt the butter and brown the flour for 1 minute. Remove from heat, add half of the milk whisking and put the pan back on the stove. Pour the rest of the milk in, add the nutmeg and season with salt. Whisk constantly until the sauce thickens. Drop 2 tablespoons of the white sauce in a baking tray. Use a spoon to fill the cannelloni tubes and lay them over the sauce. When finished pour the grated tomato and the rest of the white sauce over. Bake at 180ºC for 25 minutes covered with tinfoil. Towards the end of cooking time remove the tinfoil and bake until golden and bubbling.

portions 6

Preparation Time 30 minutes

Baking time 25 minutes

Source: www.argiro.com.gr