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Canelones de Carne (meat)

Canelones de Carne, which translates to Meat Cannelloni. Of course, this is another one of my grandma’s top recipes!
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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 2 hrs
Course dinner, Lunch
Cuisine spanish
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 7 oz Ground Veal
  • 7 oz Ground Pork
  • 1 Chicken Breast Shredded
  • 2 Tomatoes Grated
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper Chopped
  • 1 Veal Brain OPTIONAL
  • 1/4 cup Cognac Substitue for white wine
  • 20 Canelones 1 box (You can use lasagna noodles and cut them in half
  • 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese Grated
  • 2 Tbsp Butter

For the Sauce:

  • 2 cups Warm milk Whole milk or 2%
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 2 tbsp Flour
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg

Instructions
 

For the Sauce:

  • In a sauce pan, add 2 tablespoons of butter cook on low heat until it melts. Once the bottom of the pan is coated with butter, add 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour.  Whisk constantly until the flour is brown-ish. Add 2 cups of milk and the nutmeg and whisk constantly until the sauce thickens This is a béchamel sauce. If it looks too thick, add an extra 1/4 cup of milk. 

To make the canelones:

  • Cook the canelones pasta (or similar pasta) according to the package.
  • In a large pan, cook all the ingredients EXCEPT for the veal, and set the heat to low. Stir occasionally, the mixture has to be juicy, otherwise add a little bit of water.  The mixture should be on low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes.
  • If you are using the veal brain, boil it for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pot.
  • After cooking the mixture for 35 to 45 minutes, you can add the veal brain into the pan.
  • Place the mixture into the food processor and blend it to a fine consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, use a blender or another substitute.
  • Stuff the mixture in the middle of the canelone dough.
  • Roll up all of the canelones. Pour a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and then add the canelones in a line (or two lines depending on the size of your baking sheet.) Add only one layer.
  • The canelones can be touching one another,but make sure they are not overlapping. Add some of the white sauce, the grated cheese, and small pats of butter on top (butter is optional).
  • Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 F, and then broil it for 2 minutes to brown the cheese.

Notes

I always make a little more sauce then I probably need.  I add some of the sauce to the plate first and I also fill an extra gravy boat so people can add more if they want. It’s delicious! It’s also great to serve good bread for dipping in the sauce.
Make Ahead: You can make the mixture one day in advance.