Oven-baked cannelloni

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125 g ham, diced
• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 500 g minced beef or half and half
• 250 ml red wine, sweet
• 100 g tomato paste
• 60 g butter
• 70 g flour
• 750 ml milk
• 3 tsp, heaped stock, granulated
• 1 handful of basil
• 200 g cheese, grated, e.g. Gouda
• salt and pepper
• Thyme
• oregano
• rosemary
• 24 cannelloni

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 40 minutes

For the filling, finely dice the onions and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the ham cubes, onions, and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the minced meat and fry until crispy. Deglaze with the wine and stir in the tomato paste. Season well with salt, pepper, thyme, and oregano. If you like, you can also add a little rosemary. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook until lightly browned, stirring continuously. Then gradually stir in the milk, bring to a boil, and season with the stock powder. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk. Remove from the heat. Roughly tear the basil and stir it into the sauce. Cover the pan and set aside. Fill the cannelloni rolls, ideally with a narrow teaspoon. I place the baking dish next to the pan with the filling. Then I place a cannelloni roll in the baking dish, fill it and place it on the baking sheet, place the next one back in the dish, and so on. Finally, pour the white sauce over the filled rolls and sprinkle the cheese on top. The baking dish should be large enough to hold 12 rolls in two layers, or you can also use a large dish that will fit 24 rolls in one layer. You should make sure that the dish is filled evenly, otherwise the rolls on top won’t cook. Cook in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes. Tip: The cannelloni are very easy to prepare in the morning, for example. I have also frozen the filled dish and then prepared it a few days later. In this case, you should let the dish thaw for a few hours beforehand or extend the cooking time in the oven accordingly.