Monday, May 28, 2012

Recipes: Lasagna "cupcakes"

I made these lasagna "cupcakes" last month and they turned out pretty good so I wanted to give them another try and see if I could make any improvements. These are amazingly easy to make and really tasty. I think I actually prefer them to traditional lasagna. Less mess, easy to serve, great for snacking and, well, they're just pretty damn cute. 






The ingredients are pretty simple. Favorite marinara, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and wonton wrappers. 

Our store has a section for refrigerated vegetarian substitutes and that's where I found the wrappers. The recipe calls for wonton wrappers (square shape) and that's what I used the first time. With those you either have to trim the corners or tuck them into the cupcake tin. Otherwise they get a bit too crispy. This time I went with the round variety to save time and they worked out so much nicer in my opinion. But either works.  


Simplest way to do this is to lay out the wrappers on top of the cupcake tin and then press each one down into the bottom and sides. You'll have a bit of overlapping on the sides but that's okay. If you have longer nails go a little slower so you don't rip the wrappers when you press them down. If you do you can squish them a little to fix the rips.


I layered mine with marinara, ricotta, parm then mozzarella. Then added my second wrapper (pressing down and to the sides again) before continuing with the other ingredients ending with mozzarella on the top. You can add in a layer of meat but I'm a veggie so left that out.

For the ricotta layer what worked before for me was to spoon a little out into my fingers and flatten it into about the right size before plopping it into the mold. Helped get things a little more evened out.  

The recipe has amounts of each ingredient written down but I eyeballed mine. About a teaspoon but really I didn't worry too much about getting it exact. More by how it looked. 


It should look like this more or less before you pop it into the oven. Cook at 375 for about 15 minutes but keep an eye on them just in case. Mine tend to cook a little quick than the recipe called for. 

After you take them out let them sit a few minutes before removing from the pan. If you try to pop them out too soon they wobble with their shape. Then take a sharp knife to go along the edges and a fork to lift them out. 


And for a nice touch top with a bit of ripped basil. I serve them with extra marinara on the side too. 

The recipe makes only 6 cupcakes. I'd recommend going ahead and making more than that. 2 or 3 make a meal on average for me but they're great for snacking and heat back up nicely. I usually make 12 or 24 (about what a pack of wanton wrappers will make). Haven't tried freezing them yet but I'm sure that would work too.

Recipe is below. Can't for the life of me remember when I got it from originally but it's one I'm keeping.  


Lasagna Cupcakes Recipe
Recipe is for 6 "cupcakes"

1 cup marinara sauce
3/4 pound ground beef
12 wonton wrappers
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
3 ounces Parmesan cheese
4 ounces Ricotta cheese
(optional) basil for garnish

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. [I did NOT spray mine the 2nd time and prefer it that way. They are a little harder to pop from the tin but not nearly as greasy feeling/looking]
  • Brown beef and season with salt and pepper. Drain.
  • Cut wonton wrappers into circle shapes using a biscuit cutter or using the top of a drinking glass. You can cut several at a time. [or use rounded wrappers instead]
  • Reserve 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 6 tablespoon mozzarella for the top of you cupcakes. 
  • Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Top with a little meat and marinara sauce. Use around 1-2 teaspoons of all the ingredients depending on your personal preference.
  • Repeat layers ending with marinara sauce. Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.
  • Garnish with basil and serve




10 comments:

  1. they look really, really good :) def gotta try them some time.

    Ana♥

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    Replies
    1. Hope you like em. They're so easy to make and so darn good!

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  2. cool! I will have to try these:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're pretty great for meals or snacking. Let me know what ya think of em.

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  3. Replies
    1. I thought so too Denise. I'm so glad I tried them out. Love cute little things like this :)

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  4. Wow, these look great! Wonderful idea with the wonton wrappers. Can't wait to try this out!

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    Replies
    1. Sorry for the late reply Dani. Was packing and driving up to Ohio. Hope you love them. Thought it was a great idea for the wonton wrappers too. Love creative ways to use this or that :)

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  5. They look delicious!! Thank you for sharing. :)

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    Replies
    1. No problem. I love these little things! One of my favorite new finds :)

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