Mini Lasagna Cups

Name: Mini Lasagna Cups
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 260 min
Total time: 290 min
Yield: 18

Published on | In By Ange |

13 Comments

- Prep Time
- 30 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 260 Minutes
- Yield
- 18
- 18
- Difficulty Level

Mini Lasagna Cups are cute little single servings of everyone’s favourite Italian dish. Cute, petite and tasty they make a fun additional to lunch boxes and are fantastic to cook ahead and freeze for quick and easy snacks and ready meals.

Who doesn’t love lasagna? Layers of rich, meaty bolognaise sauce nestled between sheets of melt in your mouth pasta. Perfect comfort food and great for feeding a crowd. But, we are a small family and a big tray of lasagna would feed us all week and then some. These individual Mini Lasagna Cups are the perfect solution for a small family. This recipe makes a batch of 18 mini lasagna cups. I used 6 (2 mini lasangas per person) for meal night and served with garlic bread and a fresh tossed salad. The remaining 12 went into the freezer for lunches or quick snacks. The beauty of the individual portions is that you can add the cups to your lunch bag straight from the freezer, or pop them in the microwave to thaw and heat in just a few minutes.

Straight to the recipe please!

The other awesome thing about lasagna is that it is a perfect dish for smuggling extra vegies into fussy eaters. I finely mince mushrooms and grate zucchini and added to the sauce – my anti-mushroom family have no idea – shh don’t show my daughter this recipe! If your people happen to love mushrooms as much as you do then leave them in slices and enjoy their meaty texture in the sauce.

I also love to add a layer of spinach and ricotta to the middle of my lasagna. This was a trick I learned from a friendly Italian Nonna many years ago. If you have the joy of knowing an Italian Nonna you also know that feeding you is foremost on their agenda. I was dieting and my friend Maria added a layer of ham, spinach and ricotta to the middle of her lasagna to make it healthier for me, bless her! I have loved cutting into lasagna and seeing a creamy white, spinach speckled filling every since.

I made my “with love” version of bolognaise sauce for this recipe. That is, I took the time and effort to build my flavours up before slowing cooking the sauce, rather than the fast and friendly throw everything together version which is ready in half an hour. I didn’t make my own pasta but instead used the left over Wonton wrappers from my Thai Pork Salad Wonton Baskets for the lasagna sheets. The little square wonton wrappers (available in the dairy section of the supermarket) are the perfect portion size for the Mini Lasagna Cups.

Set aside an afternoon to allow the sauce to simmer away in your slow cooker or on the stove and enjoy the hearty aromas before assembling into the individual lasagna portions.

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Ingredients

500 grams minced beef
150 grams bacon, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, rinsed and diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
2 carrots, diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
1 zucchini, grated
150 grams mushrooms, sliced, chopped or finely minced
125 grams frozen spinach, thawed and excess moisture squeezed out
1 tablespoon dried Italian or mixed herbs
2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste/concentrate
375 gram jar pasta sauce
1 cup red wine
1/2 beef stock
250 grams ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup grated fresh mozzarella
1 cup grated parmesan
54 wonton wrappers

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in the base of a searing slow cooker or frying pan and add the leek, carrot, celery and garlic and cook over a high heat until the leeks are beginning to soften. Take your time with this step, this is the basis for the fantastic flavoured sauce.
Add the diced bacon and cook until browned, break up the mince and add to the vegetable and bacon mix and cook, breaking up the lumps until lightly browned. Don't overcook the mince here. You want a little bit of colour, but not too dark.
Add 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper, the dried herbs and tomato paste concentrate and cook for 1 minute.
Add the red wine and cook, stirring until wine is reduced then add the beef stock.
Add the mushroom and grated zucchini (and any other vegetables you think you can hide).
Add the mixture to your slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours or alternatively allow to simmer on the stove over a low heat for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If cooking on the stove top add an extra cup of stock or water and keep an eye that the sauce doesn't dry out.
Once sauce is cooked and slightly cooled add in the fresh basil, reserving a little for garnish if desired.
Whilst sauce is cooking prepare the spinach and ricotta filling by combining ricotta, beaten egg, spinach, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and the zest and juice of the lemon.
Preheat oven to 180c or 160c fan-forced and lightly grease 3 x 6 capacity large muffin trays.
Add a tablespoon of the sauce to the bottom of each muffin tin to stop the wonton wrappers from sticking.
Add a wonton wrapper to each muffin tin and top with a layer of meat sauce.
Top with another wonton wrapper, adding in the opposite direction to the first wrapper so the corners fill the empty space of the muffin tin.
Top with a layer of the spinach mixture, another wonton wrapper and another layer of meat sauce.
Combine the parmesan and mozzarella and sprinkle evenly over each muffin tin.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and golden, about 20-25 minutes.
Serve with salad and garlic bread. Also delicious eaten cold!

Servings : 9
Ready in : 300 Minutes
Recipe Type : Beef Pasta Slow Cooker
Ingredient : Beef, Pasta

13 Responses to Mini Lasagna Cups

Jenn at #

What a great idea!! These look delicious and are so cute!!

Reply
Wajeeha at #

These looks do delicious Ange! I love this idea…will be trying this soon! 🙂

Reply
Farida at #

Love this mini lasagna, the layers are perfectly done, love the addition of creamy Ricotta too! Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness at #

I like the idea of making these mini lasagna cups, great idea for making for a smaller families. They look delicious!!

Reply
Summer at #

This makes me feel like heading straight to the kitchen and make my own mini lasagna cups! Looks so delish and satisfying.

summerdaisy.net

Reply
Debi at Life Currents at #

What a fun recipe! I would love to serve this for a family dinner. Individual servings are always a hit!

Reply
Laura | Wandercooks at #

Oh my god you’ve just made my day. These mini lasangas are soooo cute! Especially love the hidden veggies and mushrooms, and that yummy extra layer of ricotta and spinach tucked away in the middle. Can’t wait to try this! 🙂

Reply
- Ange at #
  
  We become quite expert at veggie smuggling 🙂
  
  Reply
Valentina at #

Adorable, comforting AND delicious. I absolutely love these!

Reply
Lucy @ Bake Play Smile at #

Oh I wish I’d seen this earlier – we’re having lasagne tonight!!!! I’ll definitely try your mini cups next time! They look great!

Reply
- Ange at #
  
  Thanks Lucy – enjoy your lasagna.
  
  Reply
Taylor Thurston at #

WOW. These would be perfect for my little family! We can’t put away an entire lasagna either, but the fact that you can pop these in the freezer for later makes this recipe even that much more appealing! OH… and the layer of spinach and ricotta?! I think I died and went straight to heaven. Pinning for later! Thanks for the recipe!

Reply
- Ange at #
  
  I’m glad you like them!
  
  Reply

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Mini Lasagna Cups

Mini Lasagna Cups are cute little single servings of everyone’s favourite Italian dish. Cute, petite and tasty they make a fun additional to lunch boxes and are fantastic to cook ahead and freeze for quick and easy snacks and ready meals.

Straight to the recipe please!