Lasagna Cups
I love my families! Both mine and my husband's families are so much fun! My husband has quite a big family (8 siblings in total) so family events are a riot when we all get together! My husband had to leave on travel earlier this week, so I packed up my kids and we headed off to start our holidays a little early. We stayed the first couple nights with his family. My sister-in-law Arika was already there and we decided to get baking (luckily she loves it just like I do!) We were browsing through Pinterest trying to find a fun recipe to try out when we stumbled across this one. It was a fun twist to traditional lasagna, though not necessarily easier (they are about the same). The meat sauce in this recipe is INCREDIBLE! My little girl and I scarfed down a bowl just by itself! This recipe is a great to do when you have few extra hands in the kitchen! We all enjoyed this recipe!
My sister-in-law Arika also took the photo of this yummy meal! Isn't she so talented!? I just love her!
{photo taken by my sister-in-law, Arika}
LASAGNA CUPS
(recipe from: Lauren's Latest)
- 21 lasagna pasta sheets
SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef cooked and drained
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-6 oz. can tomato paste
- 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce {+1/2 can water to wash out can}
- 1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
CHEESE FILLING
- 1-10 oz. tub Philadelphia Italian Herb & Cheese Cooking Cream
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, grated & divided
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
For the sauce:
Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions, pepper, zucchini and garlic until tender, 5 minutes. Stir in cooked ground beef and tomato paste until well incorporated. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook 30 minutes or so. {The longer it cooks, the better it will taste!} This will be very thick.
Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions, pepper, zucchini and garlic until tender, 5 minutes. Stir in cooked ground beef and tomato paste until well incorporated. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook 30 minutes or so. {The longer it cooks, the better it will taste!} This will be very thick.
For the cheese filling:
stir all ingredients together excluding half of the grated mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
stir all ingredients together excluding half of the grated mozzarella cheese. Set aside.
For the pasta:
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta sheets 2 minutes less than package directions and drain. Place pasta on greased baking sheet until you are ready for assembly.
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta sheets 2 minutes less than package directions and drain. Place pasta on greased baking sheet until you are ready for assembly.
For assembly:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 12 jumbo muffin tins with squares of parchment paper. If they don’t stay in on their own, that’s ok–the pasta will help with that.
- Line the edges of the muffin tins with 1 pasta sheet per cup. {Pasta sheet will overlap about 2 inches.}
- Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of sauce into the bottom of each cup {#1}.
- Next cut 9 pasta sheets into quarters and press one of these pieces of pasta into the bottom on top of the sauce {#2}.
- Top pasta sheet with a generous tablespoon of sauce {#3} and then a generous tablespoon of cheese filling {#4}.
- Repeat this pasta-sauce-cheese layering one more time being sure to press out any air bubbles. Top these lasagna cups off with a 3rd piece of pasta, more sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve hot.
Enjoy!
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