This Easy Lasagna Cups Recipe is kid-approved and simple to make! These meaty, cheesy, tasty handfuls are perfect for meals on the go or in your home.
What are lasagna cups?
Before we get started, I guess I should explain what these individaul lasagna cups actually are. The best way I can think to describe it is that these are lasagna cups with wonton wrappers, baked right into muffin tins!
Farm friends and busy people everywhere, I made this easy dinner recipe just for you!
It's the kind of meal you think about on a cold, windy day when you know a turkey sandwich just won't do.
I mean, i love a good cold lunch ideas and all, but every now and then, you something different....You want something you can eat while on the go, but that's delicious and filling but light all at the same time.
Is that a thing?
Why yes, it is. So glad you asked!
Here's why you need to make these easy lasagna cups AND share the recipe with a friend.
Ingredients
ground beef - for a meaty sauce
sauce - spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce, your choice
cheeses - shredded mozzarella, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese
egg - to hold everything together
seasonings - garlic powder and Italian seasoning
wonton wrappers - our pasta stand in
Why I love this lasagna cups recipe
- These lasagna cups are super-duper easy to make. We're talking about a kid friendly meal idea that grown ups love too.
- I couldn't decide what to call these. The awesome readers on my Facebook page helped me decide. We mulled over everything from lasagna cups, lasagna muffins, mini lasagna cups, lasagna cups wontons, muffin tin lasagna, lasagna cupcakes, or my favorite recommendation - "get in my belly muffins"! Obviously I went with cups, but you can call them whatever you feel your family will most embrace.
- They can be made ahead of time and frozen. Simply bake, freeze and thaw.
- They are lunchbox friendly. Pack them in a school lunch. In your farmer's lunch. Take them to the ball field!
How to make lasagna cups
Be sure to spray your 12 cup muffin tin. Even if it's non-stick, I recommend you spray the cups. You'll thank me when you're not peeling off dough later on.
Speaking of dough, we're using wonton wrappers instead of lasagna noodles. These don't require any cooking and are quite lovely to work with. That sounds weird, but you'll see for yourself how silky smooth the wrappers are when you're working with them!
You can find wonton wrappers in the produce section at the grocery store.
Two wrappers go in each muffin cup. I don't know how to precisely explain how to lay them out, so I'll say they look "like so" and let the photos below speak for themselves...
Brown your ground beef in a skillet & drain it. Then add your sauce and cool slightly. Add the cheese and set aside for assembly time.
Then it's time to get assembling. This is what they look like before baking.
And here's what lasagna cups look like after they're cooked. Soooo good, right???
Individual Lasagna Cup Recipe Variations
I have to say these are delicious as is, but in case you want to mix things up, here are some ideas for you!
- We always have a freezer full of beef, but you could 100% make these with bulk Italian sausage.
- Sneak some frozen and thawed spinach into the mix. Do what my Mom used to do and tell the kids (okay, and probably your husband, too) that it's parsley.
- If you have leftover egg roll wrappers from making buffalo chicken egg rolls, you can use them here!
- Make these ahead of time and pack into a lunchbox. They're just as good at room temperature as they are warm. Trust me, we've taste tested these many times! If it's one of those cold, gloomy days when something warm is 100% needed, pack it in this heated lunchbox. Yes, we have one and yes, it works!
FAQS
Can I freeze lasagna cups?
Yes, you can ! Cook a batch up, then cool and wrap individually. They'll store in the freezer for up to three months.
How long should I bake lasagna cups
Bake for 12-15 minutes. You'll looking for melty cheese and lightly browned wonton wrappers.
What to serve with lasagna cups
If your objective is to keep things handheld, I'd totally recommend a slice of Hawaiian Banana Bread! Consider it a snack or a dessert...it's your call!
Other handheld recipes:
- 21 Handheld Eats
- lunchbox ideas
- Baked Italian Sliders
- tractor and field friendly food ideas
- Homemade Pizza Pockets
Pick the babies up and eat them, or serve them on a plate. The choice is yours!
Once you've made these mini lasagnas, drop a recipe review below!
Individual Lasagna Cups
Easy to assemble and make ahead, these easy lasagna cups are perfect for portable meals on the go!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 8 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 Tablespoon grated parmesan
- 1 package wonton wrappers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
For the meat mixture
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, crumbling until no longer pink. Drain the fat from the beef and return meat to the pan. Remove from heat.
- Add spaghetti sauce and ¼ cup mozzarella to the meat, stirring to combine. Set aside.
For the cheese mixture
- In a medium size bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and parmesan. Mix well.
- Grease 12 cup muffin tins. Place two wonton wrappers, overlapping slightly to make a cup that will fill the muffin tin.
- Place 2 Tablespoons of the meat mixture in the bottom of the cup. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Top with another 2 Tablespoons of meat mixture and remaining ¼ cup of mozzarella.
- Bake 12-15 minutes until wrappers are cooked and cheese is melted. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. They will be hot!
Notes
These can be baked ahead of time and reheated.
These can be baked ahead of time and frozen.
These can be baked and eaten once per week for eternity 😉
Variation Ideas:
- We always have a freezer full of beef, but you could 100% make these with bulk Italian sausage.
- Sneak some frozen and thawed spinach into the mix. Do what my Mom used to do and tell the kids (okay, and probably your husband, too) that it’s parsley.
- Make these ahead of time and pack into a lunchbox. They’re just as good at room temperature as they are warm. Trust me, we’ve taste tested these many times! If it’s one of those cold, gloomy days when something warm is 100% needed, pack it in this heated lunchbox. Yes, we have one and yes, it works!
- Cook a batch up, then cool and wrap individually. They’ll store in the freezer for up to three months.
If you make this recipe and share on social media, tag #ThisFarmGirlCooks for a chance to be featured!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 532Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 1215mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 30g
As seen on Meal Plan Monday
Alexandra
This is such a clever idea - not to mention delicious! Loving it a lot!
The whole family will enjoy.
Deanne
Thanks for stopping by, I hope your family loves them as much as we do.
Beth Pierce
What a great recipe for an appetizer or even an after school snack; my picky eaters would love these!
Deanne
I love the idea of an after school snack, our kids would totally go for that, too!
Caitlyn Erhardt
Love this idea! My son would love this!
Deanne
Our kiddos love it too, and it's so easy to make.
Beth
I am in love with the recipe! This is going to blow my husbands mind when I make these for him to take to work! We are huge lasagna fans and now we can enjoy it on the go!
Deanne
So glad you like it Beth! I hope your husband does too!
Mikayla
Wonton wrappers is such a great idea to stand in for noodles. Love the easy to pack portions here too!
Deanne
Thanks! I'm all about keeping things easy 😉
Michelle Anderton
Hi. My wontons were a bit soggy on the bottom making them hard to handle. What have I done wrong. I tipped the liquid out as you said. Thanks michelle
Deanne Frieders
Hi Michelle, it could be your sauce was to liquid? Did you drain your ground beef? I haven't had that experience but I'm sorry they were sogyy!
judi
This sounds wonderful. Can you use egg roll wrappers so you don't have to overlap. Also can just the meat mixture be frozen or will it be too juicy.
Joanne
Love this idea for a harvest meal on the go. As a farmer’s wife I have appreciated your blog. After 6 weeks straight of harvesting I’m running out of ideas and the guys are tired of sandwich type meals. No one understands like another farm wife. 🤗
Deanne Frieders
Farm wives are amazing! So glad this is giving you some new ideas for harvest.
Angela Zwart
Could you provide reheating instructions?
Deanne Frieders
Hi Angela, I'm sorry I missed this comment! You can reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave if they've been frozen and thawed.
Hajja
Hi, I just want to know are these good cold? I observe the Sabbath and have been looking for food that can be eaten cold or at room temperature without re-heating. If I made them the night before, can I just leave them out at room temperature to eat the next day?
Deanne Frieders
Hi there, you could refrigerate them and eat them cold but I don't recommend leaving them out overnight.
Laura
OMG!! Will definitely be making these again… super easy to make ahead and even though we’re having them tomorrow I had a little sample and I know they’re going to be fabulous! My son asked if maybe next time we could try Taco cups…sure-I’ll give it a try…thanks for the recipe!
Kaitlan
These were delicious and my family loved them! They'll definitely go on rotation on my house.
I did 2TB of the beef mix and I still had some leftover. I just ended up making some more beefy ones (which my husband did love), but I think next time I may multiply the ricotta mix by an extra half to account for this. Because I loved the cheesy ones!
Ruth
These were a big hit for supper but they were a bit soggy. They had to be eaten with a fork. Not sure what I did wrong. I did drain the meat and baked for 15 minutes. Not sure what I can do diferent.
Alison
Question- what is the texture like for the part of the wonton that doesn't have the filling on it? Is it crunchy like a chip or harder than that? My picky son doesn't like when lasagna noodles aren't completely coated and get hard. Does it get as hard as that or not as bad? These look delicious!!
Deanne Frieders
I'd say crunchy like when the noodles aren't coated. If you don't want that, just tuck the corners in and down. Enjoy!!
Sheila
This is a family favorite recipe! Sadly, I recently learned I have a gluten sensitivity. Do you have any suggestions of what I could substitute for the wontons?
JoAnn
Disappointed when I try to print it needs 6 sheets of paper. Please provide the option to print without pictures.
Deanne Frieders
Hi JoAnn, thanks for letting me know! I've fixed the problem and it should print without all those photographs.