Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Lasagna Cupcakes

As if there weren't enough recipes out there for lasagna cupcakes... But here it goes. I've wanted to make these for a really long time, but I could not find wonton wrappers at the grocery store to save my life. They're in the produce section. Next to the bagged salads and fancy salad dressings. Who knew? My friend, Allie, actually. I was really pleased with how these turned out. They tasted good, and I managed to make them look just as cute as all the pictures I've drooled over for months.

Lasagna Cupcakes 
1 lb. ground beef, cooked
1 c. marinara/spaghetti sauce
4 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
3/4 c. mozzarella/parmesan cheese, shredded
A dash or two of italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Liberally spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Take one wonton wrapper and gently press it down into the center of each muffin cup.  Press a small amount (about a tablespoon) of ricotta cheese into each cup. Then layer on a small amount of ground beef and marinara. Take another wonton wrapper and facing the opposite direction, gently press it on top of your ricotta/meat/sauce.  I didn't understand what the recipe meant when I first read "opposite direction," but basically it means if you're looking down at the muffin cup, put the first wonton in like a square. For the next one, put it in like a diamond. Yes? The wonton wrappers will stick out over the top - press the edges down flat against the pan. It makes removing them easier.

Layer on more ricotta, meat, and marinara. Finish each cup with a generous amount of shredded and cheese and a sprinkling of Italian seasoning. Bake for 15 minutes or until your outer wonton looks golden and crispy. To remove them, I'd suggest running a knife around the edge to separate the wonton from the crispy, melted cheese. Be careful not to puncture it - the bottom ones are soft.

I threw these together after work in about 30 minutes total. Granted, I planned ahead and cooked extra ground beef on Sunday evening when I made the most adorable miniature stout pies, so I didn't have to bother with cooking the meat. I was also really surprised how well they held up once removed from the muffin pan. You can literally eat these like a cupcake. No fork necessary - just pick it up and bite into it. 


Finished product

Cheesy, crispy, amazing

Yum.

No comments:

Post a Comment