I’m Haley, a new blogger to the site, future preschool teacher and parent of the wildest seven-year-old-daughter this side of America. She’s also a super finicky eater and a beautiful artist, so we’re always on the lookout for great recipes and crafts, adventures which I’ll be thrilled to share with you on this website. First let me give credit to the fantastic recipe I found for this week’s post, with a beautiful food picture found on Pinterest, and the original recipe available on CanYouStayForDinner.com blog.
Photo courtesy of Andie Mitchell
Obviously, with a kid, three cats and a brand new puppy, I didn’t expect the recipe to come out as beautiful as it looked in the original photograph, but let me say even a little messy, it still was a big hit! It was easy to make (really!) and was as popular as regular lasagna, except because of the small portions, there was less leftovers and more choices for everyone.
I substituted the original recipe in two ways; for one half of my lasagna I used ground beef instead of turkey, because that’s what the kid prefers, and for the other half of my lasagna I was able to add a bit of tofu sliced up small for the vegetarian of the family (me). I used fresh oregano and basil which I think gives the sauce better flavor. I decided to use yellow onions for sweetness and baby bellas for that mushroom “kick.” We also ended up calling the recipe “Mini Lasagnas” because that caught on with the kid better.
Petite “Or Mini” Lasagnas Recipe
(makes 12)
Ingredients:
- 12 oz raw ground beef (lean)
- ¼ tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped mini bella mushrooms
- 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tsp fresh oregano, divided
- ½ tsp fresh basil
- 1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
- 24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, onions, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Or for vegetarian option, sauté onions, mushrooms, salt, pepper and tofu. Crumble the meat and sauté the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.
Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.
Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer. Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!
Nutrition Info for 1 mini-lasagna:
Calories: 181.2, Total Fat: 7.9g, Cholesterol: 41.9mg, Sodium: 389.5mg, Total Carb: 13.6g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 1.6g, Protein: 14.1g
Delicious and fun recipe, one of those ones I can let my kid help me assemble before it goes into the oven, which makes her much more inclined to eat it when it’s finished. This would be a great recipe for when friends come over (both adult and children friends) because everyone can help themselves to their own individual portion. It would be easy to assemble ahead of time, if you know you’ll be in a rush later. Great recipe, give it a try and let me know how it works out for you!
