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Lasagna Cups are filled to the max with delicious sauce and ooey-gooey cheese! They taste just like lasagna and they’re fun to eat!
Lasagna Cups | A Twist on a Classic
I have to tell you guys, I had a lot of fun with this recipe! Who doesn’t love a pasta cup filled with delicious sauce and ooey gooey cheese? I think I could say that EVERYONE falls under this category. Oh mama are these good.
If you like lasagna, then you will love these Lasagna Cups. Basically, this is just the super cute version of plain ol’ lasagna. All the same stuff you would typically see in the making of a regular lasagna recipe, just with a little more prep work. More or less, this is a method you can adopt while still using the lasagna recipe that everyone is used to. OR try my version out! Feel free to add in or omit anything you’d like. Make this your own. That’s the beauty of cooking! 🙂
Main Ingredients Needed
This may be a long list but oh it is worth it! Gather up these ingredients to make Lasagna Cups:
- Lasagna Pasta Sheets – this recipe won’t work with the pre-cooked or no-boil options. You’re just going to have to cook these babies al dente.
For the Red Sauce
- Olive Oil, Onion + Garlic – these three are the base of any great recipe. So much simple flavor.
- Ground Beef – I used lean ground beef, but you could also sub this out for ground turkey if you’re trying to eat healthier.
- Red Bell Pepper + Zucchini – two veggies that I sneak into this meal (don’t tell my kids!). You could also try sneaking in mushrooms or riced cauliflower.
- Tomato Paste, Tomato Sauce + Diced Tomatoes – tomatoes galore! This is a red sauce after all. And if you don’t like chunks of tomatoes try using petite diced tomatoes instead.
- Basil, Oregano + Bay Leaf – three seasonings that take this to the next level.
- Sugar – this cuts the acidity from the tomatoes. Don’t worry this doesn’t end up sweet.
- Salt + Pepper – and don’t forget to season as you go!
For the Cheese Filling
- Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread, Milk + Italian Seasoning – these three are the perfect substitute for the ‘Philadelphia Italian Herb & Cheese Cooking Cream’ I originally used for this recipe that is now discontinued!
- Parmesan, Mozzarella + Ricotta Cheese – three kinds of cheese for the max about of ooey-gooey meltiness.
- Pepper – season to taste.
- Egg – this is used as a binder for the rest of the ingredients.
How to Make Lasagna Cups
For full details on how to make Lasagna Cups, see the recipe card down below 🙂
Make the Red Sauce
Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onions, pepper, zucchini, and garlic until tender. 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. {The longer it cooks, the better it will taste!} This will be very thick.
Make the Cheese Filling
Stir all ingredients together excluding half of the grated mozzarella. Set aside.
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook lasagna sheets 2 minutes less than package directions and drain. Place lasagna on greased baking sheet until you are ready for assembly.
Assemble
Preheat oven. 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
Next cut 9 pasta sheets into quarters and press one of these pieces of pasta into the bottom on top of the sauce. Top pasta sheet with a generous tablespoon of sauce and then a generous tablespoon of cheese filling. Repeat this pasta-sauce-cheese layering one more time being sure to press out any air bubbles.
Bake
Top these lasagna cups off with a 3rd piece of pasta, more sauce, and the remaining mozzarella. Bake until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve hot.
Nervous About the Tops Getting Too Crispy?
I’ve got a simple solution for you! Cover your muffin tin with tin foil and bake as normal, then during the last five minutes take the tin foil off to ensure you melt the cheese on top. And that’s it!
More Lasagna Recipes to Try!
- Skillet Lasagna
- Cheesy Lasagna Dip
- Slow Cooker Lasagna
- White Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna
- Baked Rigatoni Pasta
- Classic Baked Ziti
- Chicken Lasagna
Don’t these Lasagna Cups scream “Eat me! Eat me!”? Hope you like this one, guys! We all certainly did!
The printable recipe card is down below 🙂
Lasagna Cups
Ingredients
for the 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
- 6 oz tomato paste 1 can
- 8 oz tomato sauce +1/2 can water to wash out can
- 14.5 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt & pepper to taste
for the cheese filling-
- 10 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread 1 tub
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese grated & divided
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
- 21 lasagne pasta sheets
Instructions
- 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.
- For the cheese filling- 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.
- 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
- Next cut 9 pasta sheets into quarters and press one of these pieces of pasta into the bottom on top of the sauce. Top pasta sheet with a generous tablespoon of sauce and then a generous tablespoon of cheese filling.
- 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.
[…] everything on Pinterest always look so amazing? I decided to have a go at these lasagna cups from Lauren’s Latest soon after I repinned the pin. There was the struggle when making them of having muffin tins too […]
This is sort of like the Lasagna Frittas at Olive Garden although it is deep fried.
I can’t get over how cute these are! I love the idea of individual serving lasagna. I will definitely be trying these in the future!
Quick question: When you originally “line the edges of the muffin tins with 1 pasta sheet per cup,” should the pasta cover the bottom of the tins or will it just be the edges and you will see the parchment paper on the bottom?
I am wondering the same thing…
Recipe says to cut noodles in squares to cover bottom, then another before the las top layer.
can’t you use a small cookie cutter
awesome idea! dinner time tonight for sure!!
I am going to make these for Christmas Eve. Yummy.
I LOVE this! I found this on pinterest! I’m going to try and make these soon 🙂
Those look amazing, my whole family will LOVE this!!! Thank you!
CANNOT Wait to cook these tonight! We have little get-togethers at friends’ houses regularly and I was looking for something different to make! SO EXCITED!
[…] bite of the moment: lasagna cups. absolutely genius… and may just prevent me from eating the whole pan of […]
I’m also wondering if they can be made ahead and then stuck in the oven the next day. Also wondering about another person’s question on the foil – has any one tried that and seen it work to keep the noodles soft? Thanks!
Yes, these can totally be made in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Then add about 15-20 minutes of extra cooking time. I haven’t tried the tented foil trick to keep the top noodle soft because I kind of liked them crunchy. Give it a whirl and let me know!! Thanks for your comment!
[…] Recipes that look amazing & I’m wanting to try! » pumpkin pancakes /// almond wheat crackers /// orange chicken style tofu /// lasagna cups […]
[…] Don’t these look fun to make? A twist on boring, old lasagna. The wise ones right now are thinking, “that looks like work, why not just make a lasagna.” Where were you when I needed you wise ones? So I proceed, as I read the directions on how to cut parchment paper squares, layer these bad boys by cutting little squares of the noodle, etc. After reading the directions 5 times and finally feeling ready to head to the kitchen, I was feeling pretty good. Here is the website if you are interested. https://laurenslatest.com/lasagna-cups/ […]
This recipe looks great! Do you think they could be made the night before, then popped in the oven right before dinner?
[…] fine folks at Lauren’s Latest gave us this quick and tasty idea to jazz up another perennial favorite. Check out their […]
Great idea! I can’t wait to make them. Thanks
I tried this and they are amazing! It took longer than I expected, but it would be a great thing to make with a group of friends or at a party. I’m going to try freezing them since it’s only my husband and I – we can’t eat all 12 in one night!! Thanks for sharing the recipe! It is wonderful!
Amber,
Did you ever try to freeze these? I do a lot of OAMC and would love to freeze these. Just wondering if it worked before I give it a whirl myself.
Thank you.
If you want to freeze things like this, only half cook them then freeze. My hubby is a chef and that’s what they do in restaurants. Pull it from the freezer and cook in the oven or microwave.
Wow! These look absolutely awesome! I have to add to my must-make list. Thanks for sharing!
[…] Meat Lasagna adapted from Kraft and Lauren’s Latest […]
Love these…your sauce recipe sounds amazing and I’ve been dying to try the cooking creams. I’ve made something similar to this but used wonton wrappers…
Delicious and a great presentation!
Thanks!
These are so cute! I love the presentation, can’t wait to make them 🙂
These were amazing! I cheated and used Spaghetti Sauce in a jar but this will become a dinner staple at our house. Thank you!
[…] Lasagna Cups […]
Will definitely have to try this! This is a great idea for ladies luncheons, baby showers, weddings, etc!
[…] Lasagna cups look yummie. […]
I made these tonight for my boyfriend and I for dinner. I made a few edits in the recipe (like using a full lb of beef and mushrooms instead of other veggies) and it wa really good. My boyfriend suggested to enclose it in foil next time to keep the cup soft and edible at the top. Anyone ever tried that?
WE LOVED IT!! THANKS!!
Funny, I just posted the same idea! lol
[…] this week I had lovely ladies over for dinner and I was very anxious to try out this recipe by Lauren at Lauren’s Latest. I’ve had it saved in my favorites under recipe’s […]
Does the Lasanga Noodle get hard on the top from baking? They look so delicious and easy.
The lasagna noodles do get hard on top from being exposed to the direct heat of the oven…its my only problem with this recipe!
Why can’t we put tin foil loosely over them as they bake? It’s worth a try!
you can combine a few tablespoons of evoo (olive oil) and a couple of tablespoons of the gravy (we Sicilians call “tomato sauce” – gravy 🙂 ) in a small bowl, take a brush and brush the tops (exposed) of the macaroni – you don’t have to soak the macaroni in it – a super light brushing will help. cover for 15 min with foil, then take it off the top to let the cheese get brown & bubbly 🙂
veryyyyyyyy veryyyyyyy good.
thanks
(i am iranian)
These look fabulous! Glad to have found you!
[…] July 30: my take on Mini Lasagnas. I made a vegetarian lasagna filling as I normally would and then made little […]
[…] across a delicious picture of lasagna cups. Intrigued, I clicked on the picture and was taken to Lauren’s Latest, where I found the recipe. Needless to say, I will be trying this out in the near to distant […]
These also work great with wonton wrappers layered in the muffin tin instead of real noodles 🙂 No parchment need.
Ooooh, I will try that!
These are really cute, and would be great for a party setting, when you don’t want to be dishing out messy servings from a casserole dish. I wonder…could you just use cupcake liners instead of parchment paper?
That’s a great idea! I’m going to try this for dinner tomorrow 🙂
I was thinking the same thing. I guess if we spray them first so they don’t stick or try to get “foil” cups?
Spraying is good. I tried it and placed two sheets of won ton wraps instead of lasgna sheets and it worked well.
those look so yummy. I will have to try them one night this week .
I just found your website and I cant wait to try these. Such a fun idea!!
[…] Lasagna Cups – Lauren's Latest […]
Wow these are so cute and look delicious! My boyfriend would LOVE these! 🙂 So glad I found your blog and happy to be your newest follower!
[…] Lasagna Cups by Lauren’s Latest […]
Give them to me, Lauren! They look so good!!
This is a super cool idea. I love it!
Yes, they did scream and I did succumb. They were all I hoped they would be! I love the little crunch at the top of the exposed noodle!
Truly one of Lauren’s Latest unique ideas! Lauren you’re getting better all the time.
Actually, I’ve seen lasagna cup recipes before. But Lauren is amazing, agreed.
Oh I love them!
And a perfect personal portion! 🙂
Wow. Those look so yummy! Thanks so much for sharing!
what a fun idea! I love it!!
Fabulous!
LOVE this idea!
Tried these with wonton wraps. two sheets per muffin tin. Came out very well.
Are the wonton wraps lighter than the pasta? My boyfriend has digestive problems and noodles can be too heavy for him.
How cute! We love lasagna!! I love the addition of the parchment paper squares. I will have to remember to do that the next time I make lasagna pinwheels in order to make clean-up a cinch! Do you think these would freeze well? I am looking for meals that can be made ahead and can be reheated in the microwave. We have teenagers who are always starving after track/tennis/football/etc. and end up eating a full meal as a “snack.” So anything that can be made ahed and stored in the freezer is a win-win situation as far as I’m concerned! (trust me we have NO leftovers no matter how much I make!!)
Peggy, I think these would freeze and reheat no problem! Just make sure you cook them all first completely and then freeze them. I’ve frozen lasagna and spaghetti sauce before and they reheated just fine in the microwave!
No need to cook it before freezing as I do it all the time when I make stuffed cannelloni with a marina sauce topping it off with shredded mozzarella. Cook at pre baked 325F oven frozen until knife goes into pasta easily, about 25-30 minutes
I can see the benefit to cooking these before freezing. Takes less time to prepare later.
Happy to have found your blog!
OH MY GOSH they look so delicious! Not a very good time for me to be looking at them while I’m fasting (and starving) for blood work today. Thanks for sharing Lauren!