No, these aren't actually cupcakes. But they are individually-sized lasagne, made with a simple yet brilliant ingredient. Do you know what it is?
Wonton wrappers! Little pasta-like sheets that are just the right size for a muffin pan.
Kate of the great blog Framed came up with these small cups of lasagna. She cut circles out of wonton wrappers so they would fit neatly into the muffin pan (although, honestly, we think you could dispense with this step) and then layered them with lasagna filling. You don't even have to cook the wonton wrappers; you can find them pre-cooked in the refrigerated section of your local supermarket or Asian grocery.
These look so much easier and simpler than normal lasagna, and also so much nicer for a lunchbox. Big, messy, sloppy pieces of homemade lasagna are delicious but often a little more difficult to cut and eat at the office. These are pretty brilliant, if you ask us!
• Get the recipe: Lasagna Cupcakes at Framed
Have you ever made lasagna in a muffin pan?
Related: How To Make Lasagna
(Image: Kate Morgan Jackson/Framed)
(Originally published August 24, 2010)
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LOVE this idea. I also think this is a great idea for the lil'ones as well. Thank you!
OMG LOVE this idea!!!
this is pretty genius.
This looks like a really good idea for packed lunches! I wonder if soaked no-boil noodles would work...
That's crazy! I made these as appetizers for a shower. :) Except I didn't layer mine, but great idea!
I guessed it right ^_^
This is great because I could make meat ones for me and vegetarian for my husband! Just need two bowls of sauce. Always looking for easily adaptable things like this!
Or you can use gyoza/pot sticker/dumpling wrappers... which are already round
This is what I'm talking about! Pasta is king and kids love baked pasta.
www.kitchencorners.com
These would be great stacked into individual silicon muffin liners- talk about a portable lunch!
Wouldn't this work better with a single rolled out sheet of fresh pasta? Or one for the base and one for the lid at least.
I'm not sure I understand the point of this-- it's too messy to pick up and eat like a muffin, and you'd still have to stick it in some sort of container to bring to work.
Slicing a lasagna into squares is a hell of a lot easier than making a bunch of mini lasagnas (and having to clean the crevices of a muffin tin afterward).
I think I would just use a fresh sheet of pasta cut with a biscuit cutter but LOVE this idea! this would be a perfect thing to make and freeze
We made these yesterday and they turned out awesome! They were pretty easy (maybe even weeknight easy) and very tasty.
These look like a lot of fun. I'm the only lasagna lover in my family and I could freeze these to have whenever I wanted! Using either the wonton wrappers or cutting pasta with a biscuit cutter sound like great ideas. I love this site!! :)
Ok, I did it!! :) I made some using the round wonton wrappers and they are amazingly tasty. I made mine with ground buffalo because I have cholesterol issues but they are still very good. I think these would be a great project for kids just learning to cook. They aren't a lot of work and they'd be a fun thing to serve at a sleepover. http://www.flickr.com/photos/47819282@N07/4947113828/ Thanks again for sharing this recipe!!
we made these on monday and they were great! i didn't bother to cut the wonton wrappers down and love the extra crunch edge at the top and the filling was totally enclosed at the bottom making it a yummy and neat little package!
Wow, this is an ingenious little recipe, and one kids would enjoy making. And since you're using your choice of favorite sauce, how can it help but be a winner 4 dinner?
Meh. Too much trouble to futz with muffin cups. I don't like food that's too cute.
What's so hard about making a pan of lasagna and cutting it into squares, for the little ones or grown-ups?
Hmmm... this could be another great use for my silicone baking cups. Those are useless for baking, but do great as lunch holders for miniquiche. I bet lasagna would work wonderfully in them!
I love this idea and to help minimize the mess, they make foil muffin tins. Regular lasagne is just so, square.
Oh my gosh. This post is SO timely...I've spent an entire month agonizing about how inferior square-shaped pieces of lasagna are and what a pain it is to go to all the work of making the lasagna AND THEN have to cut it! Ugh! My fingers are crabbing up just thinking about it!
It will definitely make a HUGE difference to be able to put ROUND pieces of lasagna in a container to take to work rather than those pesky shapes with sharp edges.
I recently tried the version of this posted at Can You Stay for Dinner and, I have to say, it is a different beast than a regular lasagna. The wonton wrapper crisped up a bit around the edges, so the lasagna held a shape better as you were eating it. And, if you let it sit in the muffin tin and cool a bit before serving, you could actually pop it out and pick it up with your hands. So, is it worth it for regular meals? Probably not, but it's great for potlucks and parties.
Giada made these a while ago on her show.
An Ina Garten lasagna method: Just soak the pasta in a bowl of hot water and they will be soft enough to work with an not nearly the mess. It works!
i've done this once before -- i found the wonton wrappers to be be really gummy, in a really unappealing way. i have thought if i were to ever do it again, i'd try and par-bake the wrappers before putting in the filling.
that being said, it is a fun way to eat lasagna, and super easy to pop in the freezer and take out for lunch individually over time.