Need an appetizer for your next dinner party? I found this post from CatchingFireflies and thought they were pure Italian genius: mini lasagnas. If you have any experience with lasagna, you know it can be a.) time consuming and b.) a pretty heavy meal but these mini lasagnas are a perfect solution if you want to serve something quick and easy! Heck, we had some for dinner last night so they work as an entree too!Here's what you'll need:
* Ricotta cheese
* Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
* Parmesan cheese
* Won ton wraps (these were hard to find at first - look near the cheese/dairy/tofu aisle - I used 6 oz. to make 12)
* Italian seasoning
* Marinara sauce (I used some with meat in it but you could add ground beef or sausage separately, if you wanted)
Start by preheating your oven to 375 and spraying PAM on the inside of your cupcake pan. This will help a lot when removing the mini lasagnas after you've baked them in the oven.
Next, carefully place your won ton wrapper inside the tin. I found it helped to cover the opening and then using my two index fingers, gently pressing down.
Add a small spoonful of marinara sauce as your first layer, then top with a small spoonful of ricotta cheese.
Then add your mozzarella cheese. You can add your Italian seasonings and parmesan cheese here as well, but I forgot (whoops!) and did it at the end.
Grab another won top wrap and carefully press it down, so you can do it all over again.
Add a spoonful of sauce, a spoonful of ricotta cheese, a little mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and finally some Italian seasoning.
Place them in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the won ton wraps are nice and crispy!
Give them about 5 minutes to cool before removing them from the pan (I used a knife to scrape around the edges first before lifting them out). They're much more crunchy than regular lasagna, but perhaps they're healthier because you're not using lasagna noodles? In any case, they're definitely filling. I was able to eat 2, my husband had 4, so be sure to pace yourself when eating these - you'll want to gobble them up before your stomach knows it's full!
TOTAL COSTS: About $13 to make 12 mini lasagnas
$3.49 for ricotta cheese
$2.99 for mozzarella cheese
$3.19 for won ton wraps
$.99 for Italian seasoning
$2.50 for marinara meat sauce
Parmesan cheese already on hand (and really, it's just a sprinkle)
TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 38 minutes
15 minutes to prep
18 minutes to bake
5 minutes to cool
EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
As I said, these are the easiest, fastest, and most delicious appetizers I think I've ever made. Just make sure you don't burn them!
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