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Lasagna Muffins

Easy Lasagna Cups Recipe: Your Go-To Mini Italian Appetizer & Finger Food

Prepare to delight your taste buds with these incredibly delicious and surprisingly simple lasagna cups! Imagine all the rich, comforting flavors of classic Italian lasagna, perfectly portioned into flaky, golden phyllo cups. This recipe transforms traditional lasagna into an elegant, bite-sized appetizer or a fun side dish that’s perfect for entertaining, parties, or even a quick weeknight meal. Featuring a savory homemade bolognese sauce, creamy melted mozzarella, and a sprinkle of salty Parmesan and aromatic Italian herbs, these mini lasagna cups are guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

There’s something truly special about Italian comfort food, and a well-made lasagna holds a top spot in many hearts. The fragrant tomato sauce, subtly sweet and brimming with tender minced beef, melts deliciously on your tongue. The mozzarella provides that signature chewy texture and mild, creamy flavor we all love, while the sharp Parmesan and fragrant Italian herbs baked into a crisp phyllo shell elevate the entire experience. Best of all, these delightful morsels are served in a convenient phyllo dough cup, making them the ultimate finger food. Get ready to impress with minimal effort – this recipe is as easy as it gets!

Why You’ll Adore This Lasagna Cups Recipe

These mini lasagna cups aren’t just delicious; they’re also incredibly practical and versatile. Here’s why they’ll become a staple in your recipe collection:

  • Perfect Portion Control: Each cup is a delightful individual serving, making it easy to manage portions and avoiding the messy cutting of traditional lasagna.
  • Fantastic Finger Food: Ideal for parties, potlucks, or game nights. No forks required! Guests can easily grab a cup and mingle.
  • Speedy Preparation: With just 15 minutes of prep time and 35 minutes of cooking, you can have these gourmet-looking appetizers ready in under an hour.
  • Bursting with Flavor: All the classic Italian flavors you crave – rich bolognese, gooey mozzarella, sharp Parmesan, and aromatic herbs – are packed into every bite.
  • Crispy Texture: The delicate phyllo dough bakes up to a beautiful golden crisp, providing a wonderful contrast to the soft, cheesy filling.
  • Easy to Customize: Adapt the bolognese to your liking or experiment with vegetarian fillings, different cheeses, or added vegetables.
  • Kid-Friendly: Their mini size and familiar flavors make them a hit with children, encouraging them to enjoy a taste of Italy.

Key Ingredients for Perfect Mini Lasagna Cups

Creating these delectable lasagna cups relies on a few core ingredients that come together to form a symphony of Italian flavors. Let’s break down what makes each component essential:

For the Flavorful Bolognese Sauce:

  • Garlic: The aromatic foundation of any good Italian sauce. Finely chopped, it infuses the sauce with a pungent and sweet flavor that is irreplaceable.
  • Passata: This smooth, strained tomato puree provides a rich, concentrated tomato base without the seeds or skins, ensuring a silky sauce.
  • Tomato Paste: A key ingredient for intensifying tomato flavor. Frying it briefly before adding liquids caramelizes its sugars, deepening the overall taste of the sauce.
  • Sugar: Just a touch of sugar helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, enhancing their natural sweetness and creating a well-rounded sauce.
  • Dried Italian Herbs: A blend of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary brings the quintessential Italian aroma and taste to your bolognese, making it truly authentic.
  • Minced Beef: Lean ground beef browned and incorporated into the tomato sauce forms the hearty, savory core of a traditional bolognese, providing protein and texture.
  • Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning, these humble ingredients bring out and enhance all the other flavors, making the sauce truly pop.

For the Delightful Lasagna Cups:

  • Phyllo Dough Sheets: This delicate, paper-thin pastry is the secret to the crispy, light “shell” of our lasagna cups. Brushing with olive oil ensures it bakes up golden and flaky. Ensure it’s thawed properly before use.
  • Olive Oil: Used to brush the phyllo dough, it helps crisp up the pastry and adds a subtle, fruity flavor. It’s also used to sauté the aromatics for the bolognese.
  • Mozzarella: The queen of Italian cheeses for a reason! Its creamy texture and excellent melting properties create that irresistible gooey, cheesy layer within each cup.
  • Grated Cheese (Parmesan recommended): A sprinkle of sharp, salty Parmesan on top provides a beautiful golden crust and a depth of flavor that complements the richness of the bolognese and mozzarella.

Recipe Lasagna Cups

mini lasagne cups

📖 Recipe

RECIPE CARD

mini lasagne cups
Lasagna Cups



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Andréa

These creamy lasagna cups are a delightful Italian finger food. Packed with flavorful homemade bolognese sauce, creamy melted mozzarella, salty Parmesan cheese, and aromatic Italian herbs, all nestled in a crispy phyllo cup.


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5 of 3 votes
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Prep Time

15
Cook Time

35
Total Time

50

Course
Appetizers and Snacks, Side Dish
Cuisine
Italian

Servings

12 cups
Calories

244 kcal

Equipment

  • A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
  • Cupcake and muffin pan
  • Frying pan
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients

Bolognese sauce




  • 1 clove garlic , finely chopped



  • 200 grams passata



  • 30 grams tomato paste



  • 1 teaspoon sugar



  • 2 teaspoons Italian herbs, dried



  • 200 grams minced beef



  • salt and pepper , to taste

Lasagna cups




  • 12 sheets phyllo dough



  • 50 ml olive oil



  • 250 grams mozzarella



  • 100 grams cheese, grated



  • 2 teaspoons Italian herbs

All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.

Instructions



  1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350°F). If using a convection oven, reduce the temperature by 20°C (30°F).


  2. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with olive oil or cooking spray. This helps prevent the phyllo from sticking.

Bolognese sauce



  1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and fry for about two minutes, stirring constantly to deepen its flavor and color.


  2. Stir in the finely chopped garlic and cook for another 15 seconds, continuing to stir to prevent it from burning.


  3. Pour the passata into the pan. Stir in the sugar and dried Italian herbs. Reduce the heat to low.


  4. Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and deepen.


  5. In a separate pan, brown the minced beef over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spoon until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat.


  6. Stir the browned minced beef into the simmering tomato sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste, adjusting as needed.

Lasagna cups



  1. Carefully unroll the phyllo dough. Take one sheet and cut it in half, lengthwise.


  2. Brush one half-sheet of phyllo with a thin layer of olive oil using a pastry brush. Place the second half-sheet on top and brush with olive oil as well. Gently press these two oiled phyllo halves into one of the prepared muffin cups, allowing the edges to extend over the rim. Repeat for all 12 cups.


  3. Place a small piece of mozzarella (approximately 2 cm in diameter) at the bottom of each phyllo-lined muffin cup.


  4. Spoon a generous amount of the bolognese sauce over the mozzarella, filling each phyllo cup almost completely.


  5. Continue this process, filling all 12 muffin cups with the phyllo, mozzarella, and bolognese.


  6. Evenly sprinkle the grated cheese (Parmesan) over the tops of all the lasagna cups, and then lightly dust with additional Italian herbs.


  7. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden brown and crispy, and the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve these delightful mini lasagna cups immediately and enjoy!

Nutrition


Calories: 244kcal


Carbohydrates: 13g


Protein: 11g


Fat: 16g


Saturated Fat: 7g


Cholesterol: 37mg


Sodium: 310mg


Fiber: 1g


Sugar: 2g


Vitamin A: 359IU


Vitamin C: 2mg


Iron: 2mg

Keyword
lasagna cups, mini lasagna, phyllo cup recipe, Italian appetizer, finger food

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Tips for Perfect Lasagna Cups

Even though this recipe is straightforward, a few tips can ensure your lasagna cups turn out perfectly every time:

  • Handle Phyllo Dough with Care: Phyllo dough is very delicate and dries out quickly. Keep the unused sheets covered with a damp cloth while you’re working.
  • Don’t Skimp on Olive Oil: Brushing each layer of phyllo with olive oil is crucial for creating that wonderful crispy, golden texture. It also helps prevent the layers from sticking together.
  • Avoid Overfilling: Be mindful not to overfill the phyllo cups with bolognese, as this can lead to spillage during baking and a soggy bottom. Leave a little room for the cheese topping.
  • Even Browning: Keep an eye on the cups during the last few minutes of baking. Ovens can vary, and you want the phyllo to be golden brown and the cheese to be bubbly, not burnt.
  • Let Them Cool Slightly: While tempting to dive in immediately, letting the cups cool for 5-10 minutes after baking allows the filling to set slightly, making them easier to handle and preventing burnt tongues.

Variations & Customizations

This lasagna cup recipe is highly adaptable. Feel free to get creative with your fillings and toppings:

  • Vegetarian Option: Skip the minced beef and use finely chopped mushrooms, lentils, or a mix of vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and carrots for a hearty vegetarian bolognese.
  • Spicy Kick: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to your bolognese sauce for a little heat.
  • Different Cheeses: While mozzarella and Parmesan are classic, you can experiment with other Italian cheeses like ricotta (mixed into the bolognese or as a separate layer), provolone, or a blend of Italian shredded cheeses.
  • Add Veggies: Finely diced spinach, finely chopped onions, or grated carrots can be incorporated into the bolognese sauce for added nutrition and flavor.
  • Herbs: Fresh basil or parsley can be added as a garnish after baking for a burst of fresh flavor.

Serving Suggestions

These versatile lasagna cups can be served in a variety of ways:

  • Appetizer: Arrange them on a platter for an impressive finger food at parties, gatherings, or as a sophisticated starter.
  • Side Dish: They make a wonderful accompaniment to a main course, such as grilled chicken or a simple steak.
  • Light Meal: Pair a few lasagna cups with a fresh green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette for a satisfying and easy meal.
  • Kid-Friendly Dinner: Kids love these! Serve them with a side of steamed vegetables for a complete meal.

Storage and Reheating

These lasagna cups are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but leftovers can be stored and reheated:

  • Storage: Allow the lasagna cups to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
  • Reheating: Reheat in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for about 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through and the phyllo has crisped up again. You can also microwave them, but the phyllo may lose some of its crispness.

Conclusion

These Easy Lasagna Cups are a testament to how simple ingredients can come together to create something truly extraordinary. Whether you’re planning a sophisticated appetizer spread, looking for a fun new side dish, or just craving a convenient bite of Italian comfort, this recipe delivers on all fronts. With their crisp phyllo shells, rich bolognese, and gooey cheese, these mini lasagnas are sure to become a cherished favorite. Give them a try and savor the delightful flavors of Italy in every perfect cup!