Lasagna Cups

4.80 from 64 votes

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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 in a muffin tin

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! 🙂

collage showing how to layer lasagna cups

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.
top down view of baked lasagna cups in a muffin tin

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.

Lasagna Cups...a new way to enjoy lasagna for dinner. Perfect for pasta night!!

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!

Lasagna Cups...a new way to enjoy lasagna for dinner. Perfect for pasta night!!

More Lasagna Recipes to Try!

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...a new way to enjoy lasagna for dinner. Perfect for pasta night!!
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4.80 from 64 votes

Lasagna Cups

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!
servings 12 Cups
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 472mg | Potassium: 554mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1126IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 250mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: lasagna cups

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333 Responses
  1. Lasagna Cups – Day #3 « jellybeanstripe

    […] 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 […]

  2. megan {a dash of megnut}

    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!

  3. Melissa

    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?

  4. Renee

    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!

  5. of the moment {11.26.11} | The Daily Crumb

    […] bite of the moment:  lasagna cups.  absolutely genius… and may just prevent me from eating the whole pan of […]

  6. Caitlyn

    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!

    1. Lauren

      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!

  7. Weekly Love | Working Out & Eating In

    […] Recipes that look amazing & I’m wanting to try! » pumpkin pancakes /// almond wheat crackers /// orange chicken style tofu /// lasagna cups […]

  8. Let’s Be Real | Tim and Debra

    […] 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/ […]

  9. Not Your Mama’s Muffins | Mom's Pantry

    […] fine folks at  Lauren’s Latest gave us this quick and tasty idea to jazz up another perennial favorite.   Check out their […]

  10. Amber

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Cassy

      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.

      1. Bec

        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.

  11. Amy

    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!

  12. Shan

    5 stars
    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!!

  13. Top of the Muffin to You! « Uncharted

    […] 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 […]

    1. Jana Goodwin

      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!

      1. Andrea

        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 🙂

  14. Vegetarian July, Final Week (and a half) | Our Little Geekling

    […] July 30: my take on Mini Lasagnas. I made a vegetarian lasagna filling as I normally would and then made little […]

  15. Lasagna Cups « i before e

    […] 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 […]

  16. Janelle

    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?

  17. Kelly

    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!

  18. Marilyn Brennan

    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!

      1. Nadine

        Are the wonton wraps lighter than the pasta? My boyfriend has digestive problems and noodles can be too heavy for him.

  19. Peggy

    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!!)

    1. Lauren

      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!

      1. Lyne

        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

      2. Carol Halgrimson

        I can see the benefit to cooking these before freezing. Takes less time to prepare later.
        Happy to have found your blog!

  20. Kathy Prine

    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!

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