Lasagna Cups

Here's a very easy dinner idea I wanted to share with you.

I was inspired by a recipe I found a while back, but the link doesn't seem to be working anymore.  I basically took the idea but made it way easier and adapted it for my family.

Ingredients:

• 1 package small square wonton wrappers*
• 1 lb. ground beef (you don't actually need the full amount)
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce (you'll only use about 1/3-1/2 of the jar)
• 1 small container cottage cheese
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella (depending on your preference)
• Parmesan, shredded or grated (optional)

*If you haven't used wonton wrappers before, they look like this:

At Walmart, they are located near the produce where there's a wall of refrigerated shelves.  They are next to the tofu (at my local store anyway).  At my other regular grocery store (Kroger), they are in the organic refrigerated section (just past the deli).  They come in small squares, large squares, and small circles.  I use them for several recipes.  For this recipe, I recommend these small square ones.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, breaking into small bits.
3. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
4. Place one wonton wrapper in each muffin cup, gently pressing it down to line the bottom (and part of the sides) of each cup.
5. Spoon a small amount (about 1 tablespoon or slightly less) of cottage cheese into the bottom of each wonton wrapper.
6. Cover cottage cheese with a bit of the ground beef.
7. Spoon spaghetti sauce over beef layer.
8. Sprinkle mozzarella over sauce.
9. Press another wonton wrapper on top of each layered cup.  I like to rotate the second wrapper so the corners of the square wrapper line up in between the corners of the bottom wrapper (did that make sense?).  Press enough that this second wrapper has the general cup shape.
10. Repeat the layers once more:  cottage cheese, ground beef, sauce, mozzarella.  If you would like, add a bit of Parmesan on the very top.
11. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until heated through and corners of wonton wrappers are brown.

Here's a visual of how it all goes down:

 

 

 

 

 

(You may have noticed that I made one lasagna cup different.  Griffin doesn't like spaghetti sauce, so I just skipped that layer on his lasagna cup.)

These are yummy and easy.  You could try all sort of variations, like substituting Italian sausage for ground beef or ricotta for cottage cheese.  You can even take the idea and make it Mexican by using taco seasoning with the ground beef, changing the cheese, eliminating the cottage cheese and spaghetti sauce (obviously), and adding your favorite taco/fajita toppings.

Enjoy!

Jessica