Lasagna “Cupcakes”

I love these mini lasagnas. They’re cuter, more fun to serve and eat, and take a lot less time to bake than a traditional pan of lasagna, but they have all the same flavors. I also like that the pasta layer is actually won ton wrappers, so they’re lighter and you don’t feel as guilty eating them. (If you’ve never bought won ton wrappers before, they’re typically in the produce department of grocery stores, in the refrigerated section.) These are a favorite for a weeknight meal or as a heavy hors d’oeuvre, and it’s easy to make them vegetarian by omitting the meat sauce and using marinara instead. 

Lasagna "Cupcakes"
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 packs of won ton wrappers (72 sheets total) (cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or tops of a drinking glass, optional)
For the Meat Sauce
  1. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
  2. 1 lb. ground beef
  3. 1/2 an onion, diced
  4. 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
  5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  6. 2 cloves minced garlic
  7. 2 teaspoons dried basil
  8. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  9. 2 teaspoons sugar
  10. 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cheese
  1. 15 oz. ricotta cheese
  2. 1 egg, beaten
  3. 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  4. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  6. Ground black pepper
For topping
  1. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  2. 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any liquid, and season with salt and ground black pepper.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic, basil, and oregano, and sauté until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, and salt, increase heat to medium-high, and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and with an immersion blender, puree until smooth (or, working in batches, carefully puree in a blender). Once sauce is smooth, return pan to low heat and stir in tomato paste. Add sauce to the cooked beef, and gently stir to combine.
  4. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, and black pepper.
  5. Spray two muffin pans with cooking spray. Layer in each, 1 won ton round, 1 tablespoon of meat sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture. Repeat layers once. Then add the third won ton round, top with a tablespoon of sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and let rest in pan for 5 minutes before serving. Use a fork to gently pop each lasagna out of the pan.
Notes
  1. If you prefer to use store-bought sauce, you'll need about 3 cups.
Adapted from Tablespoon
Adapted from Tablespoon
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Shrimp Tacos With Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Cream

I love any type of fish tacos, one of my favorites being Fish Tacos With Watermelon Salsa. The combination of the spicy fish and the sweet, juicy fruit works so well together. So I adapted that recipe to use shrimp and pineapple and whipped up some avocado cream to top the tacos. They were so light and full of flavor! This recipe will definitely be a summertime staple.

 

Shrimp Tacos With Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Cream
Serves 4
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Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
5 min
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
5 min
For the Pineapple Salsa
  1. 2 cups diced pineapple
  2. 1/3 cup diced red onion
  3. 1 tablespoon lime juice
  4. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped
  6. Pinch of salt and pepper
For the Avocado Cream
  1. 1 large avocado, roughly chopped
  2. 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  3. 1 tablespoon lime juice
  4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  5. Pinch pepper
For the Shrimp
  1. 1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  2. 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  4. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  5. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  6. 1 teaspoon chili powder
  7. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  8. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  9. 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  10. 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
For Serving
  1. 8 corn tortillas
  2. Chopped romaine lettuce
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the salsa. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. In a food processor, combine the ingredients for the avocado cream. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, and cover and refrigerate.
  3. In a large bowl, add the shrimp. Toss with the olive oil and seasoning blend.
  4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until firm and no longer translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. To serve, warm the tortillas in the microwave, the oven, or a skillet. Add some chopped lettuce and about 4 shrimp to each tortilla, and top with salsa and avocado cream.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Lamb Gyros

I wish I could take credit for this recipe because, OMG, it’s so good, but it comes from Alton Brown (minus the tzatziki recipe). I’m a huge fan of gyros, and this is as close to the real thing you can get by making them at home. The recipe is a little time-consuming, so plan ahead and make sure you give yourself enough time — it’s so worth the effort. 

Lamb Gyros
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Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
30 min
Cook Time
1 hr 15 min
For the Meat
  1. 1 pound ground lamb
  2. 1 pound ground beef
  3. 1 medium onion, chopped
  4. 3 cloves minced garlic
  5. 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
  6. 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
  7. 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  8. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Tzatziki
  1. 16 oz. plain Greek yogurt
  2. 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated on a box grater (put in a colander for about 30 minutes to drain extra liquid from cucumber or squeeze with hands)
  3. 1 clove of garlic, finely grated or mashed to a paste
  4. Half of a small white onion, finely chopped
  5. Juice from half of a lemon
  6. 1 teaspoon of dried dill
  7. Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
  1. Tzatziki
  2. Shredded lettuce
  3. Thinly sliced onion
  4. Chopped tomato
For the Tzatziki
  1. Mix together all of the ingredients.
  2. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
For the Meat
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, pulse the onion several times. Scrape them into a tea towel and gently squeeze out and discard as much liquid as possible.
  3. *Return the onion to the food processor and add the remaining ingredients. Turn on and process until the ingredients have combined into a paste-like mix, scraping down the sides as needed.
  4. Scrape mixture into a loaf pan, and gently press evenly into the pan.
  5. Place the loaf pan in a water bath (set it in a 9x13-inch cake pan and add about 2 inches of water to the cake pan), and bake for 60-75 minutes, until the meat mixture reaches 160 to 175 degrees.
  6. Remove the loaf pan from the oven, and gently pour off any grease.
  7. Place on a cooling rack.
  8. Wrap a brick with foil, and place it directly on top of the meat for about 15-20 minutes to compress the loaf and allow it to continue cooking. If you don't have a brick, remove the meat from the loaf pan, wrap it in aluminum foil, and set a heavy cast iron pan on top of it.
  9. Cut the meat into thin slices.
  10. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add the slices of lamb. Brown on both sides (about 3 minutes per side).
  11. Serve in a warmed pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, and tzatziki.
Notes
  1. *If your food processor isn't large enough for all of the ingredients at one time, divide them all in half and work in two batches.
  2. *To freeze: Allow loaf of meat to cool completely. Cut in half, wrap each with foil, and place in a resealable bag. Defrost before slicing and browning in pan to serve.
Adapted from Alton Brown
Adapted from Alton Brown
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/