Lasagna Bites

Marvelous little bites to have around the house or in the freezer.  A group of them can make a nice light dinner with a salad and crusty bread or they can be served at a party or they can be handed out to starving children after school.  Recently I did all of the above in the same day.  I doubled the recipe and even have a nice stash in the freezer.   These bites can be popped back into a mini muffin tin and reheated in the oven.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 eggplant cut into small cubes

1 jar marinara sauce (recipe to make this from scratch coming soon)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 package round wonton wrappers (found in produce section)

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

Basil for (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Brown the beef and drain, then add the diced eggplant and cook until soft.  Stir in the marinara sauce and salt and pepper and reduce heat to low.  Let simmer as long as you possibly can while you go about your business.  An hour or more is wonderful, but 30 minutes is sufficient.  In a small bowl mix one whole egg into the ricotta and set aside.

Using a non-stick mini muffin tin (if necessary spray with cooking spray depending on your tin), then begin by pressing each wonton wrapper inside each muffin tin.  Begin layering each bite with a small amount (one teaspoon) of sauce on the bottom, followed by a small amount of ricotta, then sauce again.  The sauce should be a little bit chunky, but this will keep the bites from being too soft.  No one ever notices the eggplant which gives the sauce a rich flavor and adds more nutrients.   Sprinkle the top with a generous amount of both mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake for 18-20 minuets or until golden brown on top.  Allow to cool slightly then pop out using a knife to cut around the edges as needed.

Photo by Siena Thomas 🙂