Easy Individual Mini Lasagnas {Freezer-Friendly!}

Freezer-Friendly Individual Mini Lasagnas

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 2 Tablespoons minced dried onion (optional)
• 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 3 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 72 ounces spaghetti sauce (3 24-ounce jars)
• 24 ounces cottage cheese (about 2 3/4 cups)
• 30 ounces ricotta cheese (about 3 1/4 cups)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs
• 18 ounces oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken in half
• 2 pounds mozzarella cheese (1 pound thinly sliced, the other pound shredded)
• Mini Foil Pans

Brown ground beef with minced onions in a large pan. When meat is cooked, drain off fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, basil, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley, and Italian seasoning.

In another bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon parsley, and eggs.

Spread a layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the mini foil pans. Layer uncooked noodles, sliced cheese, cottage cheese mixture, and meat mixture as desired, ending with meat mixture. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered lasagnas at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese is somewhat crispy. Let cool, cover pans securely with foil, and freeze.

To prepare, bake uncovered, frozen lasagnas at 350 degrees for 1 hour. You can also prepare the lasagnas in the microwave. Pop them out of the foil pans, place on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes. (You may need to thaw them slightly in order to be able to remove them from the pans.)

NOTE: The lasagna is NOT fully cooked after 35 minutes, so if you are planning to eat immediately, you need to cook it for a longer time (and probably cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent the cheese from burning).

I’ve layered lasagnas all different ways with good results. Basically you just want to make sure each layer of noodles has a even amount of the meat or cheese mixture covering it. For easier handling and to prevent oven spills, place lasagna pans on cookie sheets.

Yields: 13-15 mini lasagnas