Delicious Easy Party Lasagne

I am a great fan of lasagne, however, I hate making lasagne for the sheer fact that it

takes so long... *tick--tock--tick--tock*.  Also, the mess that I make; I practically use every pot and pan in the kitchen.  My sink overflows and it looks like a disaster area.

The other day I was looking for some new recipes that I could incorporate using my muffin pan -- thinking outside the box! I came across a recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers and, I don't know why, the image of mini lasagnes popped up.

Ba-r-r-r-ring! If I use already made little pasta pockets (a.k.a. ravioli), then I might layer them with sauce, cheese and other yummy ingredients and bake! Will it work?
After some more thought, I gathered that I would have to have something to hold these little lasagnes together for easy removal.  Paper liners....NO...foil muffin liners, the paper ones would become soggy and tear and the foil would be sturdy enough to hold up to the wettnes of the sauce. Excellent!

Here is what I did:

Ingrendients & Equipment/supplies:

• 12 cup muffin pan (regular size)
• 12 foil muffin cup liners (remove the paper liners and use only the foil)
• 1, 24 oz. jar or prepared pasta sauce (I used Garlic & Herb flavored)
• 12 frozen beef ravaoli
• 12 frozen cheese ravaoli
• 2 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend cheese (or mozerella cheese)
• 48-50 baby spinach leaves (These are small-ish and I left them whole and removed the stems.)
• 6 quart pot & 4 cups boiling water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Fork, strainer (or slotted spoon), hot pads, timer, oven.

Directions:

1. Insert the foil liners into the muffin pan. Set aside.
   
   I forgot to remove the paper liners and that was a BIG mistake. They got soggy! Next time I will remember to take them out!
2. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
3. Bring water to boil in the pot.
4. Keep the beef and cheese ravioli separate. Boil all 12 cheese raviolis and then all 12 beef raviolis. Remove them from the boiling water with a strainer or slotted spoon. (I boiled each batch for 5 minutes.) Make sure to set them aside on different plates...mark with a napkin which plate is beef and which plate is cheese.
5. When ravioli is cooked, begin the layering process as follows:
1. 1 Tablespoon sauce in the bottom of each muffin cup (in the foil liner)
   
2. 1 beef ravioli in each cup.
   
3. 2 - 3 baby spinach leaves in each cup.
   
4. 1 tablespoon or so of shredded cheese in each cup.
   
5. Start again, 1 Tablespoon sauce in each cup.
   
6. Now use the cheese ravioli and place on top as next layer in each cup.
   
7. A couple more baby spinach leaves in each cup. (I skipped this by accident.)
8. 1 Tablespoon cheese (I didn't take pictures of these layers. I figured you understand the process by now.) 
9. 1 Tablespoon sauce in each cup.
10. Last layer: top with a tablespoon or so of cheese in each cup.
    
11. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 400F degrees.
12. Remove from oven and let them set for about 5 - 10 minutes.
13. Use a fork to lift the muffin cups out and onto a plate...careful the sauce might spill a bit and it is HOT!
    

Serve with garlic toast, or my family's favorite, garlic cheese biscuits!

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 1.5 minutes at medium-high power.

These are super for a parties. Also, you can make these ahead of time for a fast dinner.

If you let these completely cool, leave them in the muffin pan, freeze them, then remove them and bag tow of them in baggies and freeze them for a fast dinner.

REHEAT from frozen at high power for 2 minutes.

NOTE: You might try making a bigger individual lasagne by using ramakins. Follow the same steps and add two raviolis of each of the beef and cheese and follow the layering process! 

Enjoy!