Bake Your Leftover Meatballs Into A Lasagna For A Fun, Fast Dinner

When you think of homemade meatballs, the first meal that comes to mind is probably spaghetti. A pile of fresh pasta topped with homemade meatballs and tangy marinara sauce is hearty and satisfying, and also pretty easy to make. The trifecta of pasta or bread, meat, and sauce is just as good in other forms, however, like meatball subs and meatball pizza. It's nice to make a double batch of meatballs if you're making them from scratch because they freeze well and they're a crowd-pleaser. But if you've made a big batch of meatballs and sauce, and you don't think you can get your family to go for another night of spaghetti, don't put the meatballs in the freezer just yet. It's very easy to convert last night's dinner into tonight's yummy lasagna.

If you've got a pot full of meatballs and marinara sauce left over, you've already got a huge head start on making lasagna. The only other ingredients you'll need are no-boil lasagna noodles, shredded Italian cheese, ricotta, and some grated parmesan. You can add also add veggies if you'd like, but the basic process is the same. In fact, you can skip storing your meatballs after dinner and prep your lasagna on the same night. Next time dinner rolls around, you'll have a lasagna waiting in the wings and all you have to do is bake it.

Lasagna, especially made from scratch, is one of those meals that seems like it takes a long time, but it's really just a pasta casserole when you really think about it. The key is to make sure that everything you put into the layers is flavorful, and when it all bakes together it's delicious. This will be no problem if you've already made a batch of homemade meatballs and marinara sauce. To incorporate them into a lasagna, all you need to do is fish out the meatballs and slice them up. When you're ready to assemble your lasagna, layer some marinara on the bottom of the pan, then some no-bake lasagna noodles or fresh pasta sheets, then add a layer of sliced meatballs, some ricotta and shredded Italian cheese, and then another layer of sauce. Repeat until you fill up the lasagna pan, then top it all with more shredded cheese and grated parmesan.

The no-boil noodles, or fresh pasta sheets, are key here because everything else is already cooked so you don't need to bake your meatball lasagna for very long, which could overcook regular lasagna noodles. Once you have it all assembled, you only need to bake it for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the top starts to brown and the edges are bubbling.

If you want to add some more flavors and fiber to your meatball lasagna, try sneaking some veggies in between the layers. Also, if you don't have quite enough meatballs for a whole lasagna, or you want to use a little less meat, you can alternate layers with vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, or broccoli to bulk things up. Just make sure that any dense vegetables you use are par-cooked before you layer them into the lasagna, like broccoli or carrots.

Uncooked lasagna freezes very well, so if you have all the ingredients on hand but you don't think you'll want another pasta dish in the next few days, put a lasagna together instead of storing leftover meatballs in the fridge, then freeze the casserole for later. This is a great job for those disposable aluminum pans; Just assemble everything in a pan, wrap up the prepared lasagna tightly with plastic wrap, and label and date it. Next time you're short on time you can unwrap your meatball lasagna and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit while it's still frozen. Bake it for about an hour or until it's bubbling and the center measures around 200 degrees Fahrenheit and dinner's ready.