Our family is big on lasagna. For every holiday, one of the kids requests (and expects) to see an enormous pan of ricotta cheese lasagna getting all golden in the oven. And most times, they are rewarded.
And yet— there are times when a big pan of lasagna can be too much. Too much cheese and too many leftovers, not to mention, lasagna can feel intimidating to make,especially if you’ve never made one.
No worries, my friend! I’ve got you… let’s learn how to make one darn good meatball lasagna.
⇢ Love meatballs? ♥️ You’ll love these meatball recipes too: meatball stuffed shells, Grandma’s meatballs poached in sauce, and my cheesy pizza dough stuffed meatballs…all so good!
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Small batch meatball lasagna?
The benefits of making a small batch or mini lasagna are many. Not to mention, they start with easy and ends with easier!
Here are more reasons you’ll love making meatball lasagna for two:
Reduced Prep Time: Smaller batches easier. There are fewer meatballs to roll which you can make while the sauce cooks. It’s the perfect recipe for those evenings when you want a cozy pasta dinner but don’t want to spend all night cooking.
Fewer leftovers. When there’s only two or a few of you for dinner, you don’t want to eat the same thing for dinner the next five days, something that could easily happen if you make a traditional 9 x 13″ pan of lasagna. Making lasagna in a square pan or even a loaf pan is a great solution!
Great for beginners. Lasagna can be intimidating and feels like a lot of work. The tomato butter sauce recipe we are using is super simple and with my easy béchamel tutorial, you’ll learn how to make a basic white sauce in no time!
Plus, I’m sharing below how to time this recipe to you can sit down and eat when your friends and family do!
Meatball lasagna layers
With only 3 layers and a smaller pan, each layer stands out and matters a little more. The sauce, meatball mix and béchamel layer were chosen because of how they play and complement one another.
The layers include:
- A super easy, sweet tomato onion pasta sauce (it only has 3 ingredients!).
- Tender, baked mini meatballs made with ground beef and pork (which adds so much flavor)
- A thick shmear of nutmeg kissed, creamy béchamel to cover the meatballs.
- No bake, oven ready lasagna noodles. Because who needs another pan to wash?
No ricotta lasagna
Thick layers of ricotta cheese in lasagna is actually more of an Italian-American version of this casserole. For meatball lasagna, I was inspired by classic Italian lasagna al forno (oven-baked lasagna) tucking a layer of creamy bechamel between the noodles, meat and tomato sauce.
Pans perfect for lasagna for two
- Square baking pan. My favorite baking pans are the Goldtouch pans from Williams-Sonoma and the square baking pan is the best for small batch lasagna.
- Loaf pan. A loaf pan is another great option and makes lasagna easy to slice especially for lunch leftovers.
- Cast iron skillet. Make it a round lasagna in a 8 or 9″ cast iron skillet.
How to make meatball lasagna
Ready to do some lasagna layering?
Make the sauce and meatballs
Make béchamel
Assemble
And now for the layering…
Here’s how to layer meatball lasagna:
Do’s and don’ts for successful lasagna making
♥️DO:
- Sprinkle plenty of cheese on the top of the lasagna before baking.
- Allow the lasagna to bake until the center puffs.
- Place the lasagna under the broiler briefly to achieve a crispy, golden cheese top just before serving.
🚫 DON’T:
- Skip the sauce layer on the bottom of the pan or you won’t get your lasagna out of the pan.
- Worry if the lasagna noodles don’t touch the edges of the pan. They’ll expand while baking.
- Eliminate the butter on top…it adds a kiss of flavor and golden color.
How to get the timing right
Click a tab below for help with timing this recipe to your needs!
Storage, reheat and freezing tips
Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat. Reheat meatball lasagna in a 350˚ oven until warmed through about 10 minutes.
Freeze. Freeze unbaked or baked, cooled meatball lasagna wrapped in foil first then plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Defrost completely before baking.
Made this recipe?
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Easy Ground Beef and Pork Meatball Lasagna (Small Batch)
Ingredients
For the mini meatballs (full size recipe here)
- ½ lb. ground chuck; 80% but no more than 85%
- ½ lb. ground pork
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons panko
- 2 slices fresh bread , made into crumbs in food processor or blender
- ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1 tsp from a bottle
- ½ cup warm tap water
To make the tomato sauce (more info in post)
- 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 onion, quartered
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
To make homemade bechamel (more info in post)
- 2 tablespoon butter, or any fat like olive oil, coconut oil or more
- 2 TBSP flour, or cornstarch or brown rice flour
- 1 ½ cups milk, can use alternative milks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black or white pepper
- ½ box oven baking no bake lasagna noodles
For topping
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
For the meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400˚.
- In a large bowl and using your hands, blend the meats together until mixed well. You don’t want to see big clumps of either meat but a nice uniform mixture.½ lb. ground chuck; 80% but no more than 85%, ½ lb. ground pork
- One at a time, crack the eggs into the side of the bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Of course, you can beat them in a separate small bowl and then add them but I’m all about saving some dishes. 😀1 large egg
- Add the salt, pepper, oregano, both breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley and spices. Mix well into the meat along with the eggs.1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 Tablespoons panko, 2 slices fresh bread, ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, pinch nutmeg, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the warm water and mix gently with both hands making sure to incorporate all the water. It will feel like it won’t mix together but it will eventually!½ cup warm tap water
- Shape into 1” balls using either your hands or a small-sized 1 Tablespoon scoop. The mix will be very wet. As you go along and your hands start to get a little sticky, rinse your hands with warm water but don't dry them and go back to making your meatballs.
- Bake for 10 minutes until browned on the outside.
For the sauce
- Add the tomatoes, onion and butter to a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Once the butter melts, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes until the sauce has separated a bit. Set aside.(Keep the onions for another use or add to the lasagna if you so choose)28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes, 1 onion, 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
For the bechamel
- Over medium heat, start melting butter in medium saucepan. Add flour stirring with a whisk continuously until a thick paste forms. Continue cooking for about 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and flour taste is cooked off.2 tablespoon butter, 2 TBSP flour
- Carefully add milk while stirring with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil and then lower heat to medium low.1 ½ cups milk, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black or white pepper
- Cook stirring often until sauce has thickened and coats the back of a metal spoon evenly.
- Remove from heat to stir in cheeses. Season with more salt and pepper as needed.
Assemble the lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 400˚ and set a rack in the center.
- To your baking pan, layer a ladle (4 oz.) of tomato sauce and spread all over. Layer on 3 lasagna noodles, breaking and piecing them together to fill the pan.
- Spread on some more sauce (1 ladle). Add ½ of the meatballs evenly over the sauce. Layer in some fresh mozzarella. Spread over half of the bechamel.
- Repeat the above and top with a layer of tomato sauce and fresh sprinkling of parmesan cheese and some pats of butter.If you have room and meatballs leftover, repeat again!
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden on top and the center bubbles and is puffed.
