Easy Ground Beef and Pork Meatball Lasagna (Small Batch)
Three popular recipes including mini versions of homemade Italian meatballs, creamy bechamel, and tomato sauce with butter are onion are layered together to make a small batch meatball lasagna recipe perfect for 2.
Servings 2
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.
Notes
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.
