Microwave Mug Lasagna (When You Need Comfort Food Now)

Why This Works (And Why I Keep Making It)

I really appreciate making traditional lasagna just like everyone else and once in a while having a single portion of it! I do not have a lot of patience to put all of the steps into preparing an entire 9x13 dish, portioning that out and putting the rest in the freezer only to find that it has freezer burn on it three months down the road.

With this mug version:

• Takes approximately eight (8) minutes total

• Using only basic kitchen ingredients

• The right amount to eat for one meal, no leftovers

• No extra cooking utensils to clean up afterwards

But no one has told me this yet, kisses aside, it tastes like lasagna! Not "This might be acceptable to eat as the left-over food from microwaving" — actually good food.

What You Actually Need

Not too sophisticated, if you don't mind! I mean, nothing crazy fancy

Ingredients

• 2-3 pieces of lasagna (cut into very small pieces)


• ½ cup of any type of sauce (jarred works fine) and/or cook some diced meat (or don’t).


• 2-3 tablespoons of any type of cheese (fresh mozzarella is best, otherwise shredded works).


• 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan.


• Ground beef and/or sausage would work great also (but if you don’t want it, don’t use it).


• A couple of tablespoons of cooked ground beef or cooked sausage, optional protein sometimes omitted by me, sometimes included

• Salt, black pepper, and some Italian seasonings (optional)

The Other Things You Will Use:

A microwave-safe mug – the more size the better, and I prefer a mug around a 16 oz capacity. Fork or Spoon THAT'S REALLY IT!

How to Make It (The Real Way)

Step 1: Get Those Noodles Soft

Making the Noodles Soft First, break up the lasagna noodles into pieces that will fit into your mug; they don’t need to be done perfectly.

Then, Place into the mug and fill it with water about 3/4 full and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until it feels pliable when you touch each piece with your finger. After microwaving drains out the water (be cautious the mug will be hot).

2nd Step: Making Your Layers

Now the fun part ! Start with a spoonful of marinara sauce at the base, followed by a small amount of ricotta, mozzarella, and noodles. Just keep going: sauce, cheese, noodles. Sauce, cheese, noodles. And of course, if you're adding meat, you can add that in there too.

Leftover veggies, same thing. And don't forget to top it off with a generous amount of mozzarella and parmesan cheese, because let's face it, that's the best part.

Step 3: Melt Everything Together

Microwave items together 1 1/2 - 2 mins. Be sure to look for melted cheese and bubbly appearance as your indicator that all has melted together.

Very Important: Let this sit for 1 minute before you attempt to eat.

I know you're hungry, and that this will make your mouth water. However, this comes out of the microwave hotter than the sun and you will burn your mouth. Please wait for the 1 minute before eating.

Does It Actually Taste Good Though?

Let's be real, this isn't the lasagna your nonna used to make, but it's delicious in its own way. The pasta cooks down soft and saucy. The cheese melts and oozes. There are little pockets of warm ricotta cheese that give you that lasagna vibe.

When I first made this, I thought I was going to be upset but then I scraped the mug and wanted to make it again.

This is so good, especially when you're in your pajamas at 9 PM on a Tuesday having eaten this out of a mug!

Ways to Mix It Up

Once you've develop this dish a few times, you will want to start experimenting. Let me share some things I've done before:

Go for Vegetarian Only

• A handful of spinach

• Some sliced mushrooms

• Some diced zucchini

Add Some Creaminess to Your Recipe: Before you layer in the dish, mix a little extra ricotta into the sauce before adding in any of the ingredients; it makes a huge difference.

Add Some Spice

• Some red pepper flakes

• Some spicy Italian sausage instead of regular Italian sausage

• A little hot sauce mixed into the marinara sauce

Use Different Proteins

• Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken

• Shredded rotisserie

• Crumble tempeh if desired There is a tremendous amount of flexibility in this recipe. Hence, try to add whatever you have at hand in your refrigerator.

Things I've Learned the Hard Way

• Make sure to not fill the mug over to the rim or risk it spilling over and making quite a mess in your microwave. Trust me—I learned this the hard way.

• Also make sure to cook your noodles correctly first. I tried cooking them alongside everything else by using a microwave once and it resulted in such a crunchy mess of noodle shape. You do NOT want to skip this step!

• Let everything sit for a few seconds before diving in. Numerous times I have burned my tongue due to impatience and diving into something that is liquid hot cheese.

• Use a larger mug—I once attempted this in a standard coffee mug and it was everywhere. A mug of 12–16oz will work just perfectly for this.

When I Actually Make This

This dish is ideal when:

• It's late at night, and I don't want to cook or will have to order takeout again

• I'm working from home and need a quick lunch

• I just want a single serve of comfort food

• Want lasagne but I don't want to turn my whole home into a hot, humid sauna.

This is now one of my go to "I need food, but I am too lazy" meals, along with scrambled eggs and grilled cheese.

Bottom Line

A microwave mug lasagna appears to many folks to be something one would do if one were starving and experimenting with food! However, I assure you you can make this yummy, decadent dish in your microwave in about the same time that it takes to watch some YouTube videos!

Although this should not be an art piece displayed on a wall or look very good to take a picture of (especially on Instagram), if you make a hot cheesy filling bowl of lasagna and eat it, there is no chance that you would want to eat anything else before dinner (which could be made in an hour) so please consider making this recipe today to enjoy tonight!

Make one like this and see how you feel about it before making changes to suit your taste. Because sometimes, the best way to prepare a meal is to do so using a microwave with a mug while dressed in sweatpants. And we absolutely agree!