A few weeks ago I made these for our annual Ladies Tea event at our church. The recipe I kept seeing on pinterest was Lasagna Cups using a regular muffin pan but I wanted them for appetizers. Of course I tweaked some ingredients to get what I wanted and still think I'd change a few things if I made them again. They turned out really good in taste but I would prefer more crisp texture. I think if only two layers of phyllo dough was placed in each muffin hole they might be more crisp on bottom. Overall a good appetizer and good flavor!
Ingredients
10oz ricotta whole
1 egg
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cup six blend Italian cheese
2 garlic cloves minced, & sautéed
1 cup Prego tomato basil sauce
Paula deans seasoning
Crushed red pepper flakes
1 roll phyllo dough
1 stick butter
Peel and mince fresh garlic. Heat 1 tbsp butter in small pan on medium heat. Add garlic, sprinkle with Paula deans and sauté about 5 minutes.
In large bowl mix ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic, cheese, & tomato basil. Place bowl in fridge.
Melt remaining butter in dish. Brush a mini muffin pan with butter.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Unroll phyllo dough and cut one row of two inch squares. You'll want to keep other dough covered with cling wrap or it will dry out. Place three layers of two inch squares over mini muffin hole, turning each layer slightly to not have a complete three layered square. Push squares down in hole. Brush outer edges and inside with butter. Repeat until all muffin holes are filled with dough.
Remove Italian mixture from fridge and scoop spoonfuls into dough. Using remaining cheese place just enough over each mixture to cover. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.
Bake 18-22 minutes on bottom rack of oven.
These can be made ahead and frozen. Simply prepare as directed above and allow to cool. Place in freezer zip lock bags and store in freezer. Remove from freezer and lightly cover with foil. Bake @ 425 degrees 15-20 minutes on bottom rack. Uncover and bake about 5 more minutes.
