Lasagna in a Bun

All the flavors of lasagna stuffed into hollowed-out dinner rolls and baked until the cheese is melted and gooey. It’s a clever shortcut that skips the noodles entirely and gives you individual portions that are way easier to serve than slicing a pan of the real thing.

The filling follows classic lasagna logic: seasoned ground beef in spaghetti sauce on the bottom, a ricotta-Parmesan-cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend on top. Baking with foil over the top traps steam so the cheese melts evenly without the bread drying out.

Kids go absolutely wild for these, and they’re great for game day or weeknight dinners when you want lasagna flavor without the hour-long assembly.

Chef Tips

• Leave a solid quarter-inch wall when hollowing out the buns. Too thin and they collapse under the weight of the filling.
• Don’t over-stuff the buns. The cheese mixture expands as it melts and will overflow if packed too tight.
• Use sturdy dinner rolls, not soft slider buns. You need bread with enough structure to hold up as a bowl.
• Save the scooped-out bread centers. Pulse them into breadcrumbs and freeze for another use.

Variations

• Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef for a spicier, more flavorful filling.
• Add a layer of baby spinach between the meat sauce and cheese for a veggie boost.
• Brush the outside of the buns with garlic butter before baking for a crispy, garlic-bread-style shell.