Lasagna Sandwich

Stuffed to the brim with a hearty meat filling and then slathered with a gooey, cheesy mozzarella and ricotta mixture, this Lasagna Sandwich is your quick fix to a lasagna craving without all the fuss.

Lasagna Sandwich

There are few items in the food realm more comforting than a slice of piping hot cheesy lasagna. It’s been the ultimate Italian American recipe for decades making its appearance at family gatherings, Sunday night dinners and births of babies. And though it’s a classic churned out year after year, it doesn’t exactly lend itself to be of an approachable nature. It’s time consuming. It takes eons to cook through. And I imagine this is why it’s often only made from start to finish annually for most cooks.

So I have a solution. A lasagna sandwich. (Or this deconstructed lasagna.)

This sloppy joe-esque style sandwich has all the nuances of a classic piece of lasagna – the rich meat sauce, the creamy ricotta cheese, the cheese pull of stringy mozzarella – but in a much more manageable form.

Although full disclosure, it’s quite messier than the original.

Instead of using noodles, we slather our classic lasagna meat sauce over a hoagie smothered in ricotta and mozzarella, pop them into the oven and bake until they are hot, gooey and just as indulgent as classic lasagna.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients in our Lasagna Sandwich

The meat. I was trying to keep this relatively light compared to a traditional lasagna so we went with ground turkey and ground turkey italian sausage. If you want to use a lean ground beef and pork sausage, that works as well.

Aromatics. We will need onion and garlic.

Red wine. Red wine is essential in all of my rich Italian meat sauces. We use it in our spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna and Short Rib Pappardelle . Use something you’d like to drink and then pour yourself a glass.

Tomato paste. We want the filling to be rather thick and tomato paste does a great job of that while infusing it with a concentrated tomato flavor.

Spices. We keep things simple with Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder.

For the filling

Ricotta. Alway whole milk ricotta. The reduced fat stuff is no good.

Mozzarella. For that gooey cheese pull!

Parm. Everything is better with parm. I love the nuttiness it adds but you could also use pecorno or romano cheese.

Let’s Make a Lasagna Sandwich

Make the filling. Drizzle a large skillet with olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion and garlic. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat and brown until it’s cooked through. Add salt and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half. Add the tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and onion powder. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Make the spread. Add the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, salt and garlic powder to a medium bowl. Mix to combine.

Assemble. Line the hoagies cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Pop in the oven for 5 minutes to toast. Spread 1/6 of the spread on each cut side of the hoagie. Spoon the meat filling on one side of the hoagie. Pop the pan back in the oven and baked until the cheese spread is hot and gooey.

Enjoy. These bad boys are messy – grab a napkin and enjoy!

Can I make ahead?

Sure! Make the filling and the spread the morning of or day before. Assemble before eating.