Lasagna with Crepes

We know you’ve had lasagna but have you had Lasagna with Crepes? These little packages of deliciousness are our mom’s creation. After unsuccessfully searching for cannelloni in Bulgaria, she set out to make her own. She tried using crepes, rolling them with meat and cheese, and assembling them similarly to lasagna. Little did she know, this was going to be one of the tastiest meals she had ever made. Mom immediately called us raving about it and here we are now making it for the blog!

What stands out

Lasagna with Crepes is what lasagna dreams are made of. This is not your traditional layered lasagna dish. These are thin delicate crepes stuffed with flavorful beef and oozing with mozzarella, and topped with a mixture of creamy bechamel and a fresh tomato sauce. This savory crepe recipe is so good you will not miss, or probably even notice (!), they’re not made with lasagna sheets.

How to Prepare

Make our crepes recipe here: Crepe Recipe and set aside.

In a pot on the stove over medium heat, add the butter. Once it’s melted, stir in the flour until a thick paste forms.

Now, slowly whisk in the milk and continue whisking until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take it off the heat and set aside.

Use a sharp knife to finely dice the carrots, and onion and mince the garlic cloves.

In a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat, add the oil and let it heat up.

Then add the onions, carrots, and garlic and stir.

Add the ground meat to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until the water completely evaporates.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and then stir in the tomato paste.

Add the oregano, paprika, and salt and stir. Then stir in the flour and broth. Cook for another minute, then remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).

Place the crepes onto your work surface. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of the meat filling and a sprinkle of grated mozzarella to each, and roll them up tightly.

Add 1-2 ladles of marinara sauce to the bottom of a 9 x13 baking dish and then nestle the crepes in tightly.

Next, pour the bechamel sauce on top and then spread it out evenly.

Spoon a little more tomato sauce over each crepe and then add grated Parmigiano cheese and mozzarella.

Bake the Lasagna with Crepes uncovered in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until bubbly and golden for about 40 minutes. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Kitchen tip

Please practice “mise en place” for this recipe, because there are a lot of components. This means you prep and chop all your ingredients before you start. We want you to be ready so that you don’t scramble for ingredients or get flustered.

Swaps

1. You don’t have to roll the crepes individually. You can make your life easier by assembling this dish the same way you would assemble a lasagna.
2. Unfortunately, we don’t have dairy-free or gluten-free substitutes for this dish. If you have a gluten-free crepe recipe and a dairy-free bechamel sauce recipe, please try that and let us know how it turns out in the comments!
3. Feel free to use any marinara sauce you enjoy. We make our own sugo with our homemade tomato sauce but any sauce you like, such as Rao’s, will work.
4. You can use any crepe recipe of choice but do not add any sugar or vanilla into the batter!
5. If you want to use traditional lasagna sheets and make this without crepes you are more than welcome to.
6. You can add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini to the meat filling for extra flavor and texture.

Serve it with

• A big, fresh salad is perfection with this Lasagna with Crepes dish. Try our Simple Green Salad Caprese Salad or Lemon Parmesan Salad.
• A crusty bread like our No Knead Peasant Bread.

Questions

can we make this recipe dairy-free or gluten-free?

Unfortunately, we don’t have dairy-free or gluten-free substitutes for this dish. If you have a gluten-free crepe recipe and a dairy-free bechamel sauce recipe, please try that and let us know how it turns out in the comments!

can we make this lasagna with crepes recipe ahead?

You can prepare EVERYTHING the DAY BEFORE and assemble the following day! Our mom makes the bechamel, the meat filling, and the crepes the day before. She covers them well individually and puts everything in the fridge. The following day when she’s ready, she warms the filling and bechamel sauce and then assembles and bakes.

what type of tomato sauce should we use?

We use our traditional, homemade a Italian tomato sauce, but you can use whatever canned or jarred version you enjoy. We suggest choosing one with minimal ingredients for the best quality.

strong Can we use store-bought crepes for this recipe?

Yes, you can use store-bought crepes to save time. Just make sure they are plain and unsweetened.

what type of meat can we use for the filling?

You can use ground beef, pork, chicken, turkey, or even a plant-based ground meat alternative.

can we freeze this lasagna with crepes?

Yes, just like a regular lasagna, you can assemble the crepes in the baking dish, cover them tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking.

strong Can we add other vegetables to the meat filling?

Yes, you can add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini to the meat filling for extra flavor and texture.

Ingredients

Makes 10 servings

The Crepes

• 1 ⅓ cups milk, I used 2%
• 1 cup water
• 5 tablespoons melted butter, cooled down
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, add a touch less if you want them thinner

The Bechamel Sauce

• 3 ½ tablespoons butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• salt to taste

The Meat Filling

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 600 grams ground meat, we used pork, you can use beef or any
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsalted vegetable broth, or water
• 10 tablespoon mozzarella

Additional Ingredients

• 1 cup tomato sauce, we used homemade sugo
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, measure with your heart
• ½ cup grated mozzarella, measure with your heart

Equipment

• Ceramic Pans
• Baking Dish
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Medium Pot
• Box Grater

Method

Crepes

1. Make the crepes as per our recipe here: and set aside. You can use any crepe recipe you like. If you use your own crepe recipe, make sure it doesn't have pure vanilla extract or any sweetness in it.

Bechamel Sauce

1. In a pot on the stove, on medium heat, add the butter and make sure it shimmers. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, stir in the flour until a thick paste. Slowly add the milk as you whisk at the same time.
2. Continue to whisk until the milk has finished. Once the milk has finished whisk for a few more minutes until the sauce has thickened. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take it off the heat and set aside.

The Meat Filling

1. In a large pan on the stove on medium-high heat, add the oil and let it heat up. Add the onions and carrots. Add in the garlic and stir. Add the ground meat and begin to break it up. Fry the ground meat for about 10 minutes or until it begins to pop. The water should completely evaporate and the pan should be dry.
2. When the water has evaporated, reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the oregano, paprika, and salt, stir. Sir in the tablespoon of flour and broth. If you don't want to use broth you can also use water.
3. Cook it for another minute or so until thick. Take the meat off the heat.

Assembling the Crepes

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C)
2. Take a 9 x13 baking dish or any dish that can fit 10 crepes tightly.
3. Place a crepe onto a plate or your work surface. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of the meat filling, a sprinkle of grated mozzarella and roll it tightly. Repeat this step until all of the crepes are filled and rolled. How much filling you add will depend on how big/small your crepes are. Measure with your heart.
4. Add 1-2 ladles of marinara sauce to the bottom of your baking dish. You can use marinara sauce like Rao's or make your own Italian sugo and use that instead. Ours was made from our homemade tomato sauce that we make every year but any sauce you like will work.
5. Arrange the crepes into the baking dish, we make sure to nestle them in tightly together.
6. Take the bechamel sauce and pour it on top of each crepe. We like to take a spoon and spread it out evenly.
7. Take a little more tomato sauce and spoon it over each crepe. Add grated Parmigiano cheese and grated mozzarella. Measure the cheese with your heart but make sure it's good quality.
8. Bake uncovered in a preheated 400F (200C) oven until bubbly and golden. The timing will depend on the oven, ours took 40 minutes.