Make Ahead Lasagna Roll-Ups

Why This is the Best Recipe

Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods, it always reminds me of Christmas. But I think this is the best lasagna roll-ups recipe because:

1. Fast Prep: You can have the tomato sauce and cheese filling ready to go by the time the pasta is finished cooking.
2. Easy Assembly: You could assemble the whole dish in advance and let it sit in the fridge overnight. Just bake and serve the next day.
3. Freezer-Friendly: You can assemble and freeze this recipe. Just thaw it overnight, bake and serve.
4. Pretty Ruffled Edges: Ok, let's be honest. I'm smitten with those pretty ruffled lasagna edges that peek through on each roll-up. How cute??

Ingredients

There are three main elements to this easy lasagna roll-ups recipe:

1. Lasagna Noodles: Just a box of ruffled-edge lasagna pasta
2. Italian Cheese Filling: This is what gets spread over each roll-up.
3. Meaty Tomato Sauce: This is layered on the bottom of the casserole dish and spooned over the top of the finished roll-ups.

For the Cheese Filling

To make the easy cheese filling you will need:

• Ricotta Cheese: It is best to use a full-fat ricotta for texture.
• Shredded Italian Cheese: You could use mozzarella if you prefer but the Italian blend has more flavor.
• Frozen Spinach: You could substitute fresh baby spinach if you prefer.
• Egg

For the Meaty Tomato Sauce:

• Ground Beef: I recommend using one of my prepared ground beef packets because it includes diced carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. Otherwise, just plan to add some garlic to the recipe if you use plain ground beef. This recipe would also taste great with crumbled turkey breakfast sausage mixed in instead of beef.
• Canned Tomato Sauce
• Dried Italian Herb Blend
• Fennel Seeds

Prep the Cheese Filling

Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze as much water out of it as you can. It helps to let it drain on a few paper towels.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, and a dash of salt & pepper.

Stir in 1 cup of the Italian cheese blend and the spinach. Set this aside.

Prep the Tomato Sauce

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef (or turkey sausage) until no longer pink. Drain the fat as needed.

Add the minced garlic and stir. Cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.

Add the canned tomato sauce, Italian herb blend, and fennel seeds and stir. Set aside.

Prep the Lasagna Noodles

Boil the pasta noodles according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, brush a little olive oil on a baking sheet. This will help the noodles to not stick to the pan while you assemble the roll-ups later.

Drain the pasta and lay each noodle flat on the prepared baking sheet.

Assembly Line Prep

Set out a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Spread half of the prepared tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish and set it near your assembly line.

Working one noodle at a time, spread the cheese mixture evenly over the surface of the pasta.

Roll the lasagna noodle up starting at the skinny edge, the ruffled edges should face out.

Your lasagna roll-up should look like this:

Assemble the Casserole

As you finish each lasagna roll-up, add it to the prepared baking dish.

You may want to alternate the direction each roll-up faces so they fit nicely in the dish.

For my 8 x 11-inch baking dish, it worked best to arrange them like this:

Top with Tomato Sauce

Once all the roll-ups are in the dish, spoon the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the top.

Use a spatula to work the sauce between the roll-ups so everything is coated nicely.

Sprinkle the remaining shredded Italian cheese over the top and bake now or freeze for later.

Baking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray so the cheese doesn't stick.

Bake the just-assembled casserole for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Make Ahead Tips

You can assemble the entire dish on a weekend and freeze it.

I also love that these easy lasagna roll ups can be prepped whenever you have a minute to save you time on the evening you want to cook it.

Why not try one of these time saving tricks?

• Use pre-cooked beef packets from my Big Batch Ground Beef recipe here.
• Thaw the spinach overnight and quickly assemble the cheese mixture before you go to work in the morning.
• Mix the beef with the tomato sauce and have it ready to go when you are.
• Assemble the entire lasagna the night before and let it just hang out in the fridge overnight.
• Have the cheese filling and ground beef prepped the night before and just prepare the noodles and final assembly on the day of baking.

Freezing Instructions

These lasagna roll-ups are a great meal to freeze and reheat.

Simply assemble the entire pan of ground beef lasagna roll-ups right through the shredded cheese on top.

Then wrap the dish with plastic wrap before covering with a layer of aluminum foil. You can freeze the unbaked lasagna roll ups for up to 2 months.

How to Bake Frozen Lasagna Roll-Ups

Be sure to let the lasagna roll-ups thaw in your fridge for 24 - 48 hours before trying to bake the casserole.

It is a very thick dish and would be tricky to heat all the way through if it is still completely frozen.

Then you can bake it exactly as directed above -- 1 ½ hours at 350°F.

Variations

Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-Ups: You can just omit the ground beef from the recipe and assemble the dish with my easy marinara sauce.

I just love those adorable ruffled edges to the lasagna rolls. But if you're looking for other easy variations, you won't want to miss:

Sausage Lasagna: This is my mom's classic recipe. We make it for Christmas Eve dinner! I love that we can prep it days in advance and then just bake it for the holiday meal.

Garden Veggie Lasagna Cups: I love to bake this easy vegetarian lasagna recipe with my kids. It is bursting with zucchini, corn, and fresh tomatoes.

Serving Suggestions

You don't need to add much to the menu when serving these delicious lasagna roll-ups.

A simple green salad and some fresh bread would make this an amazing family dinner.

More Easy Casserole Recipes

Looking for more easy make ahead casseroles for dinner? Don't miss these family favorites: