These easy lasagna rollups with meat make dinnertime fun! We’re using a traditional ricotta cheese filling, along with ground beef, to make these cheesy and yummy. Making lasagna rollups is so much easier than layering lasagna but you still get all that great flavor. Kids love these and they are a perfect freezer-friendly option too.
Last year I was planning on making my Lasagna Without Ricotta for our Christmas dinner. I forgot to buy enough lasagna noodles, so I pivoted and made lasagna rollups. They were so good and everyone loved them and the whole thing was easier to put together than layering regular lasagna. We now have a new family favorite!
Testing results for easy lasagna rollups with meat
- While I usually don’t use ricotta cheese in my pasta recipes, I decided I wanted to have at least one good traditional ricotta-based recipe. We’ve used ricotta here in the rollups, but if it’s not your preference then use my Lasagna Without Ricotta recipe.
- We tested this recipe with regular, dried lasagna noodles. I do not recommend using the ready-to-bake noodles as you will have to boil them first to get then pliable enough to roll.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Crushed tomatoes: We are using a jar of sauce in this recipe, but adding crushed tomatoes and a few other ingredients to round it out.
Marinara sauce: Our go-to jarred sauce is Rao’s Marinara, but if you have time, this recipe is so delicious with homemade marinara sauce.
Ground beef: You can opt for Italian sausage in place of the beef, or do half beef and half sausage.
How to make lasagna rollups
- Brown the ground beef and make the sauce.
- Mix together the filling ingredients.
- Cook the noodles to al dente then drain.
- Lay the noodles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, with a piece of parchment paper in between each layer of noodles. You can then prepare the rollups right on the baking sheet and the noodles won’t stick together.
- Spread the cheese mixture and a little sauce on the noodles, roll them up, and place in the baking dish. Cover with sauce and cheese and bake.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Easy Lasagna Rollups with Meat Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. ground beef or sausage
- 2 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 32-ounce jar marinara sauce (recommend Rao's)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Cheese Filling
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (+ extra for topping)
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 large egg
- 12 lasagna sheets
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- In a large pot add 1 tablespoon olive oil and turn on medium-high heat.
- Add 1 medium onion, diced and saute about 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add 3 garlic cloves, minced and saute 30 seconds.
- Add 1 lb. ground beef or sausage and cook until no longer pink. Drain any excess fluid you may have.
- Add 2 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, 1 32-ounce jar marinara sauce (recommend Rao's), 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon onion powder (optional), 1 teaspoon garlic powder (optional), and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cover loosely. Simmer for about 1 hour.
Cheese Filling
- While the sauce is simmering, make the filling. In a medium mixing bowl add 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, ¼ cup of Parmesan, and ¼ cups of chopped parsley, and mix together. Add 1 large egg and mix well.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 12 lasagna sheets to al dente. While the noodles are cooking, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the noodles, then lay them on the parchment paper, using additional paper in between layers.
Assembly
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pour 1 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9×13” casserole dish.
- Spread the cheese sauce and 1-2 tablespoons of meat sauce over a sheet of lasagna and roll up. Put into the casserole dish on top of the sauce.
- Repeat with all the lasagna sheets until the casserole dish is full. You should be able to fit about 12 in there.
- Top with the meat sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the rollups are bubbly and the cheese is all melted.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle some extra Parmesan on the top then a little chopped parsley.
- Note: if your baking dish is broiler safe, you can broil for a minute or two to brown the cheese.
Notes
- Serve hot with garlic bread and a fresh salad. Rollups can be made ahead and refrigerated before baking.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
You can freeze the lasagna rollups individually or the entire dish. I like to freeze them in disposable foil loaf pans in smaller increments for individual servings.
Lasagna rollups are great for making in advance. You can make them up to two days in advance and store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and then bake as directed.
If you want to make several days or weeks in advance, you can freeze the entire dish or individual portions. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature and then bake as directed.
