Quick & Easy Lasagna Roll Ups

I originally saw this idea from Giada DeLaurentis. I have wanted to try it but have always stuck to traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs or Lasagna. Recently, I haven't been cooking for more than four people so I decided to give this a whirl with my own twist.

I was scrambling for something relatively easy to make for dinner last night when I saw an opened package of Lasagna noodles. There were only four or five left, so obviously not enough to make an entire lasagna. Not to mention the fact that I was only cooking for two. However; a couple of problems presented themselves. I didn't have Ricotta cheese, and the only mozzarella that I had was vegan. I love when a challenge pops up in the kitchen. With the ingredients I did have I put together these wonderful, quick and easy roll ups. The recipe only takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare. Literally the longest part of the process is waiting for the pasta water to come to a full boil.

QUICK & EASY LASAGNA ROLL UPS

INGREDIENTS
-4 Lasagna noodles. Prepared according to package directions.
-1 Lb. Lean ground beef.
-1 Jar of your favorite pasta sauce or homemade, which ever you prefer.
-1/2 cup Mozzarella 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup Cheddar cheeses.
-1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning.
-1 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder.

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350
-Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil for pasta(Remember to generously salt the water. This is the only chance to get to season the pasta)
-Brown the meat until cooked through and drain.
-Combine all of the cheeses together and divide in half(If you like more cheese by all means use more)
-Return meat to pan and add half of the cheese mixture and about a ladle full of pasta sauce and heat on medium low until cheese is melted. At this time add your Italian seasoning and Garlic powder.
-Remove pasta noodles from water and drain on baking pan lined with paper towels. A little at a time add 1/4 of the meat and cheese mixture to the noodles starting about 1/2 inch in and roll up like a jelly roll.
-Place a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a glass baking dish and place the Lasagna rolls seam side down, then cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
-Bake in the 350 oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese topping is melted and sauce is heated through(the option is yours as to warm the sauce prior to baking. This reduces the bake time to the minimum because you're only waiting for the melt process.)


I like this recipe because it can be modified to fit anyone's taste. If you want to omit the meat and add veggies it can easily be made into a vegetarian dish. If you are vegan you can always use vegan cheeses such as Daiya which is the Mozzarella that I used instead of dairy cheese. In addition to being able to modify the ingredients it is also so easy to increase the recipe to feed more.

I served this dish with a simple salad and a toasted baguette with olive oil and garlic. To fancy it up if you're entertaining, stand the rolls up during the baking process and serve on a rectangular platter or portion on to square plates for a more eye catching presentation. Garnish with Italian flat leaf parsley or my personal favorite some fresh basil.

As I said this was a go to dish in a pinch. I didn't have some of the traditional Lasagna supplies so I made due and I'm glad I did. It is tasty and extremely inexpensive. Ya can't beat that with a stick! Enjoy!