Mini Lasagna Rolls

         Now that I am a food blogger and critic, I enjoy the fact that I have a reason to invite people over as often as I can. I come up with so many different recipes, that my family would bloat if I had them tasting all of them. The dish that I had just served to some friends is called Baby Lasagna Roll Ups.

They are truly delightful! I know food should not be called adorable or cute, however, there is no other way to describe these petite pieces of Italian heaven.

            They may come out as miniature lasagna roll ups, but oh man!The flavor is gigantic in these bites of joy! I do need to share with you a couple of tips that I have learned over time. When you purchase cheese for this, buy it in block form.

You can shred it yourself for a better product. When you purchase the already shredded bags, you also purchase the chemicals that they need to add to prevent clumping and to prevent mold.

Frequently Asked Questions:

            Can I use ground beef or a combination?

You could use just Italian sausage, or you could mix it with very lean ground beef. I like to use a combination in my baby lasagna roll ups, but I have very picky offspring.

            How do I store this?

If you have any baby lasagna roll ups remaining, you can place them in an airtight container and then into the fridge. If needed, they will be good for 3 to 4 days. You can also place them into airtight freezer safe containers. They will be good for 3 months in the freezer.

            Can I change the Ricotta Cheese?

Ricotta is often used in place of cottage cheese. The two are interchangeable. There is a distinct taste difference, but it is a matter of taste.

What do you need to make Mini Lasagna Rolls

            ½ pound Italian Sausage

            ½ pound lean ground beef

            10 ounces of frozen spinach, thawed and drained, then chopped

            4 cups of pasta sauce or marinara

            1 large egg

            ½ tsp salt

            ¼ tsp ground black pepper

            2 cups of ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese

            ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

            1 cup or more of Mozzarella cheese, shredded

            9 cooked lasagna noodles

How to make Mini Lasagna Rolls

FIRST STEP:

Preheat the oven to 350*

Lightly spray a 9×13 baking pan

SECOND STEP:

In a skillet, crumble and brown the two meats

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg, salt, pepper, parmesan, spinach and ricotta cheese

Stir to combine well

THIRD STEP:

Drain any excess grease from the meat and mix with the cheese mixture

FOURTH STEP:

Pour 1 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of the pan

a)

b)

Lay out the cooked lasagna noodles in front of you, spread about ⅓ cup plus a tbsp of mixture and spread out on each noodle

FIFTH STEP:

Roll each noodle from the short side and place seam side down into the baking pan

Cover with the remaining pasta sauce

SIXTH STEP:

Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella cheese

a)

b)

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes

a)

b)

Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Yay!

Enjoy!

YUM!