Easy Baked Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups Recipe (without Ricotta)

I wanted my mom’s baked cheese lasagna roll-ups to be the first recipe on this blog because it is by far the most popular dish our family makes as well as one of the most unique. I’ve never come across a recipe quite like it before, so it needs to be seen!

It’s easy and extremely versatile to fit anyone’s taste and is devoured by picky children. Because of the way it’s put together, it’s also super easy to dish out your desired portion size!

Lasagna Made Without Ricotta

This is a lasagna that thrives without ricotta. Not only that, ricotta is one cheese that really can’t be used (you have to use a firmer block cheese). I grew up eating this version of baked lasagna, so I didn’t even know ricotta in lasagna was traditional until I was nearly an adult!

You’re probably wondering what kind of cheese it does use, right? While you can substitute (one of the things I love about this recipe), the secret cheese we always use is… Velveeta. Bet you never thought you’d see a Velveeta lasagna recipe, huh?

This recipe isn’t for fancy cooks. This recipe is for people who like easy, yummy food! The Velveeta is just easy to handle and melts beautifully in the lasagna rolls. But I’ll get to some alternative cheeses in the FAQ, too.

Without further ado, here’s an American southern-style, cheesy, eat-till-you-pop lasagna roll-ups recipe! (If you want the condensed, printable steps, click here to jump!)

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How to Cook Velveeta Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients Needed

• 1 pound ground sausage
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 45-ounce jar Traditional Prego pasta sauce
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 3/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 8-ounce can of mushroom pieces & stems, undrained
• 2 pounds of long lasagna noodles
• 2 pounds (one large block) of Velveeta

1. Cook the Noodles

In a large pot, cook lasagna according to package directions one box at a time. I say this because I certainly don’t have a pot big enough to hold two pounds of lasagna at once, and even if I did, it’d take my stove an eternity to start boiling! But if you have a mammoth 8-quart pot, you can probably fit all of the noodles in at once.

Do not break the noodles in half before putting them in the water. Just stir them down into the water as they soften, and stir frequently to keep any of them from sticking to the bottom. You don’t want to put oil in the water, because they’ll be too slippery to roll up later.

2. Cook and Drain the Meat

While the noodles are cooking, in a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook the sausage and garlic together over medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink.

While you can strain the meat to drain it, I find it easier to use our turkey baster to suck out the grease. We just squirt it into a bowl and dump it after it hardens. You can also squirt it into a spare glass jar (like pasta sauce comes in), screw the lid on, and toss.

3. Flavor Up the Sauce

Pour the pasta sauce over the sausage in the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the oregano, mushrooms, and parmesan. The mixture should look a bit thick, but easy to spread.

Bring to a slow bubble. It’ll splash hard when it pops since it’s thicker, so cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Drain the Noodles

When each batch of lasagna noodles is finished cooking, drain and submerge the noodles in cold water to prevent overcooking. I highly recommend using a pot with a self-draining lid to make this process easy, like this 8-quart stainless steel one. I just drain, run cold water in the pot until the noodles cool, then drain again.

Lay a line or two of doubled-up paper towels on your counter or table. One at a time, lay each lasagna noodle side-by-side on the paper towels to remove excess water. Don’t worry, you can re-use the same paper towels for the second batch of lasagna noodles – the paper towels will have dried out enough by the time the second pot has finished cooking.

5. Cut the Cheese

Cut the Velveeta block into 1/3-inch slices (about the width of your little finger), then cut each slice into four even strips. Make this easy on yourself by stacking three or four slices vertically, slicing them in half, then slice each of those stacks in half.

6. Slice the Noodles in Half

Once dry, fold each lasagna noodle in half and cut into two equal halves. I flip them over on the paper towels first, just to dry that last little bit of water off. It doesn’t really matter what knife you use, as long as it’s not serrated and it’s sharp.

7. Start with Sauce

In a 9-by-13 glass baking dish, spoon enough of the meat sauce to lightly cover the bottom.

8. Roll Up the Cheese in the Lasagna

For each half-noodle, lay one strip of Velveeta on one end, then tightly roll the cheese up in the noodle. My daughter calls these “lasagna flowers” (which is adorable), so think of it as a carefully arranged bouquet. When putting the rolls in the pan, make sure the open edge is facing down so they don’t come unrolled.

Line the rolls up in two columns on the sides, then fill the middle with pairs of rolls turned perpendicular to the rest (see below).

9. Make a Second Layer

Spoon more of the meat sauce to cover the lasagna rolls.

Continue rolling the cheese in the lasagna noodles, this time lining two columns side-by-side in the middle.

10. Top it Off with More Sauce

When you run out of cheese and/or noodles, spoon the remainder of the sauce over the top.

11. Bake the Lasagna

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until the cheese has begun to melt out of the noodles.

Best Side Dishes with Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups

This is a carb-heavy, cheesy meal. That being said, garlic bread is often paired with Italian food. My family certainly enjoys eating some cheesy garlic bread right along with their cheese lasagna roll-ups (and then we fall into a coma).

But if you’re looking for a more balanced meal, I’d skip the bread and go with a plain romaine side salad with some fat-free ranch drizzled on top. Yum!

FAQ & How to Customize

Q: What kind of sausage should I use?
A: Any kind you want! The common-sense sausage would be Italian, but I’m from the south – I like to use mild country sausage. You can use butcher-packaged or from a roll, either should turn out fine.

Q: Can I use ground beef or turkey instead?
A: You sure can! Use deer meat if you prefer. Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s ground up and crumbles as it cooks.

Q: Do I have to use meat at all?
A: Nope! You can go meatless without any issues in this recipe.

Q: Do I need to use freshly minced garlic?
A: If you have time for that, absolutely. For mine, I use a couple tablespoons of minced garlic from a jar I bought in Wal-mart.

Q: Does the sauce have to be Prego? Can I use a flavored version?
A: When it comes to brand, I’m sticking firm to Prego. I just find Ragu to be too watery, and I haven’t tried other brands. Prego just feels right to me. But yeah, you can get any flavor you want! I don’t use the mushroom kind because the chunks aren’t as big as I like, and I don’t use the cheese kind because it doesn’t have the same satisfying texture as adding the grated parmesan separately. But it’s your lasagna, do what sounds good to you!

Q: …Why do you just add oregano?
A: Simple: that’s how my mom always did it. Seriously, she just loves the flavor of oregano and likes to add more (the Prego already has some in it). You can add more of any spices you like, too: parsley, basil, garlic, or just an Italian seasoning blend!

Q: Do you use freshly grated parmesan? What about shredded parmesan?
A: I don’t freshly grate mine. I use the canned stuff in the pasta aisle at Wal-mart, and I love the texture it gives the sauce. Using shredded Parmesan from the bag will work too.

Q: I don’t like mushrooms, can I leave them out?
A: Of course! Like I said, the only mandatory items for this recipe are cheese, sauce, and noodles. You can omit the mushrooms, or you can add in more veggies that you like. I’d recommend trying onion or green pepper if your kids will eat it!

Q: Will I really use two pounds of lasagna?
A: In a perfect world, you will only actually need 1.5 pounds of lasagna noodles. But in my experience, at least a few of those noodles always seem to come out of the box broken. They just won’t work for rolling up the cheese. If you do have some noodles left over, do what my mom does: chop ‘em and eat ‘em with a sauce of your choice!

Q: Can I use oven-ready lasagna?
A: Well, yes… as long as you cook it first! Dry lasagna doesn’t roll well, after all. 🙂

Q: Does it really have to be Velveeta? I just don’t like it.
A: Although you’ve broken my heart, no, it doesn’t have to be Velveeta (though Velveeta also makes different flavors you can try, like Mexican and Sharp Cheddar). You can use pretty much any firm block cheese from the store, like a block of pepper jack or extra sharp cheddar! We’ve tried several kinds and the different flavors keep the dish interesting. Keep in mind that the firmer the cheese, the more time you’ll have to add for cooking (but just a few more minutes should do it).

Q: Can I make the sauce ahead?
A: Yep! My mom actually prefers it this way, because it gives the flavors time to thoroughly blend. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to put the lasagna together.

Q: Can I make the whole thing ahead?
A: You can! In fact, we regularly double the recipe and make two full casseroles because we all love leftovers for days. You can cook the whole thing ahead of time, then cool and keep in the refrigerator. The rolls heat up very well in the microwave! You can also assemble the whole lasagna and refrigerate to cook the casserole the next day. If it’s going into the oven from the refrigerator, add 20-30 minutes to your cooking time to make sure the cheese is good and melty.

We’ve never tried making ahead and freezing, so try that at your own risk!

Q: Can you double it and make two casseroles?
A: You can, except you should only need one extra box (one pound) of lasagna noodles (you’ll just end up with less left over). When doubling, I usually only add a 4-ounce can of mushrooms. Also, I get a 67-ounce jar plus a 24-ounce jar of sauce (but you can do two 45-ounce jars, I just like having that extra ounce!). The oregano only gets an extra half-tablespoon. The sausage, garlic and cheeses are all doubled!

Baked Velveeta Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups Recipe Card