Lasagna Rolls with Velveeta Cheese

My mom’s baked cheese lasagna rolls are by far the most popular dish our family makes as well as one of the most unique. Made without ricotta cheese but packed full of flavor, I’ve never come across another recipe like it!

It’s easy and extremely versatile to fit anyone’s taste and is devoured by picky children. Because they’re lasagna roll-ups instead of a layered lasagna, it’s also super easy to dish out your desired portion size!

Lasagna Made Without Ricotta

This is a lasagna that thrives without ricotta 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! We have always used Velveeta.

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!

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How to Make 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 (you will likely need to cook one box at a time). 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. Don’t add oil to the water or they’ll be too slippery to roll up later.

2. Cook and Drain the Meat

While the noodles are cooking, put a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage and garlic together until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the meat and return it to the pot.

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 it to a slow bubble. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Drain the Noodles

When each batch of lasagna noodles finishes cooking, drain and submerge the noodles in cold water to prevent overcooking.

Stretch doubled-up paper towels across 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 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 use a sharp knife to cut them into two equal halves.

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 used to call 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 Velveeta strips in the lasagna noodles, this time lining two rows 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 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese has begun to melt out of the noodles. If your cheese is cold, it will take longer.

Tips for Making Lasagna Rolls

• Swap the meat! Use your preferred ground meat in place of sausage.
• Go vegetarian! Leave the meat out entirely – it will still be delicious.
• Add more seasoning! My mom always stuck with oregano, but you could add basil, thyme, rosemary, or your own Italian seasoning combo.
• Ditch the mushrooms! A strangely controversial food, they are not essential to the recipe. Try onion or green bell peppers instead.
• Use other block cheeses! In a pinch, we’ve made these lasagna rolls with blocks of cheddar from the deli. They don’t melt as well, but it’s still delicious. Any block cheese can work!

Will I really use two pounds of lasagna?

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.

If you do have some noodles left over, do what my mom does: chop ‘em and eat ‘em with a sauce of your choice!

Can I use oven-ready lasagna?

As long as you cook it first! Dry lasagna doesn’t roll well, after all. 🙂

Can I make the sauce ahead?

Yep! It’s actually preferred, as 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.

Can I make the whole casserole ahead?

You can! Assemble the whole thing ahead of time, then cool and keep in the refrigerator. Put it on the counter 30 minutes before baking and add 10-20 minutes to your cooking time to make sure the cheese is good and melty.

The assembled casserole can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator two days before baking and follow the same baking instructions above.

The rolls also heat up very well in the microwave! Go ahead and bake it, cool it, and pop it in the fridge. Pull out your desired number of rolls and heat up for one to two minutes or until the cheese is melty again.

What to Serve with Lasagna Rolls

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).

Romaine salad is a great choice for a more balanced meal. I drizzle a bit of fat-free ranch on top. Yum!