Lasagna Roll Ups with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Freezer-friendly make-ahead lasagna roll ups with the creamiest and most epic garlic cream sauce!!!
​Remember how I said I was making up for lost time for eating all that really REALLY good hospital jello?
Well, that’s what I’m doing here.
I’m bringing out all the bells and whistles.
And you know that involves my favorite garlic Parmesan cream sauce.
Except we’re dousing our chicken lasagna roll ups right in them.
Best of all, you can freeze these as needed – perfect for new moms, dads or those with appendixes that just had to come out!
Lasagna Roll Ups with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce
Freezer-friendly make-ahead lasagna roll ups with the creamiest and most epic garlic cream sauce!!!
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 ½ cups leftover shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup pesto, homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
For the garlic parmesan cream sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth, or more, as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- â…“ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- To make the garlic parmesan cream sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth, thyme and basil. Cook, whisking constantly, until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more heavy cream as needed; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread 1 cup garlic parmesan cream sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions; drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, ricotta, pesto and 1 cup mozzarella; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Lay lasagna noodles flat and spread 1/3 cup ricotta mixture evenly along each noodle. Roll up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish; repeat with remaining noodles and filling. Top with remaining garlic parmesan cream sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.*
- Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
*MAKE-AHEAD: Cover lasagna roll ups tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
*TO FREEZE: Cover lasagna roll ups tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
Did you make this recipe?
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Ok. This was DELICIOUS! Seriously, WOW. I only used 8oz ricotta + 8oz cottage cheese (plus the chicken, mozzarella and pesto) for the filling and it was perfect for 12 rolls. I added extra pesto per previous reviews and doubled the sauce – perfect!
Can I freeze this after baking ??Â
I thought it was ok, but the rest of the family including picky kids loved it!
Very tasty recipe- wouldn’t change a thing.
This recipe was good but needed mushrooms and spinach to complete the dish for my taste. The sauce was good and I felt it was sufficient without being overly saucy! You were to add salt and pepper to individual taste so if you felt it was too salty, you just added too much!Â
The add ins I mentioned were just individual taste and don’t reflect on the recipe as given.Â
This was so yummy!! The sauce is amazing! I’m not a big ricotta fan so I only used one 15oz and it was just right. I also used a little extra homemade pesto because more pesto is never a bad thing. I will definitely make this again.Â
The only thing I would do different next time is double the sauce. Maybe even put a little sauce on each one after I spread the filling. That would take it to the next level! Delicious though! Thank you!!Â
I know everyone is raving about the sauce but just curious has anyone used store bought garlic cream sauce?
Has anyone tried adding veggies like spinach or mushrooms to the sauce for freezing/refrigerating? Did you saute separately or just fold them into the sauce before pouring over the rolls? This recipe looks perfect for nights when I’m not home to make dinner, but I’d like to make it an all-in-one so it can be tossed in the oven when someone gets home from work. Gotta get that roughage in! Thoughts?
This looks great! I’ve been looking for something like this to go in my recipe book alongside my freezer baked ziti.
Such a great family recipe. Invited the ñeigjbors over and they even loved it
I haven’t made this yet. Is there a video?
My family “tore-up” these lasagna rolls (thank you for recipe)!!
My husband and I made this and loved it! We will be making it again. We made half of the recipe as it is just the two of us. I would probably make it without chicken next time. Also I like the idea of subbing half and half for the cream as I always have that on hand and had to buy heavy cream specially for this recipe.Â
I followed the recipe exactly. The garlic cream sauce is good, although certainly not for the calorie conscious. The pesto is an excellent addition and the rotisserie chicken adds great flavor. The ricotta makes the filling a little gritty – I think a mixture of cottage cheese and ricotta would be better. If I make this again I will use low-fat versions of cottage cheese and ricotta in the filling and substitute whole milk or half and half in the sauce.. The cream is really not necessary since flour is used to thicken the sauce and the Parmesan cheese adds more body.
I loosely followed the filling recipe but made enough modifications based on what I had on hand/personal preference that I can’t comment on the filling as written, but the garlic parmesan sauce is AMAZING! I will definitely be making that again!
What is pesto
What is google?
My family of five did not care for this. It was much too salty and the chicken/cheese mixture seemed to be lacking something.
I omitted the chicken, but this was amazing! Thank you.
This was so delicious!! I live alone but baked the full pan. I know you give instructions for freezing before baking but I need to portion these and freeze after the bake. Is that ok? Really the best dish I’ve made ever!! Thank you.
Instead of baking it can you put it into a crock pot to cook?
These were delectable! But more importantly, they were a hit with my kids and very easy to make. My only changes? I used half & half and only one tub of ricotta cheese… because that’s what I had on hand. Still heavenly! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I just made this & popped it in the freezer because I’m having surgery this week. I can’t wait to taste it. I did have enough filling for 13 rollups, so I’ll be cooking & trying it tomorrow for dinner. My only regret is that I didn’t seem to have enough cream sauce to cover all the rolls. Next time, will make more. I can already tell I’ll be making this again!
So delicious!
I don’t have as much ricotta at home as I thought. Can I substitute cottage cheese for some of it?
Yes, of course!
This is so good, like one of the best recipes I’ve ever made and I cook alot! I have made this 3 times now so I thought I should let you know! I have made it with manicotti as well and it turned out great. What a great idea adding pesto to the filling, I would have never thought of it and it made it so special I agree with previous commenter to add extra pesto! I would maybe even double the sauce too. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Sauce was simply astounding! I did use the ground chicken and added chopped onions ( cooked together first)  . Then, decided to give it a “cordon blue” twist and added sliced black forest ham and swiss cheese onto the lasagna noodles before adding the ricotta / ground chicken mix, didn’t add the pesto, but did add extra romana/parmesan cheese mix.   I was a bit nervous that there might be a lack of flavour, but decided to make a  double batch of your fabulous garlic parmesan sauce  and the family were over the moon.  ALL leftovers were grabbed for upcoming lunches and I have promised to make again.  Thanks so much ……
Your recipe looks amazing and I was wondering if I could substitute ground chicken? Â Of course I would brown the chicken first, but do you think it might work???
Thanks
Yes, that sounds like a great idea!
Okay……will let you know how it goes tomorrow!!! Thanks
I made this for dinner tonight, and I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. I want to bathe in the cream sauce, and the stuffing is to die for. I have texted this recipe out to so many of my friends, everyone needs to experience this. Thank you!!
This was very good. I thought it needed more garlic or a bit more flavor of some kind. We ate half for dinner and I made a freezer meal of the rest. This recipe ended up being rather expensive with all the ingredients called for, so I might save it for special occasions. It makes a lovely presentation.
What did you add at the end (the green sprinkled stuff on top)?
Parsley.
I’m thinking of substituting crab for the chicken and giving this a try!
oooo that sounds delish!
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing. I was looking for some new recipes and a friend of mine recommended you. This will definitely be added to my list of meals to make again. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this! Instead of making lasagna rollups, I use this for a non-marinara version of baked ziti… so good! And it works well for meal prep!
Made this last night, and it was delicious! My only comment is to increase the amount of pesto to get some extra flavor.
Yes, I think that would be perfect. We liked this a lot, but felt it needed a bit more of something. Increasing the pesto would do it, I bet.
Chungah, I have to compliment you on your patience and diplomacy with your commenters. I couldn’t do it. Numerous people ask the exact same questions (why don’t they read other comments first?) and some ask questions that are clearly answered if they actually read the recipe to begin with. And some of the questions seem to me to be downright stupid if you have half a brain. I guess this is why I just couldn’t be a recipe blogger even though I have given it some thought. I would not have the patience. So hats off to you. BTW, this recipe sounds wonderful. Anxious to make it.
Agreed!!
If I want this dish meatless , and I eliminate chicken ,what do I substitute instead,or can I just leave out it out ?
You can omit.
Prepared pan yesterday, tossed in frig, used as side dish for simple salmon and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. Absolutely in credible – guests raving about how gorgeous and tasty the roll ups were. Thanks for this great recipe. Great call on the Kroger pesto! What a time saver. Followed directions excepting as follows: omitted chicken, cut ricotta to about 20 ozs and finished cooking under the broiler.Â
CAN IT MADE IN ADVANCE AND KEEP FROZEN ARE YOU ABLE TO TAKE AS MANY OUT AS NEEDED ?? HOW LONG WOULD YOU BAKE THEM IF YOU WANTED 3-4 ROLLS???
Yes, you can make these in advance and keep frozen – that’s the beauty of this recipe! However, you may need to reduce baking time as needed for 3-4 rolls.
This maybe a crazy question, but could you use shells instead of lasagna noodles or are lasagna noodles more sturdy? I wanted to make this for my son in college and freeze it for him and his roomates. Cant wait to try it…Looks Damn D-lish!Â
Yes, you can absolutely use shells! What a great idea!
So funny stumbling across this recipe because I just had my appendix out as well!! This looks delicious, can’t wait to try it out!
I think I am gonna have to make this one. Love the idea of freezing it.
I’m going to try substituting cottage cheese for ricotta. I’m just not a fan. Looking forward to testing this out. Thanks for such great recipes.
Stupid question, but did you use a total of 2 containers of 15 oz Ricotta cheese, making 30 ounces total?
Yes, but you do not have to use all of it if it is too much.
Thanks for asking, Krystal, I had the same question 🙂
me too!
I cooked this yesterday. It’s was really amazing. I brought the leftovers to work for my co-workers to try and they loved it. I absolutely love the garlic cream sauce…this one’s a keeper and I will be using this sauce in other pasta recipes. Definitely 2 thumbs up!!!
Did you roll them length-way or sideways
Lengthwise.
Can a substitute another ingredient for the pesto sauce in this recipe; otherwise looks great. Thanks, Joyce
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Looks great, can’t wait to try! Any plans on 2nd book? Â Mmmmmmm good
I’m working on it! 🙂
I think I’m scared to ask about the nutrition facts on this one….looks AMAZING! Maybe I can save this for my sheet day? 🙂 Love your recipes and your cookbook!!
Sounds yummy! Â What changes in timing & pan size would you recommend for making this as a regular lasagna?
Cooking time / pan size should stay about the same for a traditional lasagna.
This looks delicious! Â Is heavy cream the same thing as half and half? Â If so, can I use non fat half and half?
They are actually not the same, but you can substitute half and half, although heavy cream is best!
Chungah, I cannot wait to try your Lasagna Rollups and I hate to bother you but what size pan did you use and do you freeze the dish before or after baking? Â Thank you!
I used a 9×13 baking dish. You can freeze prior to baking.
To freeze, would you cook these first or put them in the freezer ready to bake?
You can pop it in the freezer ready to bake.
Are these cooked prior to freezing; or rolled and frozen. How do you prepare frozen? Do you thaw?
These are rolled and frozen, no thawing needed.
*TO FREEZE: Cover lasagna roll ups tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
I definitely approve of the roll up idea! It kind of reminds me of cannelloni (:
Oh yes. I’ve been following you and your recipes for some time now. Apparently you have more fun with your food than even I do. hahaha
Thank you for continuing to delight the rest of us. I’m making this for dinner tomorrow.
Can’t wait to try it,it looks delicious!Â
Is it best to freeze before or after cooking?
Is it best to cook from frozen or defrosted? Â
Great ideaÂ
You can freeze prior to baking. No need to defrost! 🙂
If I wanted to prepare this ahead of time, freeze, then reheat, should I under-cook the roll-ups to allow for the reheating? Is it possible to do this with this dish without ending up with soggy lasagna noodles?
No need to undercook! Lasagna noodles are resilient. 🙂
This looks ABSOLUTELY incredible!!! Am I freezing before or after baking? and once thawed from frozen state (but still cold) how long do you think it should be baked? Or can it be baked from frozen state?
These are rolled and frozen, no thawing needed.
*TO FREEZE: Cover lasagna roll ups tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.