Lasagna Roll Ups

Sometimes you've spent an entire day grocery shopping, tidying up, catching up on work (and y'know, blogs, Twitter and the like) and before you know it the, "what's for dinner?" question comes up... aaaand you're stuck.

At this point I discreetly hide my iPhone which has had me enthralled for the past hour or so, and quickly move to the kitchen to figure out what I can whip up quick that looks like I've put in some effort.

If it were up to me cereal would automatically be the answer to that question.

Or cake.

Cupcakes too, I don't discriminate.

But, alas not everyone (always) feels that way, so sometimes I need to make real food. Boo.

Now imagine this:

You start looking for "dinner recipes" online and classics come up that you love but the weather is a bajillion degrees and you don't want to turn on the oven for hours. Oh and you kinda don't have hours to make dinner either. And then, this brilliant idea presents itself, with all these wonderful promises in tow. For instance, let's say, whipping up a lasagna, start to finish in hmm 45 minutes or so.

Yes. Wonderful promises.

I came across an image on Pinterest that inspired me, and led me to Homemade by Holman's blog. The idea was there... but  my kitchen was lacking the ingredients.

I decided to start pulling what I could use out of the fridge and shortly thereafter I was well on my way to lasagna for dinner!

This dish is fantastic for a variety of reasons. It elevates the presentation of a slice of lasagna, is significantly easier to plate, and makes you feel all fancy and put together (a la chocolate cream filled cupcakes - yeah I'll be celebrating that one for a while). Also, it takes a fraction of the time to prep and cook, and this is quite possibly the first time I didn't have leftover lasagna! Additionally, I made this in my awesome toaster oven. I use this as my dairy oven and absolutely love it. With the temperature being as high as it is, it's great to place these lasagna rolls into the countertop oven, set it and wait to hear that fantastic ping without having to heat up the entire kitchen by turning on the oven!

You can adapt these to your liking! Opt for pareve cheese and add ground beef, sauteed in spices perhaps? Maybe even opt for an all veggie filling, sautéing your favorite vegetables, then rolling them up! My version was based on the ingredients I had on hand (and my preference for a dairy lasagna). It's completely adaptable to your liking - use the recipe I've posted below as a way to kick start your fantastic, super quick and easy dinner!

Enjoy!

Lasagna Roll Ups (5 Roll Ups)

1 c marinara sauce
1/2 c ricotta, crumbled (I placed the ricotta in a small bowl, and using a fork, stirred slowly to crumble the cheese)
1/2 c shredded cheese (I used a "pizza" blend mix)
1/4 c cream cheese
1 tbsp milk
1/8 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
5 lasagna noodles, boiled (make sure you haven't completely boiled them, keep an eye on it so that it won't be adversely effected when it goes into the oven)

Preheat oven to 350F
Place the boiled noodles in a bowl of cold water, to prevent them from cooking any further

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients until combined
Lay the noodles out flat on a cutting board or clean surface

Place 4 tbsp of the mixture along the length of the noodles (you're welcome to add more or less, just be careful not to overload the noodles or else you'll be left with a mess when you start rolling them up)
Picking up the corners of the end furtherest from you, roll the noodle towards you fairly loosely (basically not so tight that the mixture spills out)

Transfer rolls to a prepared baking sheet
Place a tbsp of the mixture on top of each roll as well as a pinch of shredded cheese
Bake in oven at 350F for 25 minutes