MAKE-AHEAD MEAT-LOVERS ROLL-UPS

MAKE-AHEAD MEAT-LOVERS ROLL-UPS image

Categories Dinner

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Roll-Ups (to make ahead and freeze)
16 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1/2 lb bulk pork sausage
1/2
cup chopped onion
1 1/2
cups tomato pasta sauce
2 containers (15 oz each) ricotta cheese
1 box (9 oz) Green Giantâ¢ frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves or Italian seasoning
1 egg
Sauce and cheese (for baking roll-ups)
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Steps:

In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Drain; rinse with hot water. Drain well. 2 Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook beef, sausage and onion over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. 3 In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, spinach, basil and egg. Spread about 3 tablespoons ricotta mixture over each cooked lasagna noodle to within 1 inch of one short end. Spoon about 1/4 cup meat mixture over ricotta mixture on each. Roll up firmly toward unfilled end. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil. Place roll-ups, seam side down, on pan; cover loosely with foil. Freeze about 30 minutes or until firm. 4 Place frozen rolls in airtight freezer container; label. Freeze up to 3 months. 5 To bake 16 lasagna roll-ups, spray two 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dishes with cooking spray. Remove roll-ups from freezer bag; place 8 in each baking dish. Cover with foil; thaw in refrigerator at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours. 6 Heat oven to 350Â°F. Pour 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce over and around roll-ups in each baking dish. Cover tightly with foil; bake 30 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle each baking dish with 1 cup mozzarella cheese; bake uncovered 3 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.