Gluten Free Freezer Meal: Lasagna Roll-Ups

If you are like me, you are one of the few in your family that eats gluten free on a regular basis. I am the only one in my immediate family that has been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, so creating a meal that I can eat while everyone else is following a different menu is a plus. Of course, this means that I don't have much space or time to cook what I want to eat, as the stove, microwave, and oven are in use for other meals.

That is why I came up with this freezer meal idea for lasagna. I can make it ahead of time when I have the space in the kitchen to prepare it. I also can make the food in bulk, freeze, and take out enough to eat myself for one meal's worth. This saves me from eating leftovers all week long.

In the above recipe, I made about 9 roll-ups. One roll-up equals one serving. I can bake about two in a glass loaf pan in the oven and therefore have enough for two meals during the week. The recipe can also be altered to fit different tastes and preferences easily. Here is the recipe that accompanies the video clip. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Freezer Meals: Lasagna Roll-Ups

This recipe has been adapted from the Betty Crocker Make-Ahead Meat-Lovers' Lasagna Roll-Ups recipe featured in their 2015 calendar. You may also view their recipe at this link: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/m...

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles (I used Tinkiyada's Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles)
1 pound ground beef
1 cup tomato pasta sauce (Prego works best for me)
2 cups ricotta cheese

Cook the pasta noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions, drain, and set aside. Meanwhile, cook beef on the stove until brown and crumbly. Make sure to drain the excess fat. Set aside.

Spray an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Take a cutting board or cookie sheet and place one lasagna noodle on it. Spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons of ricotta cheese on the noodle to within 1 inch of one short end. Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked beef over the sauce. Roll up noodle firmly toward unfilled end. Place roll-ups seam side down in prepared baking dish.

Once you have filled the baking dish with roll-ups, cover them with foil. Freeze them for about 30 minutes or until firm.

Place frozen roll-ups in airtight freezer safe container or bag and label. They may be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To bake:
1 1/2 cups tomato pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray. Remove roll-ups from freezer and place them in baking dish. Cover with foil and let them thaw in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours and no more than 24 hours.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the tomato sauce over and around the roll-ups. Spread the mozzarella cheese over top the roll-ups. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted and golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

You may bake all of your roll-ups at once or make one or two at a time. Being I am the only one in my household that has to eat gluten free I use a small glass bread loaf pan and bake two for the same temp and time. Just use a few tablespoons each of the sauce and shredded cheese.

Tip: Use foil baking pans when freezing the roll-ups. Then, you can thaw them in the refrigerator and bake them in the oven without using extra dishes!