White chicken lasagna roll ups are lasagna noodles filled with cheese and shredded chicken topped with a homemade bechamel sauce. They're perfectly portioned for dinners and meal prep for the week!
Why this recipe works
Great flavor. Mild, savory, cheesy sauce the whole family will love. Packed with shredded rotisserie chicken for a filling meal.
Easy to serve. There's no need to slice messy, individual squares of lasagna for serving.
Adds a unique twist to dinner. Lasagna roll ups are a fun and unique take on a classic dinner staple.
Great for meal prep. Portion servings into storage containers to reheat all week long.
Similar to: Lasagna roll ups and skillet lasagna
Serve with: Cheesy garlic bread and a garden salad
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Lasagna - Regular, long lasagna noodles work best for this recipe.
- Chicken - A shredded rotisserie chicken or about 16 ounces of cooked and shredded chicken works in this recipe. You could also use canned, drained chicken if desired. This is a great recipe to use some leftover cooked chicken you have on hand from a previous dinner.
- Ricotta - Original ricotta or low fat ricotta can be used.
- Egg - Binds the filling together.
- Butter and flour - Create a roux, which acts as a thickener for the white sauce.
- Milk - The base of the bechamel sauce in combination with the roux. I recommend whole milk for a thick and creamy sauce. Using lower fat milks will result in a slightly thinner sauce that has a higher chance of breaking while cooking or baking.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg add a warm, savory flavor to the white sauce. Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper add flavor to the cheese filling.
- Cheeses - Mozzarella and parmesan are added to the cheese filling, and extra mozzarella is sprinkled on top to melt and brown in the oven.
How to make lasagna roll ups
- Boil lasagna noodles to one minute shy of al dente.
- Make a bechamel sauce by melting butter, adding flour, then whisking in milk and seasonings. Continue whisking and cooking for 4 to 5 minutes, or until your sauce has thickened.
- Mix the filling in a large bowl. The filling includes shredded rotisserie chicken, three types of cheese, egg, and seasoning.
- Pat your cooked noodles dry, top with filling, and roll the noodles up.
- Place lasagna rolls into a prepared 9x13 dish, top with cheese, and bake until golden brown and bubbling.
Tips and tricks
Cook to 1 minute shy of al dente - Cook your lasagna noodles to 1 minute shy of al dente (according to the pasta's package directions). This helps prevent your pasta from falling apart while rolling. The pasta also continues to soak up liquid as it bakes, preventing a watery casserole.
Thickening sauce - Sauce not looking thick after about 5 minutes? Keep cooking. If prepared with the listed ingredients, your sauce will thicken over time. Resist the urge to move along and cover your lasagna noodles with a thin, watery sauce. It needs that time to cook on the stovetop and won't magically thicken up in the oven.
Pan size - Use a 9x13 casserole dish (just like you'd use for a traditional lasagna) for this recipe.
Assemble quickly - Rinse, pat dry, and assemble your noodles quickly after boiling. If they're left to sit for too long, they'll become difficult to work with and sticky.
Storage
Leftover white chicken lasagna roll ups will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and reheat well in the microwave.
While lasagna roll ups can be frozen, dairy based sauces tend to break when frozen and thawed, so expect the texture to change slightly.
Frequently asked questions
Lasagna rolls can be served on their own (multiple rolls per person) for a complete meal. I also like to serve them with cheesy garlic bread and a garden salad.
No. The purpose of no-boil noodles is for assembling a regular lasagna casserole without the need for boiling. We need pliable, cooked noodles for lasagna roll ups, so no-boil noodles wouldn't work for this recipe.
It depends on the person, but one lasagna roll is generally a light serving and two lasagna rolls is a heartier serving. This also depends on whether you're serving additional sides with your lasagna roll ups.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
White Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles
Bechamel sauce
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (681 g) whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Filling
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup (50 g) parmesan
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 16 ounces cooked and shredded chicken, like a rotisserie chicken
Instructions
Noodles
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
- In a pot of salted boiling water, cook lasagna noodles to 1 minute shy of al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until lasagna noodles are easy to handle.
Bechamel sauce
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk to create a paste. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in whole milk. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and nutmeg and continue whisking until mixture comes to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until sauce thickens, stirring frequently, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
Filling
- In a large bowl, add ricotta, half of the mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined. Add shredded, cooked chicken and stir to incorporate.
Assembly
- Pour about 1 cup of the bechamel sauce into your prepared 9x13 dish and spread into an even layer. Set aside.
- Lay out lasagna noodles on a flat surface. Add ricotta chicken mixture to each noodle and spread it edge to edge. Roll the noodles up and place into the prepared casserole dish.
- Pour remaining bechamel sauce on top. Sprinkle with reserved mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted across the top and casserole is bubbling around the edges.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Leftovers will keep for about 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and reheat well.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!