These Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups are smothered in a rich, creamy marinara sauce and baked to perfection with a golden layer of melted cheese on top. A super flavorful and fun twist on classic lasagna!
If you love lasagna but not the fuss, you’ll love my Lazy Lasagna Casserole.
It’s pretty clear by my ever growing collection of pasta recipes that we’re big fans in this house. From easy one-pot recipes to casseroles that feed a crowd, they are all BIG family favorites. Finding interesting ways to combine different types of pasta with delicious fillings and sauces is my idea of a good time!
These Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups are an absolutely crave-worthy meal that your pasta lovers are going to devour.
Table of contents
Recipe Highlights
- Rotisserie Chicken Recipe: Making use of store-bought rotisserie chicken saves precious time in the kitchen.
- Convenient: Store-bought marinara sauce and pesto are easy to stock and add tons of flavor.
- Freezer Meal: Pasta is an excellent choice for freezing for an easy future meal.
- Family-Friendly: Kids and adults alike will love these delicious lasagna roll ups!
Ingredient Notes
Lasagna noodles: You want traditional curly lasagna noodles for this recipe.
Cheese mixture: The creamy cheese filling is made with part-skim ricotta cheese, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (plus more for the topping), Parmesan cheese, egg, minced garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cooked chicken: I use shredded chicken breast from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Easy!
Sauces: A little pesto adds flavor to the filling and a jar of marinara sauce combined with a little half and half or heavy cream creates the creamy marinara.
Garnish: A little minced fresh parsley or thinly sliced fresh basil for garnishing the casserole.
How to Make Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
- Ricotta mixture: In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Chicken: Add the shredded chicken and mix well to combine.
- Lasagna noodles: Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions for al dente. Transfer the cooked noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain them well. To prevent the noodles from sticking together, lay them out on aluminum foil or baking sheets that have been coated with nonstick cooking spray.
- Creamy marinara: In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the half-and-half or heavy cream. Coat the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with some of the creamy marinara and reserve the remaining sauce for later.
- Fill: Spread a heaping ¼ cup of the chicken filling down the length of each noodle. If there is filling left, divide it evenly between the noodles.
- Pesto: Drizzle a little pesto over the chicken mixture on each noodle.
- Assemble: Roll the lasagna noodles up.
- Baking dish: Place the roll ups seam side down in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
- Sauce: Spoon the remaining creamy marinara sauce evenly over each roll up.
- Cheese: Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake the casserole, uncovered, in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Pro Tip
For a golden brown top, switch your oven to broil for the last couple of minutes of the baking time. Watch it closely and pull it from the oven as soon as it is browned and bubbly.
Storage Tips
Make Ahead: Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups can be prepared in advance and refrigerated overnight before baking. After assembling, cover the dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate promptly. When ready to bake, allow the baking dish to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take the chill off, then bake as directed.
Freezer: For longer storage, assemble the casserole in a freezer-safe baking dish and freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months. Transfer the baking dish from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw safely and completely before baking as directed in the recipe.
Leftovers: Transfer leftover roll ups to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave just until warmed through. Larger amounts can be baked, covered, at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes.
More Lasagna Recipes You’ll Love
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Chicken Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 12 curly lasagna noodles
- salt for pasta water, as needed
- 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups fully cooked shredded chicken breast, store bought rotisserie chicken works perfectly
- 24 ounces marinara sauce, about 3 cups
- ¼ cup half and half or heavy cream
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or thinly sliced fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the lasagna noodles in salted water according to the package directions for al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, use a spoon to combine the ricotta, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken and mix well to combine.
- Transfer the cooked noodles to a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain well. Lightly coat a large sheet or two of aluminum foil (or baking sheets) with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the noodles out on the prepared work surface to prevent them from sticking.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, combine the marinara sauce with the half-and-half. Pour about 1 cup of the creamy marinara across the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Reserve the remaining sauce for later.
- Spread a heaping ¼ cup of the chicken filling down the length of each noodle. If there is filling left, divide it evenly between the noodles. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of pesto over the chicken mixture on each noodle. Roll them up and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish on top of the sauce.
- Spoon the remaining creamy marinara sauce evenly over each roll up and then sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly. If desired, turn oven to BROIL for the last minute or two to brown the cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Pasta Recipes
This post was originally published on August 30, 2014. It has been updated with new text and images.
Yum! I was going to offer some helpful critiques for the preparation process but one bite fresh out of the oven has rendered my mind blank! =P
Oh, that got me laughing out loud! Food has that very same effect on me, LL. If those suggestions ever come to mind, don’t hesitate to hop back on over and let me know. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for making me smile today 🙂
Would it be okay If I used chicken breasts (cooked, then shredded) and I know Pesto is part of the name, but if I left that out would it be okay?
Hi Luna. Part of the beauty of cooking at home is modifying recipes to suit your taste! You can absolutely substitute cooked, shredded chicken breasts. If you are going to omit the pesto, I’d recommend adding something in its place for flavor. Maybe a drizzle of marinara or alfredo? I hope it works out well for you 🙂
Can this be frozen before cooked?
I haven’t tried it but I can’t see why not. I’ve frozen many other pasta dishes with great success. You might want to take a look at my post for Homemade Frozen Lasagna if you are looking for fix and freeze pasta dishes.
Here is the link –> Homemade Frozen Lasagna
These lasagna roll ups look so good. I am going to try them right away. Love using chicken in recipes when I can.
Plan to make half with marinara and half with a white sauce of some kind, maybe alfredo. Have one grandson that doesn’t like red sauce. Thanks for the great idea.
It will be yummy with a white sauce 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy!
Stepson and wife are coming to visit Have not see them in tears, and this is perfect to serve them. Thank you for receipt.
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I hope you all enjoy the dish! Enjoy your time with your family 🙂
Wow, you were so young when you married! Makes me feel like I`ll be a such singleton at my age! Haha. I loved reading this post.
This dish does sound simple and fun to make. This is why I love your recipes!!
Hi, Lynna! You know I was kidding about being 12 when I got married, right? I was 13…ha!
You’ve done it again, Val! Made me laugh, that is. The 3 P’s, I’m sure my wife and I have a variation on that, the 3 S’s, maybe.
The dish is brilliant, can’t wait to try it.
Well, hello there sir. I’m dying to know what the 3 S’s are…I think? Dare I ask? 🙂
I totally agree…and patience, boy that is a big one here…and I don’t just mean me having to be patient. lol I can be a handful myself! 😉 Grumpy loves lasagna and I don’t! I don’t care for all the ground meat in it – but I can do chicken and love pesto so I think I must follow suit and give this one a try. I’ll let you know how it goes over here!
Thanks, Shelby! It’s good to find a compromise dish 🙂
What a simple, delicious and elegant meal! I love the idea of mixing up the lasagna filling with chicken and pesto – yum!!!
Pasta is my absolute favorite! This is a recipe we would love!
This is my kind of recipe! Delicious! I’m going to have to make this.
yepp. Pasta is the key to happiness. FOR SURE. Esp lasagna + chicken + pestooooo!!!