Freezing homemade lasagna is an easy way to have a ready-made tasty dinner available; the only thing you will have to do is turn on the oven and heat them. If you prepare lasagna and freeze it for future consumption, you will be able to quickly have a healthy meal whenever you need it. You can freeze them both cooked and raw, but you will need to defrost them the night before before cooking and serving. Read on to learn how to freeze lasagna so it always looks fresh.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prepare the Lasagna
Step 1. Prepare the lasagna according to a recipe that lends itself well to freezing
Some ingredients taste better than others when frozen and reheated. Preparations that use only fresh ingredients can be safely frozen both before and after cooking in the oven. However, if the recipe uses defrosted ingredients, it is best not to freeze the lasagna twice as this increases the risk of bacterial contamination.
- For example, avoid freezing lasagna made with previously defrosted sausage and ground beef. Try to use only fresh meat, or opt for a vegetarian recipe.
- Foods that have been frozen and thawed more than once also lose quality in texture and flavor. Choose a recipe that includes only fresh ingredients for best results.
- If your favorite recipe calls for frozen foods, know that the end result won't change much if you use fresh substitutes. For example, instead of frozen mushrooms, use fresh ones. In any case, you will still have to defrost the frozen product as well.
Step 2. Prepare the lasagna in a container that can be stored in the freezer
Look for the symbol with the snowflake design to make sure the pan / ovenproof dish is suitable for freezing. Most glass or ceramic pans are suitable for this purpose.
- Avoid using aluminum for long-term storage. Food may acquire a metallic aftertaste.
- If you don't have a pan that can be used for both baking and freezing, you can use two separate containers for the two phases.
Step 3. Consider baking lasagna
Lasagna cooked before freezing tastes great when reheated. Even those placed in the freezer "raw" are delicious. Use the most practical and comfortable technique for your needs, as the final result will not be altered in any way.
- You can choose to freeze cooked lasagna if you have a lot of leftovers after cooking in large quantities.
- If, on the other hand, you prefer to freeze them raw, consider preparing two trays the next time you prepare them for dinner: one will be consumed immediately and the other will be kept.
Step 4. Bring the lasagna to room temperature
If you want to freeze the one cooked in the oven, it is essential to make sure that it has cooled down before returning it to the freezer. Otherwise, once heated, it will not have a pleasant consistency. After cooking, leave it aside for at least an hour to cool. You can also store it in the refrigerator to bring down the temperature. Before placing the pan in the refrigerator, protect the food with two layers of cling film and one layer of aluminum.
Step 5. Cover the lasagna with cling film that can be placed in the freezer
Do not use aluminum as it may interfere with the flavor of the preparation. Use several layers of plastic to keep lasagna cool in the freezer; wrap the entire dish tightly, don't just cover the top. You need to make sure there are no gaps through which air can penetrate and cause cold burns to lasagna.
- Consider cutting the entire preparation into small single portions and freezing them in freezer bags. This way you won't have to reheat the entire dish if you only need to prepare dinner for one or two people. Cut the lasagna into single-serving doses when it has cooled down; in this way there is a greater chance that the various layers will not separate and that each piece will remain compact. Put each serving in its own freezer bag.
- It doesn't matter how you do it, but be sure to double-layer the lasagna to keep it from drying out.
Step 6. Return them to the freezer
Label each container before freezing it; remember that lasagna preserved in this way can last up to three months, whether they are vegetarian or meat-based.
Part 2 of 2: Defrost and Reheat Lasagna
Step 1. Defrost them overnight
The night before, take them out of the freezer. If you try to cook them in the oven when they are still partially frozen, the cooking will not be uniform; flavor and texture will suffer. Furthermore, it will also be more difficult for you to know if they are ready or not. You can defrost an entire dish or portions of lasagna in the refrigerator overnight.
Step 2. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
This is the standard temperature for cooking lasagna. Regardless of which recipe you decide to follow, this is the correct temperature to cook this dish to perfection.
Step 3. Prepare the lasagna for cooking
Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with aluminum foil. This prevents the surface from becoming too dry and golden while the rest of the lasagna cooks. If you are heating single portions, remove them from their bag and transfer them to a dish / pan suitable for cooking in the oven.
Step 4. Cook the lasagna
Place them in the oven and wait 30-40 minutes (or until ready). You can try a small piece of lasagna in the center to make sure it isn't cold yet. Remove the aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking if you wish to brown the surface of the lasagna - it will then become crisp.
If you are reheating single portions, you can also use the microwave instead of the traditional oven. Place the lasagna in a microwave safe container and heat it for 2-3 minutes until very hot and bubbles form on the surface. Do not use aluminum foil in the microwave
Step 5. Serve them
Since they have been frozen for some time, you can liven up the flavor by sprinkling the surface with chopped fresh basil or oregano.
Advice
- Remember to label the foods you want to freeze and indicate the preparation date.
- Divide the lasagna into portions after cooling them, it's easier!
- To heat the single portions, wrap them in cling film and place them in the microwave at maximum power for 3 minutes. Pierce the cling film with a knife to allow the steam to escape. Alternatively, place the lasagna on a plate and always cover it with plastic wrap. It will be the steam trapped that will heat them properly.
