I am visiting my son in Tennessee and making sure that he is eating right by loading him up with freezer meals. This Lasagna Freezer Meal Recipe is one of his faves!
I have spent this last week visiting my (big) baby boy in Tennessee. I don’t care whether your kid is 8 or 28, making sure they are eating enough good food and getting enough rest is something we moms obsess over. My son told me the other day that I worry more about how much he sleeps than he does. There is some truth in that. I also care about how much he’s eating.
By the time I am done, he should have a month’s worth of food in his freezer. I’m secretly hoping that he’ll want me me come stay with him for a week every month after this.
For the most part, I have been making his favorite dishes from childhood, which started off with this lasagna freezer-meal.
I used to make my own sauce for lasagna. I have since discovered that some of the stuff that comes in a jar is (almost) just as good as my own, and saves me a whole heck of a lot of time. I used jar sauce for this recipe.
What Should I Serve Along With The Lasagna?
If you want to increase the health quotient of the meal as a whole, a simple green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing would pair well. You could also roasted up some vegetables in olive oil. Zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplant would bring a flavorful side to the lasagna. Otherwise, garlic bread is a classic accompaniment to lasagna. It’s easy to make and can be found at most grocery stores.
Yields: 4 to 5 (8-inch) square aluminum pans. Feeds 2-3 people
Freezer Preparation
Once assembled, allow the lasagnas to cool completely before preparing them for the freezer. You don’t want to put something warm into your freezer. To be clear, lasagna should NOT be cooked but just assembled. They need to cool down because the sauce used still warm.
- First cover in aluminum foil.
- Repeat with a second layer of foil.
- Next, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and repeat.
- I like to write the heating instructions onto a sheet of paper and slip it in-between the layers of plastic wrap.
- Also, be sure to write what the dish is… something that I totally forgot to do. He’ll have a surprise!
It’s so nice to have something like this on hand for those days that you just don’t have time to cook. Just pop it out of the freezer, allow it to thaw in the fridge, and bake.
How to Store and Cook Frozen Lasagna
You can safely store lasagna in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend letting them thaw for at least 4 hours in the fridge before baking them covered in foil, on 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. You can remove the foil and continue baking an additional 15 minutes, the top will be nice and crispy.
Once cooked, lasagna can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. As always, make sure to use an airtight container.
How much food does this work out to be?
I use 8–inch square foil pans, which are perfect for 2-3 people. My son can enjoy these with a friend or have leftovers for lunch the next day. This recipe yields 4 to 5 (8 inch) square baking pans u002du002d one to eat and four to enjoy later.
Easy-Prep Lasagna Freezer Meal Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 24 ounce jars marinara sauce
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 15 no-boil lasagna noodles 1-2 packages should be good.
- 2 15 ounce containers Ricotta
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 5-6 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or pot, combine ground beef, sausage, onion, salt and garlic powder. Cook on medium-high heat until browned, crumbled and cooked through. Drain off any excess fat. Add marinara sauce, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a medium size bowl combine the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Stir to combine.
- Lightly spray pans with cooking spray. For each pan of lasagna, spread a little sauce into the bottom of each pan. Top with a layer of 2 lasagna noodles. Spoon more sauce over the noodles. Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat.
- Bake (thawed) lasagna, covered in foil, on 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking an additional 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Perfect Recipe- also would be great as a gift for busy households
I love how easy this is. It’s a meal that the whole family would love!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so good! Very happy that I have an extra pan (or two or three) that I can bring to some friends who have just had a baby!
do you use two jars of marinara sauce so total of 48 ounces? or two jars equaling 24 ounces??
You’ll use 2 jars, equaling 48 ounces. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
This is the best and easiest lasagna recipe I’ve ever made! The no cook noodles are the best!!! Making it so easy and so quick! I’m very particular on Italian suace , but yours is terrific! I did, however, add one egg and cooked chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture and a little bit of more spices. Yummmm The freezing option I love! Made prior to wrist surgery and for my daughter who recently had a newborn! Very very helpful!! Thanks so much?
I absolutely love lasagna. I could eat it every day.
I love the idea of having a great meal frozen in advance.
I am so excited to make these for my brother in law and his family who just had a baby. I’m a little confused on the instructions prior to freezing the lasagnas. Do I fully bake the lasagna first, then wait for them to cool down and then freeze them? Or do I just assemble the lasagna, and freeze (not baking it yet) and only bake it once after thawing the uncooked lasagna? Sorry, this is my first time making these freezer meals and I’m not sure.
I was wondering the same thing. did you get a reply?
Hi Kim and Angelina, apologies looks like I missed this question! So you just need to assemble the lasagna without fully cooking it. The sauce will likely still be warm when you assemble that’s why I suggested to wait for it to cool down. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Hi, just reading through the comments but already baked the lasagnas with plans to freeze them after they cool. So to confirm, we aren’t supposed to cook them first? Wondering if they will still be ok!
Hi Alyssa,
It is still fine to freeze them after cooking but ideally you want to assemble them and freeze them before cooking. Sorry if this wasn’t clear!
I used regular noodles and boiled it but it was breaking into pieces. After baking, I cut it into squares. But when I scooped it out and put it on my plate, the piece was soft and didn’t keep its square shape. Was I not supposed to boil the noodles?
Hi Mirna, the recipe is meant for no-boil noodles that firm up as they absorb the sauce in the oven, so boiling regular noodles can make them too soft and cause them to fall apart.