How to Freeze Lasagna (Baked or Unbaked)
While you’re preparing a lasagna for dinner, you might as well make a second to freeze for later! In this post, I’ll explain How to Freeze Lasagna as well as how to thaw and reheat frozen lasagna.
Why Bother Freezing Lasagna?
Lasagna is a time-consuming dish to make, but if you’re already making one for dinner this week it’s worth making a second one to freeze for later.
Having a homemade frozen lasagna in the freezer is great to have on busy nights when you don’t have time to cook or you’re under the weather. Or, if you have older kids, it’s nice to have lasagna frozen and ready to be baked when they’re home alone for an evening!
Whatever your reasons for wanting to know the best way to freeze lasagna, I can guarantee that Future You will thank Past You for being so prepared!
Katie’s Tip: Lasagna can be frozen baked or unbaked, and whole or in slices. I go into much more detail about freezing lasagna in the post below.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Vacuum sealer and bags (preferred method!): I prefer freezing whole lasagnas in vacuum bags rather than baking pans. Baking pans take up a lot of space in the freezer, plus I can’t use them when they’re holding frozen lasagna!
- Disposable foil pans: If you don’t have vacuum seal bags, I recommend freezing the entire lasagna in a disposable foil pan. There are 9×13 size pans if you want to freeze a casserole and individual sized foil pans for personal sized servings. Wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
- Parchment paper: I prefer lining my baking pans to make transferring the frozen lasagna easier.
- Labeling supplies: Always label frozen lasagna with the date you made it, plus any additional instructions required for baking it later.
How to Freeze Lasagna (the Best Way!)
The below is simply a quick summary of how to freeze a whole lasagna, baked or unbaked. Check out the full instructions in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions, including how to freeze lasagna rolls and individual slices of lasagna!
Freezing a baked lasagna
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure to take the parchment paper up the sides of the pan to make removing the lasagna later much easier.
- Assemble the lasagna in the lined baking dish as the recipe instructs.
- Cover the pan with foil, then freeze until completely firm (this could take up to 3 hours).
- Once firm, lift the lasagna out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- Transfer the frozen whole lasagna to a vacuum seal bag, label, and freeze.
Freezing an unbaked lasagna
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhand.
- Assemble and bake the lasagna as instructed.
- Let the lasagna cool completely, then cover with foil and freeze until firm.
- Once firm, lift the lasagna out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- Transfer the frozen whole lasagna to a vacuum seal bag, label, and freeze.
Freezing FAQs
Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.
How long does frozen lasagna last?
If stored properly, lasagna can be frozen for up to three months. After three months, the lasagna will still be safe to eat, but the chances of it developing freezer burn will increase.
If a frozen lasagna develops freezer burn, you can still reheat it. Just note that the texture of the noodles and sauce may be affected.
Is It Better to Freeze Lasagna Cooked or Uncooked?
I actually prefer assembling and freezing lasagna prior to baking it. When you freeze uncooked lasagna, you must thaw it before baking it.
I typically avoid freezing cooked lasagnas as the texture of the noodles and cheese often changes once frozen. However, cooking the lasagna first lets you freeze individual slices, which might be a better fit for your lifestyle.
Can You Cook a Frozen Unbaked Lasagna Without Thawing it First?
Yes, cooking frozen lasagna in the oven is definitely an option, but note that the bake time will be significantly increased.
The lasagna will likely need closer to 90 minutes in the oven, but precise cook times will vary depending on how deep your pan is, how many layers your lasagna has, etc.
How to Defrost and Reheat Frozen Lasagna
The best way to thaw frozen lasagna is to place it in the fridge. If you froze the lasagna in a vacuum bag, transfer it to a baking pan before defrosting it! This way, it can go straight from the fridge and into the oven.
If you’re wondering how long to thaw frozen lasagna, I recommend putting it in the fridge overnight, or for up to 8 hours.
There’s no good way to quickly defrost a frozen lasagna, I’m afraid. And if you do try to defrost it quickly, I worry that the cheese and noodles will change texture.
Reheating Instructions
- Defrost the lasagna as instructed above.
- Set the lasagna out on your counter for about 25 minutes to come to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375ºF.
- If you froze the lasagna in a pan (either baked or unbaked), remove the plastic wrap and foil.
- Seal the pan with a new layer of foil (but no plastic wrap!).
- Bake covered for about 1 hour, then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Cook time may vary depending on how large your lasagna is or how deep the pan is.
Katie’s Tip: To reheat individual slices or individual lasagna rolls, follow the instructions above but bake for about 30 minutes total instead.
Lasagna Recipes You Can Freeze
You can freeze a cooked or uncooked whole lasagna, as well as individual slices and lasagna rolls. Detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below. Here are my all-time favorite lasagna recipes!
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How to Freeze Lasagna
Ingredients
- Lasagna (whole, in slices, or lasagna rolls)
Instructions
Freezing a whole lasagna
If freezing an unbaked lasagna:
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Be sure to take the parchment paper up the sides of the pan to make removing the lasagna later much easier.
- Assemble the lasagna in the lined baking dish as the recipe instructs.
- Cover the pan with foil, then freeze until completely firm (this could take up to 3 hours).
- Once firm, lift the lasagna out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- Transfer the frozen whole lasagna to a vacuum seal bag, label, and freeze.
If freezing a baked lasagna:
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhand.
- Assemble and bake the lasagna as instructed.
- Let the lasagna cool completely, then cover with foil and freeze until firm.
- Once firm, lift the lasagna out of the pan using the parchment paper.
- Transfer the frozen whole lasagna to a vacuum seal bag, label, and freeze.
Tip: If you don’t have vacuum seal bags, I recommend freezing the entire lasagna in a disposable foil pan. Wrap the pan in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
Freezing slices of lasagna
- Assemble and bake the lasagna as instructed.
- Let the lasagna cool completely, then slice into individual servings.
- Transfer each slice to a freezer bag or container.
- OR, wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then in foil before sealing inside a freezer bag.
- Label and freeze.
Freezing lasagna rolls
Freezing lasagna rolls is very simple! You can freeze lasagna rolls just like you would an entire lasagna (baked or unbaked), or you can bake the rolls and freeze them as individual servings.
Follow the instructions listed above to freeze either an entire pan of lasagna rolls or individual servings.
Notes
Please read the post above for instructions on how to thaw and reheat a frozen lasagna.
EDWARD says
Oh for **** sake. I just want to see the different options. I don’t need all of the adds.
Katie Kick says
Hi Edward,
The recipes on this website are all available completely free to users – with no paywall, unlike other large recipe websites – at the cost of thousands per month to me. Ads are a necessary part of offsetting the costs of operating this website so that the content can remain completely free for all users.
If you find the ads too intrusive, there is a handy button slightly under the recipe title that reads “Jump to Recipe” which will take you straight to the recipe and allow you to skip all of the educational content along with the ads. From there you can click “print recipe” and print the recipe without any ads or additional information for your records to keep. All at no charge to you.
I hope this informations makes for a more enjoyable user experience for you. If you are unable to find the button, let me know. I am happy to send you a tutorial on how to locate it.
Have a nice day!