How To Cook Frozen Lasagna: 3 Easy Methods

Lasagna

Lasagna is a favorite dish of many people.

This Italian dish is usually prepared with flat pasta sheets and fillings like ground meats, tomato sauce, various types of cheese such as ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella, spices, and seasonings like oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, and garlic. However, there are also other vegetarian recipes of lasagna made with vegetable fillings instead of meat fillings.

Lasagna is a delicious dish you can serve at parties, family gatherings, and holiday celebrations because it can feed a bunch of people.

However, preparing lasagna is not a fast and easy job. Therefore, when you are preparing lasagna, you can make 2 and freeze the one, so you will have it ready when needed.

And if you don’t want to freeze lasagna because you are afraid it will not be as tasty as freshly cooked, don’t be. There is a way to cook frozen lasagna without altering its flavor no matter if you have bought it from the store or made it at home.

Keep reading and find out how!

Lasagna

What’s The Best Way To Cook Frozen Lasagna?

The best way to cook frozen lasagna is to defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and cook it the next day. You can cook the frozen lasagna using the following appliances.

1. Oven

Preheat the oven at 350-375°F depending on the size and number of layers. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and place it in the middle racks.

After 40-50 minutes remove the foil and check the internal temperature with a cooking thermometer. If the temperature is 165 °F (74°C) cook for another 5-10 minutes to get a top with nice golden-brown color.

Put the lasagna out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes before you serve it. That will resolidify the cheese and make the layers more stable preventing them to slide and look messy when you cut the lasagna.

2. Convection microwave

You can also cook lasagna in a convection microwave if you have it at home.

A convection microwave is cooking food faster and more evenly due to the circulation of the hot air. Therefore, if you are cooking lasagna in a convection microwave it will be ready for less than 45 minutes.

Preheat the convection microwave at 325°F or 350°F if you cook bigger or thicker lasagna with more layers. Cover it with aluminum foil and don’t let the foil be in contact with the oven cavity, and bake for 35 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes allowing the top to get a golden-brown color. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes and serve.

3. Air fryer

If you have an air fryer at home you can use it to cook your lasagna.

It is important to use a pan that fits in your air fryer. Turn on the air fryer and preheat at 360°F. Tightly cover the lasagna with aluminum foil, and place it in the air fryer.

Cook the lasagna for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.

When the cheese is nicely melted and the top of the lasagna is golden brown take it out of the air fryer. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, and serve.

You will enjoy your evenly cooked and tasty lasagna prepared in the air fryer.

Can You Cook Frozen Lasagna Without Defrosting?

You can cook frozen lasagna without defrosting it first. However, you will need twice as long a time to bake it than when it is defrosted.

Another thing that you should consider when cooking frozen lasagna is that it can be heated and cooked unevenly. Meaning, the top of the lasagna will be cooked, while the middle of the lasagna will be undercooked.

Therefore, it is best to cook your lasagna defrosted.

However, if you want to cook it frozen or you have a store-bought lasagna that is cooked frozen you will need more time to bake it. You can read in the preparation steps on the package about the baking time and temperature.

Usually, store-bought frozen lasagna with the average size is baked for about 90 minutes at 375-400°F. Just preheat the oven to 400°F. Then, wrap tightly the frozen lasagna with aluminum foil.

Bake for 60-75 minutes and remove the foil. Then, bake for extra 5-10 minutes until the top of the lasagna gets a golden-brown color. Leave the lasagna to sit for 10 minutes and serve.

Is It Better To Thaw Frozen Lasagna Before Baking?

Lasagna

It is better to thaw frozen lasagna before baking. That way, you will need less time and a lower temperature to bake it.

You can thaw frozen lasagna in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day. Don’t thaw it on the countertop. Otherwise, bacteria grow at room temperature. If lasagna is defrosted on the countertop it may not be safe to eat.

You can also thaw frozen lasagna in a microwave. Place the lasagna in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish. Turn the microwave on a defrost. After 5 minutes take it out. Then, bake it.

Never cover the lasagna with aluminum foil if you are using your microwave. Otherwise, you can start a fire.

How To Cook Frozen Lasagna Faster?

There are a few important things you can do to cook your frozen lasagna faster.

First of all, turn on the oven at 375- 400°F depending on the size of the lasagna. Then, take the lasagna out of the freezer, and if it is in a glass dish replace it in an oven-safe dish.

If you put a cold glass dish in a hot oven it can break due to the temperature change.

Wrap the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the oven. After one hour take the foil off, and bake for additional 30 minutes.

Your lasagna will be nicely and evenly cooked, with a beautiful golden-brown color. Leave it to sit for 10 minutes and your lasagna is ready to serve. 

Related Questions

Can you put frozen lasagna straight in the oven?

You can put frozen lasagna straight in the oven.

However, first, you have to wrap it tightly with aluminum foil. You will also need more time and a higher temperature to bake frozen lasagna.

So, turn on the oven at 375-400°F and bake the lasagna for about 90 minutes. When it begins to make small bubbles on the edges of the pan your lasagna is baked.

Let it sit for 10 minutes and serve.

How long to cook frozen lasagna in the oven?

If you are cooking frozen lasagna in the oven you will need about 90 minutes for lasagna with average size.

However, if the lasagna is very large you will need about 20 minutes more until your lasagna is fully baked. You can check if it is cooked with a kitchen thermometer.

If the internal temperature is 165°F, you can take the lasagna out of the oven. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer just wait until it starts to bubble and you feel its wonderful smell.

Let it rest for 10 -15 minutes and you’re baked from frozen lasagna is ready to serve.

How to cook frozen lasagna in the air fryer?

You can cook frozen lasagna in an air fryer in just a few simple steps. First, take the lasagna out of the freezer and put it in a pan that fits in the air fryer. Set the air fryer at defrosting for about 10minutes.

Check if the lasagna is defrosted and set the temperature at 320°F. Cook the lasagna at this temperature for 30 minutes. When it gets nice and bubbly take it out from the air fryer and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Your frozen lasagna cooked in the air fryer is ready to serve. Store-bought lasagna is usually cooked frozen and doesn’t need to be defrosted first.

How to cook frozen lasagna in the microwave?

If you want to cook frozen lasagna in the microwave it is better to defrost it first. Place the frozen lasagna in a microwave-safe dish and put it in the microwave.

Set the microwave to defrost for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the lasagna.

After the lasagna is defrosted set the temperature at medium-high and cook the lasagna for 20-25 minutes until it is fully cooked.

Take it out from the microwave, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

How do you cook frozen lasagna in a pan?

You can cook frozen lasagna in a non-stick pan. Cover the frozen lasagna with aluminum foil and put it in the pan on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Check if the lasagna is defrosted and cook on medium-high heat for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked. Let the lasagna cool down for 10 minutes and serve.

Wrap Up

Frozen lasagna is best to defrost before cooking because you will need less time and lower cooking temperature to bake it.

However, if you forget to take it out of the freezer, you can cook your lasagna frozen and enjoy its wonderful flavor.

How do you cook frozen lasagna? Which ways work best for you? Share your experience with us in the comment section below.

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