The best idea! Make Ahead Lasagna so you can have this family favorite whenever you want.
Oh happy day, when I open my freezer and see a frozen homemade lasagna looking back at me! I always want lasagna; I just don’t always have time to make it. This Lasagna for Freezer recipe solves that problem and when I bake or reheat it, it tastes like I made it the day I’m serving it. No muss, no fuss dinner when you have a lasagna in your freezer!
Rich and comforting and so authentically Italian with the sausage, fennel, and oregano. And that cheesy sauce!! It coats and covers the layers of meat sauce and noodles and is, in a word, delectable. While the already-made lasagna is heating in the oven, I toss together a simple green salad or a Roasted Pepper Salad and whip up some Baked Garlic Rolls and in no time, the perfect dinner is on the table!
And speaking of perfect, this Make Ahead Lasagna is my go-to when I have guests visiting: while I always want to serve them delicious food, I never want to take time away from them to have to prepare it, so having a lasagna all ready to go in the freezer (and it can go right from the freezer to the oven) solves that problem. And who doesn’t love lasagna?
The Cheese Sauce
The cheesy sauce for Make Ahead Lasagna is based on a standard white sauce recipe, also called a Bechamel Sauce, where you whisk butter and flour together to form what’s called a roux, and then slowly pour in milk, whisking until the sauce thickens. Then you remove it from the heat and add in shredded Monterey Jack Cheese and shredded Parmesan to create the most silky, tangy sauce for your lasagna.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can assemble the lasagna, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and it will keep in your freezer for up to 4 months. When you’re ready to serve it, you can either thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, cover it in aluminum foil, and then bake it at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, or it can go right from the freezer to the oven, baking it covered in the foil for an hour and ten minutes, and then uncovered for another 10 minutes to brown the top layer of cheese. You can also cook your lasagna, let it cool completely, and then store it in the freezer covered in foil for up to 4 months. For already cooked lasagnas, either thaw it overnight in the fridge and then reheat it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes covered and 10 minutes uncovered, or pop the frozen lasagna in the oven and reheat it covered for 30 minutes and then 10 minutes uncovered.
Will this work if you substitute veggies for the meat mix?
It certainly will! Just make sure you drain your sauteed veggies well before layering them in the lasagna: excess moisture can cause freezer burn. You can also make this a veggie version by just omitting the meat!
What kind of sausage should I use?
Any kind you like! We use sweet Italian sausage but if you like a kick, use the hot version. Both sweet and hot come in turkey versions, too. And if you are wanting to avoid meat altogether, there are lots of varieties of delicious plant-based Italian “sausages”
It’s so cheesy!
And we mean that in a good way…the combination of Monterey Jack and Parmesan in the sauce, and of course the melty bubbly layer of mozzarella and Parmesan on top, make this lasagna so irresistible, but sometimes we add shredded Provolone to the sauce, and even mascarpone to bring additional creaminess.
Serving Suggestions
Sure, salad and garlic bread are traditional pairings for lasagna but why not change it up by serving it with Sauteed Broccoli or Grilled Green Beans or even Perfect Roasted Eggplant. Or sub out whatever kind of bread you were thinking of serving with this Flatbread White Broccoli Pizza–so delicious! Sometimes I go multicultural and pair this Italian dish with a French one, The Best Ratatouille: ooo la la!
Lasagna for Freezer (Make Ahead Lasagna)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 1 pound Ground Sausage
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 1 tsp dried Oregano
- 8 oz Tomato Puree
- 28 oz can Crushed Tomato
- ¼ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan finely shredded (Divided)
- 1 cup Mozzarella shredded
- Salt and Pepper
- 12 Lasagna sheets
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet or heavy-based pot over medium heat and drizzle in the olive oil. Add the ground beef, ground sausage, onion, and crushed garlic and brown for 8 – 10 until dry.
- Add the fennel seeds, oregano, tomato puree, and crushed tomato, along with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Simmer on a low heat for 25 minutes. Stir regularly and add water if needed.
- Make the cheese sauce in the meantime. In a small saucepan over a low heat, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Use a whisk to whisk it together until it is smooth.
- Slowly pour in the milk and keep whisking until it thickens. Don’t walk away as it can take a little time to start to thicken, but once it starts thickening it goes quickly.
- Take the saucepan off the stove and add the shredded Monterey Jack in along with half the parmesan. Stir it into the sauce with a pinch of salt.
- Assemble the lasagna by spooning a layer of meat sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Then add a single layer of lasagna sheets, then a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat these layers until you have 3 layers.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining parmesan over the top.
- To quickly cook lasagna next time, bake it for 20 minutes with foil on top, let it cool, wrap it tightly in plastic, and freeze. You can also freeze it uncooked by wrapping it well in plastic. Ensure the wrap is airtight.
- Thaw lasagna fully. Cover with foil, bake at 325F for 20 minutes (precooked) or 45 minutes (uncooked). For crispier cheese, remove foil for last 10 minutes.
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