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A spatula lifts a slice of lasagna from a metal baking dish.
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5 from 13 votes

Freezer Lasagna

Stock your freezer with a homemade frozen lasagna for an easy meal on a busy day. This Freezer Lasagna is a stress-free way to get a comforting meal on the table with very little effort and easy cleanup.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 372kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 16 ounces Italian sausage pork, turkey, or plant-based
  • 1 teaspoon salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese divided
  • 1 egg
  • cup chopped fresh basil plus additional for garnish, if desired
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms divided
  • 48 ounces marinara sauce (2 24-ounce jars), divided
  • 9 ounce package no boil lasagna (16 sheets Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne), divided - see Notes section below
  • 12 to 16 ounces mozzarella shredded, divided
  • 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided

Instructions

  • Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil and place over MEDIUM heat. If using link sausage, remove it from the casings by slicing through one side with a sharp knife. Discard casings and place the sausage in heated skillet. Cook and stir, breaking up the sausage, until no longer pink. Drain as much grease from the pan as possible and return the pan to the heat. Add the garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook and stir for another minute or two and then remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and chopped basil. Set aside.
  • Remove the stems, chop the mushrooms and set aside.
  • Lightly coat the bottom of a deep, freezer safe 13- x 9-inch pan with 1 cup of marinara sauce. Place 4 lasagna sheets over the sauce, overlapping just slightly, if needed. Spoon ⅓ of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna sheets and spread it out evenly with a knife. Sprinkle ⅓ of the cooked sausage over the ricotta. Top with ⅓ of the chopped mushrooms, purposely allowing some to fill in edges of the pan around the lasagna. Sprinkle with ¼ of both the mozzarella and Parmesan and then pour 1 cup (no more) of marinara evenly over the top.
  • Layer as directed above 2 more times for a total of 3 layers.
  • Top with the remaining 4 lasagna sheets and pour the remaining marinara sauce over the top. Use a knife or spatula to smooth out the sauce over the pasta sheets. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. See Notes section below for instructions to bake immediately, or follow as directed to freeze the lasagna.

Freezer Instructions

  • Generously coat the bottom of a large piece of heavy duty foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the unbaked lasagna with the foil, crimping edges of foil around the pan. Wrap the covered pan completely in one or two more sheets of foil. Place the pan in the freezer.
  • Frozen homemade lasagna will keep well in freezer for 3 to 4 months.

Cooking Thawed Lasagna

  • Defrost the lasagna completely in the refrigerator overnight or follow the directions below for transport.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If your dish is very full, I recommend placing the foil covered lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake another 10 to 15 minutes until heated through and bubbly around edges.

Cooking Frozen Lasagna

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If your dish is very full, I recommend placing the foil covered lasagna on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the lasagna straight from the freezer covered with foil for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked through and the internal temperature of the center portion reaches 165 degrees F with an instant read thermometer.

Notes

A 9-ounce box of no-boil lasagna should have 16 sheets but I have had times where there were only 15 sheets. Don't fret! Layer as directed but just use 3 sheets on the final/top layer. Lay them side to side and they will fill in a bit as they bake.
Super Cheesy Lasagna - If you want a very cheesy lasagna, use all 16 ounces of mozzarella.
To Bake Immediately - If you are baking right away (not chilling), bake the lasagna, covered, for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Safe Thawing - Before baking, defrost completely overnight in your refrigerator. If not completely defrosted when cooking be sure to increase cooking time as needed. Do not allow lasagna to defrost on kitchen counter. Keep refrigerated for food safety purposes.
Lasagna On the Go - To take and bake your lasagna, keep it frozen until you are ready to depart and then place the frozen lasagna between some ice packs in a cooler.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 2008mg | Potassium: 898mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1405IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 470mg | Iron: 8mg