How do you freeze unbaked lasagna?
In this article, we will answer the following question: How do you freeze unbaked lasagne? Freezing lasagna is a common practice, but not everyone knows what the steps to follow to ensure a quality product are; let’s find out how to do it.
How do you freeze unbaked lasagna?
To freeze unbaked lasagna, you have to assemble it as you would before putting it in the oven, preferably store it in a glass container suitable for freezing and store it for up to three months in a refrigerator’s freezer compartment.
Freezing homemade lasagna is a practical and convenient way to use when needed for a tasty dinner. Freezing food is a widespread practice, but at the same time, you have to be careful with the preparation. If you want to guarantee the quality of the final product, you have to be careful at every step from the choice of raw materials to the preparation process.
The best way to freeze lasagna
The preparation of lasagna must be done using only fresh ingredients that can be frozen both before and after cooking in the oven. Indeed it should be emphasized that once thawed lasagna it cannot be refrozen as the risk of bacterial contamination increases.
Lasagna shouldn’t be frozen if it was made with previously defrosted sausage, minced beef, only fresh meat should be used. You shouldn’t freeze a lasagna whose ingredients have been frozen and defrosted more than once: as they lose quality, consistency and flavor.
Once you have prepared the lasagna, regardless of the fresh ingredients you use, whether it is with tomato, with béchamel, with mushrooms or vegetables, choose the container that is suitable for the freezer. There must be a snowflake design on the container to make sure the pan or dish is suitable for freezing.
Aluminum containers are not recommended for long-term storage, because the lasagna could acquire a metal aftertaste. If you do not have an ovenproof dish with dual functionality: cooking in the oven and storage in the freezer, you can use two separate containers for the two phases.
If you want to freeze cooked lasagna, it must be entirely cold before you can place it in the freezer, just leave it aside for at least an hour to cool. After cooking and cooling, the pan containing the lasagna must be covered on the surface, do not use aluminum.
The latter could interfere with the preparation; you can use a transparent film that can be placed in the freezer. Wrap the entire pan well, not just the top; there must be no gaps through which air can pass.
It is advisable to freeze in single portions so that you will thaw what you need. Remember that lasagna can be kept up to three months, both those prepared with vegetables and those with meat.
Other FAQs about Lasagna which you may be interested in.
How do you fix undercooked lasagna?
How to defrost and reheat lasagna
Lasagna can be defrosted overnight; never reheat it when partially frozen, as the cooking will not be uniform and the flavor and texture changes.
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C, regardless of the type of lasagna, remove the cling film and cover the pan with aluminum foil, avoid the lasagna drying out during cooking. The cooking time of the lasagna is about 30-40 minutes. To be sure of cooking, do the test with a toothpick; if it comes out dry, it means that it is ready. Remove the aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking, if you like it crunchy on the surface.
If you need to heat the single portion, put it in the microwave, in the suitable container, and heat for 2-3 minutes until bubbles form on the surface.
Best reheated food: lasagna
Without a doubt, lasagna is the dish that gives the best result after being reheated. This is due to the fact that when it is heated, the sauce that is used in its preparation dissolves, but when all that fat is cooled again, it solidifies again adhering to the ingredients and catching the flavors of the sauce.
The more meat and the more shredded it is, the greater this phenomenon will occur. That’s why reheated lasagna, cannelloni, or spaghetti bolognese are so wonderful.
In addition to this, this also favors the consistency of the sauces, since in these processes they also gain body. It is due to the fact that every time the protein is heated and cooled it releases collagen, thickening the sauce. Of course, this process should not be abused as the meat ends up becoming fibrous!
Final tips
Here are our final tips for freezing and reheating a lasagna:
- Always label containers indicating the date of preparation.
- Divide the lasagna into portions after cooling them to defrost what you need.
- If you need to heat the single portions, wrap the lasagna in cling film and put it in the microwave at maximum power for 3 minutes.
- Pierce the cling film with a knife to allow the steam to escape.
- Add some parmesan when reheating it, to make it even more delicious!
If you have any tips, comments, or questions on the content, please let us know!
References
Food.com
Allrecipes.com
