Freezer lasagna is the dinner you make once and eat twice, with a satisfying meat sauce, creamy ricotta filling, and plenty of mozzarella layered with uncooked noodles. The recipe makes two 9×13 inch pans, so you can bake one tonight and freeze the other for a busy week.
Because the noodles go in uncooked, there is no boiling and no sticky pile of pasta to untangle. The sauce is loosened with a little water, the noodles soften as the lasagna bakes, and the finished pan cuts into neat, satisfying squares.
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Why This Freezer Lasagna Recipe Works
A meaty sauce with onions, carrot, celery, and mushrooms gives the lasagna deep flavor and extra vegetables without any extra work. The grated carrot disappears into the sauce and balances the acidity of the tomatoes.
The ricotta mixture is bound with an egg and seasoned with Parmesan and parsley, so it sets into a sliceable layer instead of running across the plate. Splitting everything between two pans means one dinner now and one later.
Ingredients for Freezer Lasagna
- 2 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 2 onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 celery stalk, sliced
- 13 oz canned mushrooms (two 6.5 oz cans), drained
- 48 oz pasta sauce (or 3 pints homemade marinara)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 30 oz ricotta cheese (two containers)
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 18 uncooked lasagna noodles (or no boil noodles)
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella
- 8 oz shredded Parmesan cheese, for the top
Ground beef. 85 percent lean beef gives flavor without too much grease. Ground turkey or chicken makes a lighter version.
Pasta sauce. Use your favorite jarred sauce or 3 pints of homemade marinara. Thick sauce will not soften the noodles, so keep the water in the recipe.
Ricotta. Whole milk ricotta is creamy and holds together. The egg and Parmesan stabilize it.
Noodles. Regular uncooked noodles work here because the sauce has extra liquid. No boil noodles also work.
Cheese. Mozzarella melts for the stretch, and Parmesan on top browns into a savory crust.
How to Make Freezer Lasagna
1. Brown the beef. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Drain excess fat.
2. Cook the vegetables. Add the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, until soft.
3. Simmer the sauce. Stir in the mushrooms, pasta sauce, water, salt, pepper, and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes, then cool the sauce if you plan to freeze the lasagna.
4. Mix the cheese filling. In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, grated Parmesan, and parsley until smooth.
5. Layer the pans. Spread a thin layer of sauce in each of two 9×13 inch dishes. Add 3 noodles, a layer of the cheese mixture, a layer of mozzarella, and more sauce. Repeat until each pan has 3 layers, finishing with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
6. Wrap and freeze. To freeze, cover each pan tightly with plastic wrap, then foil. Label with the date and baking directions.
7. Thaw and bake. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake covered for 45 minutes, then uncover for 15 minutes, until bubbly and golden and 165 degrees F in the center.
How to Serve Freezer Lasagna
Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes so it slices cleanly, then serve it with a crisp salad such as creamy cucumber onion salad and warm bread like air fryer baguette garlic bread. If you want to compare recipes, try easy ground beef lasagna or weeknight lasagna with marinara and ricotta.
How to Store and Reheat Freezer Lasagna
Refrigerate baked leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, and reheat until the center reaches 165 degrees F. Unbaked lasagna keeps in the freezer for up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking, and do not thaw it on the counter.
Tips and Variations for Freezer Lasagna
Cool the sauce. Layering hot sauce into a pan you plan to freeze keeps the pan warm for too long. Cool it first.
Thaw in the fridge. An overnight thaw in the refrigerator is safer and bakes more evenly than baking from frozen.
Keep the water in. The extra water loosens the sauce so the uncooked noodles soften as it bakes.
Cover for the first bake. Foil traps steam to cook the noodles. Uncover at the end for browned cheese.
Spray the foil. A little cooking spray keeps the cheese from sticking to the foil.
Use a thermometer. The center should reach 165 degrees F, the safe temperature for casseroles and leftovers, according to University of Minnesota Extension.
Add spinach. Fold thawed, well squeezed spinach into the ricotta for extra greens.
Label everything. Write the date and the oven directions on the foil.
Frequently Asked Questions About Freezer Lasagna
Can you freeze lasagna before baking?
Yes. Freezer lasagna is built to be frozen unbaked, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
How do you bake freezer lasagna?
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, bake covered at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes, then uncover for 15 minutes.
Do I need to cook the noodles for freezer lasagna?
No. Uncooked noodles soften in the sauce as the lasagna thaws and bakes.
How long can I keep it in the freezer?
For ideal quality, use it within 3 months.
Can I use no boil noodles?
Yes, and they work well with the extra sauce.
Freezer Lasagna
Equipment
- Large skillet
- two 9×13-inch baking dishes
- Mixing bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef 85% lean
- 2 onions diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 celery stalk sliced
- 13 oz canned mushrooms two 6.5 oz cans, drained
- 48 oz pasta sauce or 3 pints homemade marinara
- ½ cup water loosens the sauce for uncooked noodles
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 30 oz ricotta cheese two containers
- 1 large egg
- ⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 18 uncooked lasagna noodles or no boil noodles
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella
- 8 oz shredded Parmesan cheese for the top
Instructions
Cooking
- Brown the beef. Cook in a skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, then drain. Add vegetables. Cook the onions, garlic, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Simmer. Stir in the mushrooms, sauce, water, salt, pepper, and oregano. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mix the cheese. Stir the ricotta, egg, grated Parmesan, and parsley together.
- Layer. In two 9×13 inch dishes, layer sauce, 3 noodles, cheese filling, and mozzarella three times. Finish with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Freeze (optional). Wrap each pan in plastic wrap and foil.
- Bake. Thaw if frozen. Bake covered at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes, then uncovered for 15 minutes, until 165 degrees F in the center.
