This is the best make ahead homemade lasagna recipe this side of Italy! Delicious and hearty, this baked lasagna with tender pasta and melting Italian cheese is surrounded by bubbly tomato sauce and authentic spices. Easy to make, freezable, and comfort food at it’s finest!
Lasagna is one of those meals that changed my life. Seriously.
When I first met my husband, I made this homemade lasagna for dinner for him and his roommates. I think this lasagna might have helped him fall in love with me…yes, people, it’s that good! 🙂
This lasagna recipe is not difficult to prepare. But it does require some steps, which is why no one “whips up” a lasagna after work.
I’ve created a wonderfully freezable lasagna you can prepare like an Italian grandmother on Sunday and serve like an American mom on Tuesday after soccer practice!
So, I’m giving you my best option for creating and serving lasagna:
Prep it, freeze it, thaw it, bake it, eat it.
The beauty of this method is that you can make it ahead of time, but you’re only cooking the lasagna once.
From one busy mom to another, I want you to be able to grab a prepared but uncooked lasagna from the freezer, thaw it in the fridge, then bake and serve the next night for dinner.
INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED
This make-ahead freezer lasagna has 4 main ingredients – pasta, cheese, meat, and sauce, along with onions, salt, garlic powder, and parsley. You can absolutely shop for ingredients with a budget in mind.
HOW TO MAKE FREEZER LASAGNA – Step by Step
Combine ground beef, onion, salt and garlic powder. Cook under med-high until browned and tender. Drain and put back into skillet.
Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Mix well.
Boil your lasagna noodles until al dente, remove from water and set aside.
*Layering Lasagna*
Bottom Layer
- First add a small amount of spaghetti sauce mix to the bottom of your 9×13 pan. (photo #2)
- Layer a single row of noodles (photo #3)
- Layer 1/3 sauce (photo #4)
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese (photo #5)
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture – dotting it all over. (photo #6)
Middle Layer
- Layer single row of noodles (photo #7)
- Layer 1/3 sauce (photo #8)
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese (photo #9)
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture – dotting it all over). (photo #10)
Top Layer
- Layer single row of noodles (photo #11)
- Layer 1/3 sauce (photo #12)
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture – dotting it all over. (photo #13)
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese last so it bakes up all cheesy on the top. (photo #14)
- Cover with foil and bake in 350 degrees (F) oven for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly all over. Let stand 10 minutes. (photo #15)
HOW TO FREEZE LASAGNA
To freeze raw lasagna, simply cover the baking dish tightly with Saran Wrap, then cover with aluminum foil, label and freeze. You will be using the same baking dish for prep, freezing, baking, and serving, so I recommend not using a glass baking pan, use metal or foil pans instead.
IS IT BETTER TO THAW FROZEN LASAGNA BEFORE COOKING IT?
Whenever possible, I like to thaw dishes like lasagna overnight before baking them. This accomplishes 2 things:
- The food spends less time in the oven, so dinner is ready sooner.
- The food cooks more evenly (I’m talking to you, cold lasagna center!).
However, you CAN bake a lasagna from frozen, it’s just gonna take longer to bake. Note: don’t place a glass or ceramic baking dish that’s filled with frozen lasagna into a hot oven…it could shatter!
To bake from frozen: Remove the foil and saran wrap from the pan, and re-cover with the foil.Place lasagna into the oven and bake at 325°F covered for 1.5 – 2 hours or until you can see or hear bubbling sauce in the middle. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes, until golden on top. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
CAN I USE NO-BOIL LASAGNA NOODLES?
No-boil lasagna noodles are a great option when you want to save time and a few steps. In my experience, however, you lose a little quality in the final product you’re making. No-boil noodles are missing some of that starch that helps the sauce and cheese stick to the pasta. And the noodles end up being less firm than I prefer.
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
- When cooking lasagna noodles for the recipe, remove them carefully from the water with tongs and lay them across a cutting board to dry and cool off. Don’t stack them, or they will stick together.
- When preparing your ingredients in the baking dish, try to cover your top row of lasagna noodles with cheese and/or sauce before baking. Exposed, naked noodles end up burnt and hard.
- Before cutting your baked lasagna to serve, let it stand for 10 minutes after you remove it from the oven. This will help the servings hold their classic lasagna shape.
- Shredded Romano can be substituted for shredded Parmesan cheese. It has a similar flavor, and usually costs less.
- If using foil pans, this Lasagna can be quite heavy so make sure and put a cookie sheet underneath of it before you bake.
- NEVER thaw your freezer lasagna on the counter. Always in the fridge.
WHAT OTHER MEALS CAN YOU MAKE AHEAD AND FREEZE?
- Create these Mini Chicken Pot Pies
- Make this Simple Chili With Smoked Sausage
- Prepare these Sausage McMuffin Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
- Make these Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
- Make this Pressure Cooker Cajun Chicken Sausage and Rice
If you make a batch of this freezer lasagna, I would love to see it! Snap a picture of it and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag @happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver
Easy Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 15 oz spaghetti sauce (I use traditional Ragu)
- 1 pint cottage cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 10 oz lasagna pasta (cooked to al dente and cooled in cold water)
- 12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 ½ cups)
Instructions
- Add ground beef, onion, salt and garlic powder to a medium skillet. Cook on med-high, stirring and chopping into the beef so you have small ground size pieces, and cooking until browned and tender. Drain fat from meat using a strainer and put back into skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Mix well.
- Boil your lasagna noodles as directed on the box to al dente. Remove them carefully from the water with tongs and lay them across a cutting board to dry and cool off. Don’t stack them, or they will stick together. (If you are freezing this lasagna for later cook less than al dente, to where the noodles are getting soft, but still have a firm bite.)
*Layering Lasagna*
- First add a small amount of spaghetti sauce mix to the bottom of your 9×13 pan.
- Layer a single row of noodles.
- Layer 1/3 sauce.
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese.
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture (dotting it all over).
- Layer single row of noodles.
- Layer 1/3 sauce.
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese.
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture (dotting it all over).
- Layer single row of noodles.
- Layer 1/3 sauce.
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture (dotting it all over).
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese last so your topping will be cheesy.
BAKE IT NOW
- Cover baking dish with foil and bake in 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove foil and cok for an additional 10-12 minutes, until bubbly all over and golden on top. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
MAKE IT A FREEZER MEAL
- Wrap baking dish tightly with plastic wrap, pressing down to gently remove air. Cover with foil, label and freeze.
THAW & COOK
- Place dish in refrigerator for at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours to thaw. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap and foil, re-cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes more until bubbly all over and golden on top. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- When cooking lasagna noodles for the recipe, remove them carefully from the water with tongs and lay them across a cutting board to dry and cool off. Don’t stack them, or they will stick together.
- When preparing your ingredients in the baking dish, try to cover your top row of lasagna noodles with cheese and/or sauce before baking. Exposed, naked noodles end up burnt and hard.
- Before cutting your baked lasagna to serve, let it stand for 10-15 minutes after you remove it from the oven. This will help it hold it’s classic lasagna shape.
- Shredded Romano can be substituted for shredded Parmesan cheese. It has a similar flavor, and usually costs less.
- If using foil pans, this Lasagna can be quite heavy so make sure and put a cookie sheet underneath of it before you bake.
- NEVER thaw your freezer lasagna on the counter. Always in the fridge.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe?
Make sure to follow on Instagram @happymoneysaver and on Pinterest @happymoneysaver for more money savin’ recipes!
This recipe was first posted Feb. 24th, 2018, but has been updated with new photos and better detailed instructions and tips on Dec 17th, 2020.
About Karrie
Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...
Comments & Reviews
Yolanda Gubish says
Thank you for your website. I am going to try freezer meals for my children in college. It will keep my cost down for their meals, plus they will eat healthy. I have reviewed many websites and I think yours is the best. Keep posting.
Happy.MoneySaver says
Thank you!
kathryn says
what do you cover the foil pans with before freezing? and do you have to let the meat mixture cool fully before assembling? so excited to make this
Happy.MoneySaver says
I cover them to protect against freezer burn. Depending on how hot my meat mixture is I will let it cool down a couple minutes. Usually though by the time I am ready to assemble it, it is cool enough! Can’t wait for you to try it!
Veronica Boykin says
I just came across your website and love it! i had a question, when you pull the lasagna out of the freezer how does it need to cook (being frozen) or do i need to let it thaw out before cooking?
Thank you!
Happy.MoneySaver says
I usually let it thaw during the day and then cook it. You can cook it from frozen but it will take a longer to cook!
Nadienne says
Thanks for the recipe. I used it over the weekend to prepare 6 containers of lasagna (each the size of an A5 sheet approximately). They should turn out yummy as they smelled fantastic when I was cooking!
Sarah says
I just made it and it is AMAZING .. Really thank you … i just made a little modification that I added pink sauce to the top 2 layers … I couldnt make cottage cheese so replaced it with frozen yogurt with a pinch of water .. Can’t thank you enough :))
Sunny says
I know you freeze yours before putting it in the oven but could you bake it and just freeze the leftovers? And if you can, do you just thaw it overnight then microwave it since it’s already cooked?
Happy.MoneySaver says
I haven’t personally done it but I have had a couple emails from friends who have done that. It stays together pretty well as long as you wrap it in plastic wrap and foil for each serving. Also sometimes you lose part of the texture of the lasagna. I say try it out! See if you like it!
V says
Hey, I’m considering cooking this and freezing it so I have meals for the entire week(household of 1 aka just me). Would it be best to portion this into several ziplock bags that way if I want to have a meal I just take one and bake it? Because once you bake it , you can’t refreeze, correct? I’m new to this freezer meal thing(college student).
Thanks!
V says
I mean ziplock containers//not bags.
Happy.MoneySaver says
Hey V! I haven’t ever portioned the lasagna off in ziploc bags. I am not sure how it would freeze and taste. What do you think about little pie/tart tins similar to this? http://www.webstaurantstore.com/5-foil-tart-pan-1-1-4-deep-125-pack/999TART5.html
Once you bake things you can refreeze it but remember that every time you freeze and unfreeze food the texture is affected. I think the lasagna cooked and then portioned off into individual portions would do great! You are smart to be learning these things in college!
Also this could be helpful for you! Check it out! 🙂 https://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-meals-for-two/
maree says
Do you cook it before freezing?? Looks yummy! I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks
Karrie says
Usually I don’t cook it before freezing, because I want it fresh hot and bubbly at dinner time.
Happy.MoneySaver says
I usually put it in the oven before cooking it but you could do it either way!
Louise Gagne says
Hi Karrie:
Thank you so much for your recipe. I’ll consider it for my next lasagna. Just so you know, I always use dry lasagna in my recipes and just make sure that I include a cup of water for each jar of sauce. That way the noodles “soak up” the sauce either while sitting before baking, or while cooking. My lasagna’s are very well received by all my friends. I haven’t had a problem with it as long as I add the extra cup of water. (This one sounds a lot like mine, so will try it)
I’m about to have hip replacement surgery in July and was thinking it would be a good idea to make meals ahead of time (so my hubby doesn’t have to do any cooking) and lasagna will definitely be one of them. I’ll try yours, but I won’t be pre-cooking the noodles!! I hate that aspect of making it. Will let you know how it turns out.
Best regards, Louise
Happy.MoneySaver says
Good luck on your surgery, Louise, and definitely check out those freezer meals! They have saved me in a pinch!
carol says
My Mom has a version like yours. She makes the sauce and then her cheese mixture is Mozzarella , parmesan, cottage cheese and an egg. Hers is the best I have ever tasted.
elle says
Where is the bay leaf and the basil? Try using sausage. Let me tell you it gives this noodly mess and real kick. Go for the hot though. It will lose some steam in the freezer. I don’t put mottz on top of my lasagna. For some reason, it gets real brown and although it may taste fab it doesn’t look too appealing. I made a huge pan for the daycare once and not one person tried it until some lucky soul thought, what the heck, It was gone in 10 minutes. That was over 30 years ago.
Karrie says
Great question! I keep the foil on it. Sometimes if I want the top all pretty and bubbly brown I will remove it for the last few minutes.
sarah says
Just wondering if i can microwave these of i out them in tupperware. I am making frozen dinners for my husband for work.
Angela says
Can you freeze any lasagna recipe? I do a different one and I would love to make enough for several meals and freeze them.
Karrie says
Yep, you should be able to free any lasagna recipe! 🙂
Terri says
A tip for the cottage cheese…After draining the liquid, I put it in a blender or use a hand blender. It makes the texture more like ricotta. Then put it in a ziploc and snip the corner so you can pipe it onto the noodles. Easier & faster than spooning it on 🙂
Karrie says
I love that idea!
elle says
Great Idea. I usually go for Ricotta. A little more expensive but if you mix the Mottz and the Ricotta together, it really is easier to handle.
Sarah P says
I would love to freeze a few of these, but I know we would not eat the entire thing in one sitting. After freezing and then cooking in the oven, can you put leftovers in refrigerator and reheat the following day or is that against food safety regulations?
elle says
It actually tastes better when it sits in the fridge for a day. The sauce has a chance to meld together. Actually, I make my own sauce, let it sit in the fridge for a day and then make my lasagna. I have been doing this for over 30 years. My sis has my old recipe. That got passed along throughout the family. Store bought lasagna is horrible and expensive. I can make a huge pot of sauce for less than the store bought stuff. The only problem I have is that I live alone and that is a lot of pasta.
Karen says
I just made this Saturday. Baked one and froze one. I never used cottage cheese before but I love how this tasted. It really is yummy! Also wanted a vegetarian version so I left out the meat and used a frozen Italian veggie mix, cooked and pulsed in blender w/a little pasta water and drained off excess water. I layered this after the sauce layer. It was so easy to make too. I will definitely make it again. Thanks!
melanie says
I found this recipe about a month a month ago and made it and stuck it in the freezer. We had it this evening for dinner and I was expecting to have it again later this week for leftovers and / or lunch but there was none left! Everyone loved it. I followed the recipe exactly (except I did use no boil noodles and Classico brand pasta sauce] and will make again for sure. A great meal to have in the freezer! Thanks so much for an awesome recipe.
Sandi says
I add pesto to my cottage cheese, gives it a great flavor!
Teresa says
How much pesto, Sandi? That sounds interesting!
Jennifer says
Love this…I have also done this with stuffed shells and manicotti. My family loves Italian foods!! Thank you for all your great posts!!!!