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    Home » Dinners » Freezer Lasagna Recipe

    Freezer Lasagna Recipe

    Published: Sep 13, 2021 · Modified: Sep 13, 2021 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Make your own homemade freezer lasagna with this delicious recipe! This recipe makes perfect freezer meals and can easily be doubled or tripled.

    A piece of freezer lasagna being cut and lifted out of the pan.

    Freezer meals are a great way to get ahead! This freezer lasagna recipe is easy to scale, so you can easily stock your freezer with homemade make-ahead meals.

    Lasagna is great for busy days, makes a perfect meal for new parents or parents-to-be, and can easily be baked on an I-don't-feel-like-cooking day.

    Ingredients for freezer lasagna in dishes.

    Ingredients and substitutions

    • Ground beef:  I use either 85%  or 90% lean ground beef. Ground Italian sausage also works well in this recipe. 
    • White or yellow onion
    • Garlic cloves
    • Salt
    • Pepper
    • Heavy cream
    • Crushed tomatoes
    • Diced tomatoes
    • Italian seasoning
    • Dried sweet basil
    • Whole-milk ricotta cheese: The extra fat in the whole-milk ricotta helps keep it less grainy than part-skim once frozen. 
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Large eggs
    • No-boil lasagna noodles
    • Mozzarella cheese: The lasagna is pretty cheesy. Feel free to decrease the amount of cheese if you prefer.
    Baked freezer lasagna in a pan.

    What makes this lasagna recipe different?

    This lasagna recipe was specifically made for the freezer. The lasagna is put together and then frozen uncooked.

    How to make freezer lasagna

    Brown ground beef in Dutch oven. Drain, and set aside.

    Diced onion in a white Dutch oven.

    Add onion to the now-empty Dutch oven and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.

    Add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    Add cream and simmer until liquid evaporates and only fat remains, about 4 minutes.

    Browned ground beef and tomatoes in a Dutch oven.

    Stir in cooked meat, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring to simmer.

    Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes.
    Remove pot from heat, cool sauce for 20 minutes, then refrigerate until cool, at least 20 minutes.

    Ricotta eggs and parmesan in a mixing bowl.

    Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

    Red sauce spread in the bottom of a baking pan.

    Spread ¼ cup meat sauce over bottom of 9- x 13-inch baking dish.

    Three no boil lasagna noodles in a pan.

    Place 3 noodles crosswise on top of sauce.

    Ricotta mixture on top of no boil lasagna noodles.

    Evenly space 9 tablespoons ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle evenly with 1¼ cups mozzarella.

    Red sauce over lasagna noodles.

    Spoon 1½ cups sauce over cheese.

    Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and sauce two more times.

    Unbaked freezer lasagna in a pan.

    Place 3 remaining noodles on top and spread with remaining sauce. Cover with remaining 1¼ cups mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.

    Wrap with plastic wrap, and cover tightly with a layer of foil.
    Freeze.

    When ready to serve, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375F.

    Remove plastic wrap, and re-cover lasagna with foil.

    Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, then remove foil. Continue baking until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes.

    Let lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

    Close up overhead photo of a baked lasaga in a pan.

    Tips

    I've lost count of how many times I've made this recipe over the years. Here are some tips to help you make a great frozen lasagna.

    • Be sure to let the lasagna cool to room temperature before wrapping in plastic wrap. Otherwise, the plastic wrap can stick to the lasagna.
    • When I'm making freezer meals, I write the name of the dish, the date it was made, and any directions I need to finish it on the aluminum foil.
    • I usually triple the recipe when I make it. It only takes a few more minutes, and then I have one lasagna a month in the freezer for the next three months.
    • If freezing in aluminum pans, the pans will stack well. However, let the lasagnas freeze through before stacking. Otherwise, the weight of the pans will push the contents of the bottom pan out, and you'll end up with a big mess.
    Slice of baked lasagna on a white plate.

    How to thaw

    I let the frozen lasagna thaw in the fridge for a day or two before I bake it.

    How long will this keep?

    I use the frozen lasagnas within 3 months.

    Serving suggestions

    This lasagna goes well with my homemade 30 minute garlic knots or garlic breadsticks and a green salad to round out the meal.

    Fork taking a bite from a slice of lasagna.

    More freezer-friendly recipes!

    • Lasagna Roll Ups
    • Taco Casserole
    • Crock Pot Balsamic Beef Recipe
    • Chicken Marinade Recipes

    If you’ve tried this freezer lasagna recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    A piece of freezer lasagna being cut and lifted out of the pan.

    Freezer Lasagna Recipe

    Delicious recipe that lets you make homemade lasagna for the freezer.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours 17 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 47 minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 511kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • 9x13 pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound lean ground beef
    • 1 white or yellow onion finely chopped
    • 6 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ cup heavy cream
    • 2-28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
    • 28 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
    • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
    • 1¾ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
    • 1¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese divided
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
    • 5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

    Instructions

    • Brown ground beef in Dutch oven. Drain, and set aside.
    • Add onion to the now-empty Dutch oven and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
    • Add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
    • Add cream and simmer until liquid cooks down by half, about 2-3 minutes.
    • Stir in cooked meat, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring to simmer.
    • Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes.
    • Remove pot from heat, cool sauce until it reaches room temperature.
    • Mix ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
    • Spread ¼ cup meat sauce over bottom of 9- x 13-inch baking dish.
    • Place 3 noodles crosswise on top of sauce, evenly space 9 tablespoons ricotta mixture over noodles, and sprinkle evenly with 1¼ cups mozzarella; spoon 1½ cups sauce over cheese.
    • Repeat layering of noodles, ricotta mixture, mozzarella and sauce two more times.
    • Place 3 remaining noodles on top and spread with remaining sauce.
    • Cover with remaining 1¼ cups mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
    • Let cool to room temperature.
    • Wrap with plastic wrap, and cover tightly with a layer of foil.
    • Freeze.
    • To serve, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375F.
    • Remove plastic wrap, and re-cover lasagna with foil.
    • For a thawed lasagna: Bake 30-40 minutes, then remove the foil. Continue baking until the cheese is golden brown in spots and the sauce is bubbling, about 20-30 minutes.
    • For a frozen lasagna: Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, then remove foil. Continue baking until cheese is golden brown in spots and sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Depending on how cold your freezer is and how long the lasagna has been in the freezer, you may find that you need to increase the covered baking time.
    • Let lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    • Ground beef: I use either 85%  or 90% lean ground beef. Ground Italian sausage also works well in this recipe. 
    • Whole-milk ricotta: The extra fat in the whole-milk ricotta helps keep it less grainy than part-skim once frozen. 
    • Mozzarella cheese: The lasagna is pretty cheesy. Feel free to decrease the amount of cheese if you prefer.
    • Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 1036mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 929IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 568mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      February 15, 2022 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      Wonderful recipe! I helped my daughter make four of the lasagnas for when her baby comes. We ate one that night as our rewards. It was delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipes.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 15, 2022 at 10:20 am

        How nice! I'm glad you two liked it.

        Reply
    2. Lynn R

      September 15, 2021 at 7:54 pm

      Sounds wonderful! But would it be just as good cooked right away, or does it need the time to sit in the fdreezer? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 19, 2021 at 9:10 am

        Hi! I've baked the lasagna without freezing it first, and that worked out well.

        Reply

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