Lasagna - ok to freeze before final cooking?

[boogaloo]

hi all,

I made a lasagna on Sunday, had planned on having it for Sunday lunch but at last minute a friend called to invite us out. I had already cooked the mince and layered it between pasta sheets with the white sauce etc.

I then put it in to the freezer. My question is, should I know defrost it before cooking it, or can I cook it from frozen? The pasta sheets are obviously not cooked.

What sort of extra time should I allow if cooking from frozen, or is this just a bad idea?

can anyone advise?

 

[liteweight]

It would have been better if you'd cooked the lasagne, cooled it and froze it. Don't know how it'll turn out with uncooked lasagne from freezer. I'd put it in the oven frozen and do it slowly. It shouldn't give you food poisoning if it was frozen straight away but I wouldn't hazard a guess on what it'll taste like!

 

[Carpenter]

I would have thought that it would be better to allow the dish to defrost first and then cook it- but to be honest I wouldn't take any chances with minced meat!

 

[Diziet]

It would have been better if you'd cooked the lasagne, cooled it and froze it. Don't know how it'll turn out with uncooked lasagne from freezer. I'd put it in the oven frozen and do it slowly. It shouldn't give you food poisoning if it was frozen straight away but I wouldn't hazard a guess on what it'll taste like!

It will be just fine. I would give it another 30-40 min additional cooking or, preferably defrost before cooking.

 

[Alias]

I do this all the time - with only two of us, I make 2 small lasagnes, one for now and one for later. I put it in the freezer exactly as you did, and then take it out and put it in the fridge the night before I want to eat it, to defrost it. You can cook it from frozen, but I'd turn the temperature down a bit, and then cook it for longer - probably an hour or more. Make sure it's HOT all the way through before eating.

 

[kilomike]

It will be fine, defrost if you have time otherwise cook a little longer. You could defrost in the microwave.

 

[liteweight]

I would have thought that it would be better to allow the dish to defrost first and then cook it- but to be honest I wouldn't take any chances with minced meat!

Lasagne is a dish that can go into the oven straight from the freezer. As OP said just lower temperature than usual and make sure it's hot all the way through. The reason I'd do this rather than defrosting first is that the lasagne sheets are uncooked so the steam might do the job!