- Recipes
- Main Dishes
- Lasagna
Lauren Salkeld
Lauren Salkeld
Lauren Salkeld is a New York City-based writer and editor. After studying pastry at the French Culinary Institute, she spent a decade working for food magazines and websites, including Bon Appétit and Epicurious. She now uses her culinary and editorial background to help chefs and food personalities share their recipes and stories, by writing and editing cookbooks. Lauren has worked on numerous high-profile cookbooks, including Maman: The Cookbook, The Cook’s Atelier, Cherry Bombe: The Cookbook, and the James Beard Award–winning Eat in My Kitchen. She’s also the Director of Outreach for The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts and co-producer of the Inside Julia’s Kitchen podcast on Heritage Radio Network.
published Sep 1, 2022
Be the first to leave a review!
Here's how to reheat lasagna, whether it's stored in the fridge or freezer.
Jump to Recipe
Jump to Recipe
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Unless you’re feeding a crowd — or have a very hungry family — when you make lasagna, there’s a good chance you’ll have leftovers. Most lasagna recipes are baked in a 9×13-inch baking dish and yield somewhere in the range of eight to 10 servings. But leftovers, especially lasagna leftovers, are not something to be sad about. Lasagna keeps and reheats like a dream, and with a few easy tips, you can maximize your results. Read on for everything you need to know to take your lasagna leftovers from good to great.
What’s the best way to reheat leftover lasagna that’s in the fridge?
If you have leftover lasagna in the refrigerator — where it will keep for up to five days — there are several ways you can reheat it.
For a leftovers experience that’s as close to the original as possible — and to guarantee a browned and crispy top — reheating in the oven is your best bet. However, the microwave or stove are good reheating alternatives that work particularly well for one or two servings or when you are short on time or don’t want to turn on the oven.
The oven: Individual servings or larger portions of lasagna can be reheated in a 325°F oven. Place your leftovers in an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with a little water or sauce, wrap in aluminum foil (you can use what it was wrapped in or start fresh), and bake until the lasagna is heated through, which could take up to 45 minutes for larger portions. To brown the top, remove the foil and bake for another five to 10 minutes. Hopefully there’s enough cheese on top to deliver some of that beautiful browning we all love, but you can always sprinkle a little extra on top.
The microwave: One to two servings of leftover lasagna can easily be reheated in the microwave. Place the leftovers in a microwave-safe dish, sprinkle with a little bit of water or sauce, cover, and heat on medium for a minute. Check to see if the lasagna is heated all the way through and if not, heat for another 30 seconds to one minute. That’s it!
The stove: While this only works for individual servings and does produce a slightly different spin on lasagna, you can also reheat your leftovers on the stove. Heat a bit of olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and cut your lasagna into thick slices. When the pan is hot, add the lasagna and cook, flipping and adjusting the heat as needed, until the lasagna is heated through and both sides are crispy. These leftovers will be drier than the others, so ideally, you’d serve them with a bit of sauce on the side.
What’s the best way to reheat frozen lasagna?
How to Freeze Lasagna So You Can Enjoy Its Cheesy Deliciousness Anytime
Read More
Whether your frozen lasagna was previously baked or not, reheating it is the same. Start by thawing the lasagna in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, let your lasagna sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes — this is a good time to preheat the oven. Remove any plastic wrap, then wrap the lasagna in aluminum foil and bake according to the original recipe (for lasagnas that were not previously baked) or at 375°F until heated through, which will likely take about an hour. To brown the top, remove the foil and bake for another five to 10 minutes.
If you are heating a lasagna that wasn’t previously baked and it was made with no-boil noodles, wrapping it in foil is especially important, as a tight seal creates the steam needed to cook the noodles.
Can I reheat frozen lasagna straight from the freezer?
We Tested 4 Famous Lasagna Recipes and the Winner Blew Us Away
Read More
If you don’t have time — or forgot — to defrost your frozen lasagna, it can go straight in the oven, but keep in mind that frozen lasagna can take up to twice as long to get to that ooey-gooey bubbling stage. You’ll also want to be careful if using a glass or ceramic baking dish. If tempered, they should be fine, but glass and ceramic are more sensitive to extreme temperature changes and can shatter or crack. Be sure to remove any plastic wrap and wrap your lasagna in foil until you’re ready to brown the top.
If you’re ever concerned that you haven’t reheated your lasagna sufficiently, you can always pull out an instant-read thermometer — the internal temperature should be 165°F.
How can I make my reheated lasagna shine?
While lasagna truly does make great leftovers, you may find yourself wanting to bump them up a bit. If you have extra sauce, warm it up and serve it alongside. You could also go in a different direction and serve your lasagna with a drizzle of pesto or even an infused olive oil. As mentioned, sprinkling a little extra cheese on top is always a good idea, as is chopped fresh parsley, which will add some visual appeal and a bit of brightness.
One final tip: Once your lasagna is hot and bubbling, let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the ingredients to all settle in and will make the lasagna easier to cut!
How to Reheat Lasagna
Here's how to reheat lasagna, whether it's stored in the fridge or freezer.
Ingredients
Lasagna (Refrigerated or Frozen)
Equipment
Oven-safe baking dish
Aluminum foil
Instructions
How to Reheat Refrigerated Lasagna
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place lasagna in an oven-safe dish, sprinkle with a little water or sauce, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake until the lasagna is heated through, up to 45 minutes for larger portions.
How to Reheat Frozen Lasagna
Whether your frozen lasagna was previously baked or not, start by thawing the lasagna in the refrigerator overnight. (If you don’t have time to defrost your frozen lasagna, it can go straight in the oven, but keep in mind that frozen lasagna can take up to twice as long to reheat as defrosted lasagna.)
The next day, let the lasagna sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats. Remove any plastic wrap, then wrap the lasagna in aluminum foil and bake according to the original recipe (for lasagnas that were not previously baked) or at 375°F until heated through, which will likely take about an hour.
To brown the top, remove the foil and bake for another five to ten minutes.
Filed in:
Main Dish
