When the busy bee mode is active, we all look for easy-made meals. Meal prep is a common practice among the busy crowd where the meals are cooked and frozen. Store-bought frozen food items are also a lifesaver when we do not have time for a bulk cooking session. The dream of a freshly baked lasagna with an outpouring cheese layer has been made true by Stouffers for the working community. This frozen beef lasagna with sauce will give you a heavenly dinner after an exhausting day. Do you thaw Stouffers lasagna before cooking? If you are a lasagna fan who awaits to solve this question, this article will clarify your most wanted answer.
How to Cook Frozen Lasagna?
Lasagna is a favorite dish of many people. If you have frozen the leftover lasagna from your dinner party, you can follow these two methods we have explained below to make it edible.
Follow this way if you need to thaw your favorite lasagna. If you have plans for tomorrow’s breakfast or lunch, you can keep your frozen lasagna on the refrigerator part of your fridge. Never let your preserved lasagna rest at room temperature before baking.
Take out the thawed lasagna container from the refrigerator and place it inside the oven with the aluminum foil. Set the temperature to 375 °F and bake for 45 straight minutes. Then remove the foil carefully. Do not use your bare hand for the removal; wear an oven glove. Allow it to bake for another 15 or 20 minutes. Check the dish during the second baking, and if you see the cheese bubbling, it is the perfect time to take your plate out.
Thawing is not mandatory when reheating frozen lasagna. You can keep the lasagna tray that was taken from the freezer directly inside an oven at 375 °F. Allow it to bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes with the foil cover. Next, remove the foil and bake again for 20 – 30 minutes. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the middle of the plate and get the reading. If it is 165 °F, your lasagna is ready to serve.
Do you Thaw Stouffers Lasagna Before Cooking?
There is no need to thaw Stouffer’s lasagna before cooking. It has been mentioned on their official website. If you use a conventional oven, first preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the Stouffer’s container on a tray with a baking sheet at the bottom. Insert the tray inside the oven and let it cook for 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Then you have to remove the aluminum lid and bake it for another 10 or 15 minutes. Look closely at the lasagna; if you notice the cheese is bubbling, you should take your dish out. For further confirmation, check the temperature in the middle of the lasagna plate with a kitchen thermometer. If you get a reading of 165°F, your lasagna is in the perfect state. Lasagna is delicious when we eat it warm but do not consume it just after it comes out of the oven. Let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
If you have a convection oven, follow this way. Preheat your oven for 10 minutes at 350°F. Place your Stouffer’s on a tray covered with a baking sheet. The total baking time is 1 hour and 15 minutes. After 1 hour, remove the lid using a kitchen glove. Again, let your plate bake for 15 or 20 minutes. When you see the cheese bubbling, insert a thermometer into the middle of your Stouffer’s beef lasagna. If it indicates 165°F, your meal is ready. But let it cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
When you keep a reheated lasagna on the kitchen top or a table, make sure you keep a towel under the container. This is to avoid under-surface shrinkage or damage due to the burning heat of the container that took out just after the heating.
How to Heat Stouffer’s Lasagna in Microwave?
If you have a microwave oven, first, you have to place the lasagna box in a microwave-safe container. Make sure it has enough space. Set the power to 50% and microwave for 4 or 5 minutes. You can directly put the frozen Stouffer’s inside the microwave. Check the internal temperature. For this, insert a suitable thermometer in the middle of the Stouffer’s container. If it denotes 165°F, your lasagna is perfect for consumption.
But wait! You need to sit it for about 15 minutes before filling your mouth with this cheesy meat lasagna. If you try to cut your Stouffer’s lasagna into pieces without letting it calm down, you will spread the cheese layer all over the place. Therefore, resting for 15 minutes is essential to cool down the cheese and the sauce.
How to Thaw Stouffer’s Lasagna?
Stouffer’s lasagna can be cooked in the oven without thawing. But if you think thawing makes your frozen dishes more delicious and reliable, you can thaw them. Thawing also will reduce cooking time.
You cannot thaw a frozen Stouffer’s box at room temperature. You must use the refrigerator for thawing, and the temperature should be around 40 °F. Place it in the refrigerator overnight. But do not exceed 48 hours in thawing. If you need it for the next day, get it out of the freezer and let it thaw until the next day.
After thawing overnight, by using a convection oven or conventional oven, you will be able to bake your lasagna completely in 50 minutes. Check the temperature inside the dish; if it is not 165°F, keep it for another 5 minutes. When you use the microwave, first microwave for 1.5 minutes, and then check the state. If it is not enough, you can increase the time with intervals after every 30 seconds.
Once thawed or heated, it is not recommended to refreeze a Stouffer’s lasagna, although you are with leftovers. To avoid inconvenience and wastage, always purchase in necessary portions and cook the amount that you actually need. Stouffer’s lasagna has a shelf life of 360 days.
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