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Making Lasagna ahead

Making Lasagna ahead
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  • Making Lasagna ahead

    Post #1 - August 10th, 2011, 5:51 pm
    Post #1 - August 10th, 2011, 5:51 pm Post #1 - August 10th, 2011, 5:51 pm
    I want to make a pan of lasagna for use 2-3 days later on a boat. I will have refrigeration and an oven on the boat. I will arrive at the boat about 24 hours after making/assembling the lasagna. How do I handle this -

    Do I freeze at home unbaked, transfer to refrigeration on the boat and then allow to come to room temp on the boat and bake?
    Do I refrigerate at home unbaked, transfer to refrigeration on the boat and then bake on the boat?
    Do I bake at home, allow to cool, refrigerate at home, transfer to refrigerator on boat and then gently reheat on the boat?
    Do I bake at home, cool, then freeze at home, transfer to refrigeration on the boat and then gently reheat?

    Do I do some other combination?
  • Post #2 - August 10th, 2011, 6:08 pm
    Post #2 - August 10th, 2011, 6:08 pm Post #2 - August 10th, 2011, 6:08 pm
    I would do either #2 or #3. No need to freeze it.

    The difference between 2 and 3 is whether you bake and then reheat or just bake it on the boat. Either will work. If you think lasagna tastes better "the next day", do option 3. If you think it tastes best right from the oven, do option 2. This is a matter of taste, I think, but also depends on what's in the lasagna.

    If you think the oven on the boat is low quality (i.e. will heavy very unevenly, have trouble holding a temperature, etc.), then do option 3.

    Option 3 is also a bit easier on you since all you need to do on the boat is heat it through.
  • Post #3 - August 10th, 2011, 7:28 pm
    Post #3 - August 10th, 2011, 7:28 pm Post #3 - August 10th, 2011, 7:28 pm
    Considering your circumstances (transportation, galley refrigerator, etc.) I would definitely freeze it. Then defrost and bake as desired when ready to eat it.
  • Post #4 - August 10th, 2011, 7:36 pm
    Post #4 - August 10th, 2011, 7:36 pm Post #4 - August 10th, 2011, 7:36 pm
    I would definitely bake, freeze, reheat.
  • Post #5 - August 10th, 2011, 9:12 pm
    Post #5 - August 10th, 2011, 9:12 pm Post #5 - August 10th, 2011, 9:12 pm
    Veloute wrote:Considering your circumstances (transportation, galley refrigerator, etc.) I would definitely freeze it. Then defrost and bake as desired when ready to eat it.

    Agreed
  • Post #6 - August 11th, 2011, 6:40 am
    Post #6 - August 11th, 2011, 6:40 am Post #6 - August 11th, 2011, 6:40 am
    A lasagna will be perfectly fine in a fridge for 3 days (It would probably be fine for longer than that). I don't see any advantage of freezing it. You freeze something when you need to hold it longer than it can be refrigerated. Plus, it will take several hours for the thing to freeze. You are planning to make it 24 hours before you leave. So the actual amount of time that it will be frozen is considerably less than 24 hours. Finally, defrosting can slightly compromise the texture of meat.
  • Post #7 - August 11th, 2011, 7:28 am
    Post #7 - August 11th, 2011, 7:28 am Post #7 - August 11th, 2011, 7:28 am
    Darren72 wrote:A lasagna will be perfectly fine in a fridge for 3 days (It would probably be fine for longer than that). I don't see any advantage of freezing it. You freeze something when you need to hold it longer than it can be refrigerated. Plus, it will take several hours for the thing to freeze. You are planning to make it 24 hours before you leave. So the actual amount of time that it will be frozen is considerably less than 24 hours. Finally, defrosting can slightly compromise the texture of meat.


    i agree with darren, though i'd add that freezing, IMO, really affects the taste of the thawed noodles much more than the meat. i'd only freeze it if during transport to the boat, it'll be unrefrigerated for more than an hour or two, which can be unsafe. justjoan
  • Post #8 - August 11th, 2011, 7:40 am
    Post #8 - August 11th, 2011, 7:40 am Post #8 - August 11th, 2011, 7:40 am
    Thanks for the replies. I think I will bake and refrigerate and try to eat within 48 hours of baking.
  • Post #9 - August 11th, 2011, 2:36 pm
    Post #9 - August 11th, 2011, 2:36 pm Post #9 - August 11th, 2011, 2:36 pm
    good idea. I like freshly cooked food mostly but i do find lasagna one of the foods that reheats well. it might be hard to reheat the whole pan though it may be cold still in the middle so you will have to watch for that.
    Toria

    "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - As You Like It,
    W. Shakespeare
  • Post #10 - April 13th, 2022, 4:14 pm
    Post #10 - April 13th, 2022, 4:14 pm Post #10 - April 13th, 2022, 4:14 pm
    HI,

    I read an snippet of wisdom suggesting lasagna is best served the day-after the initial cook. The claim went further to suggest no Italian would choose to eat lasagna fresh from the oven.

    Generally, I have tended to eat lasagna fresh from the oven and leftovers the next day. I was fine with both.

    Regards,
    Cathy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #11 - April 13th, 2022, 6:25 pm
    Post #11 - April 13th, 2022, 6:25 pm Post #11 - April 13th, 2022, 6:25 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:I read an snippet of wisdom suggesting lasagna is best served the day-after the initial cook. The claim went further to suggest no Italian would choose to eat lasagna fresh from the oven.

    This seems like some BS to me. At the very least, it's an obvious exaggeration because I'd bet quite a bit that at least some Italians have chosen to eat lasagna fresh out of the oven. That said, I think it benefits from sitting and congealing for a 20-30 minutes after it cooks.

    Cathy2 wrote:Generally, I have tended to eat lasagna fresh from the oven and leftovers the next day. I was fine with both.

    Me too. Not only did I enjoy it but I lived to tell the tale! :)

    =R=
    Same planet, different world

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