This Prego lasagna recipe is a foolproof classic that tastes like it came straight from an Italian grandma’s kitchen.
It’s a super cozy home-style meal that hits all the hearty notes. I’m talking layers upon layers of meaty marinara sauce, gooey cheese, and tender pasta!
This recipe is also easy to pull together thanks to the Prego Italian sauce.
Plus, it has so many servings you could feed an army! So the family can chow down tonight and still have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunches.
How to Make Prego Lasagna
Creating the perfect lasagna layers may sound like a big to-do, but this recipe couldn’t make it any easier.
Between the pre-made Prego sauce and cooked lasagna noodles, you’ll find lasagna is not as hard as you thought. Here’s how you’ll do it.
1. Make the sauce meaty. Although you’ll use jarred Prego sauce, you’ll need to add in the meat. You’ll saute ground beef until it starts to brown, then pour in the sauce.
If you want to add more flavor, you can saute diced onions and chopped garlic with the meat. You can also add in a pinch of Italian seasoning.
2. Get those noodles ready. You have two options here: no-boil lasagna noodles or regular lasagna noodles. If you’re using no-boil noodles, all you’ll have to do is take them out of the package.
It’s so simple! If you want more control out of your noodle texture, then you’ll have to cook them yourself.
Simply salt your water, boil, and plop in those noodles for about 10 minutes.
3. Prepare the heavenly cheese layers. Getting the cheese together doesn’t take much. You’ll want to grate the parmesan and mozzarella.
Alternatively, you can skip this step by purchasing already shredded cheese. Either way, you’ll mix half the parmesan, ricotta, and egg in a bowl.
Set that aside along with the mozzarella and the rest of the parmesan. When you do add them together, it will be oh-so-cheesy!
3. Assemble! Now comes the fun part, putting everything together. Using a large casserole dish, you’ll build all those satiating layers.
Start by coating the bottom of the dish in meat sauce – we don’t want anything to burn here.
Then top it with a single layer of noodles, slather on some ricotta mixture, sprinkle a layer of mozzarella, and repeat.
For the grand finale, sprinkle the rest of the parmesan cheese on top. Yum!
How to Store and Reheat Lasagna
One of the best parts about making this large serving meal is you’ll have plenty of leftovers for later.
However, you’ll want to store the lasagna right, so it tastes as fresh as possible.
How to Store Lasagna
To start, let the lasagna cool down to room temperature. Then divvy it up into serving sizes and store them in an air-tight container.
Portioning out your lasagna makes it much easier to heat and eat when hunger strikes.
It also means you’ll have a grab-and-go lunch when you’re rushing out the door to work.
An air-tight container is also best because it keeps food fresh.
Use one of these, and your scrumptious Prego lasagna leftovers will stay good in the fridge for about 5 days.
I have a good hunch you might gobble it up way before then, though!
How to Reheat Lasagna
When it does come time for chowing down, you’ll have two options for reheating.
First, you can give the lasagna a quick zap in the microwave. Depending upon your portion size, this can take a few minutes or so.
Second, you can reheat the lasagna in the oven. This is the method I prefer, as the microwave can sometimes result in uneven heating.
If you do go the oven route, place the lasagna in an oven-safe dish and cover it with foil. This will help prevent the top from burning.
Then, heat it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 to 10 minutes. Like the microwave, the time depends on how big you cut your slices.
How to Freeze and Reheat Lasagna
Looking to store your lasagna leftovers for more than 5 days? No problem! Here’s how.
How to Freeze Baked Lasagna
Freezing baked lasagna is super easy. Let your lasagna cool down to room temperature, wrap it in foil, and freeze.
Another nifty trick you can do is line your lasagna dish in foil before baking.
Then when you’re ready to store the leftovers, all you’ll have to do is lift the foil out of the dish and wrap everything up.
How to Reheat Baked Lasagna
The beauty of reheating baked lasagna is you can have it hot and ready in a handful of minutes.
Take the lasagna out of the freezer and let it thaw out. Ideally, you’ll let it thaw out overnight in the fridge.
Transfer it to an oven-safe dish, then cover it with foil. From there, you’ll let the oven do its thing at 350 degrees until the cheese is bubbling hot.
How to Freeze and Reheat Individual Slices
Freezing lasagna in individual slices is a fantastic idea!
You won’t have to reheat all of the leftovers just for a single serving.
You also won’t have to raid your kitchen cupboards to find a container large enough to freeze them.
I start by cutting the lasagna into the desired portion size.
This will be a little different for everyone, so consider how much lasagna you’ll typically eat in one sitting.
Then, I transfer all my portions into individual air-tight containers.
If you don’t have enough containers, wrap the individual slices in foil, then seal them up tight in a freezer zip-top bag.
The last step is important as it will help eliminate freezer burn.
When it comes time to reheat, thaw out your slices. Then you can remove them from the foil and heat them in the microwave for a few minutes.
Alternatively, you can use the oven method by placing your slices in an oven-safe container and covering them in foil.
After a few minutes of reheating at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be ready.