Simple Recipes – Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

We all have a favorite recipe we love to use for lasagna. I have to admit that the first recipe I tried came from a book included with a microwave. It made good lasagna so I kept it. Only problem was that it made a 9 x 13 pan of lasagna.

Now if you have a larger family, or they are big eaters, this size isn’t a problem. This size is also great for taking to potluck dinners. If you don’t eat all of it, there is usually enough to store for later consumption. Win – win, right?

Or is it? At this point in life, it’s just me and my husband. The kids are grown and married. Trying to make a 9 x 13 pan of anything just results in too much food. Most people can only stand leftovers so long before they grow tired of them. So how can you cut things down?

Change the Pasta

Rather than using the typical lasagna noodles, swap to an oven ready version. These are much easier to use and fit in smaller pans. A single piece fits in a loaf pan, while 2 can fit side by side in an 8 x 8 pan. As a plus, you don’t have to spend all that time boiling the lasagna noodles before you assemble your meal!

Change the Pan

As I mentioned, switch to smaller pans. A loaf pan will make 2 generous servings, while the 8 x 8 pan will make 4 servings. Since your original recipe make a much larger pan, you will in all likely-hood be able to make multiple pans.

Assemble your lasagna in your normal manner. The only change I would recommend is to leave off any toppings that you may add to the pans that are destined for the freezer. Put a lid on the pan if you have one, or wrap it tightly in freezer paper.

When you start to pull out that frozen lasagna to make for the night, defrost it first overnight in the refrigerator. Then increase the baking time to 1 hr. If you just made it ahead and the pan has been in the refrigerator, no defrosting is needed. But you will still need to bake it longer.