There are some leftovers when stored well, get better every single time you reheat them. Our family has always been a fan of making sure that leftovers are consumed before they go bad. After all, FOOD IS FOOD! Now when it comes to our favorite dishes, pasta, especially a really hearty lasagna, definitely takes the spot. And while you want to finish everything in one sitting, there would be instances wherein there would be bits of food left, yet to satisfy your hunger another day.
In this case, whenever there’s lasagna left from the previous meal, we pack it properly and store it in the fridge or pop it in the freezer.
Freezing and refrigerating can most certainly make your food stay fresher and last longer. But reheating your food is not as easy as placing it in the microwave. Especially when it comes to reheating pasta. It doesn’t just work just like when you heat rice in the microwave.
Knowing how to reheat lasagna saves you from all the problems that come from poor reheating skills! When reheated or warmed improperly, your lasagna can/will:
- Get gummy or worse, hard as plain uncooked lasagna sheets.
- Will either get a watery or an entirely burnt sauce.
- Dry out the entire dish and it will be completely inedible.
Quick Navigation
Factors to Consider when Reheating Your Lasagna
Like what was discussed earlier, reheating your lasagna, or any food for that matter is not that easy. While more people simply use their stoves, oven or microwave to reheat their food, without putting certain factors into consideration, it wouldn’t hurt if you keep these bits of information in mind to make sure that you will have a perfectly reheated lasagna every single time.
Put the Cover or Lid On
A lot of people often commit the mistake of reheating their lasagna without a cover or a seal. And it does not matter whether you are reheating a frozen or a chilled dish, or you will be using a conventional oven or a microwave. You need to make sure that you keep the moisture in. When you reheat an uncovered dish, you can bet that your lasagna will definitely dry out!
Keep a Constant Eye on Your Lasagna
Have you ever experienced reheating your food, setting the oven or microwave to a specific amount of time, only to come back that the dish has uneven temperatures?
Well, this is because we all failed to stir or turn the dish to ensure even heat distribution. You need to sort of treat your meal like a baby by keeping a watchful eye on it as it reheats. You can remove the cover after a few minutes to heat it up some more without drying it.
Chill Your Food Immediately, Eat it Quickly and Reheat Completely
Who wants to have leftovers constantly taking up space in your fridge? I know I don’t! While leftovers help you ensure that you will have food in the next few days, having too much of it sets you up for a disaster. Not only will have too much leftover to finish, you might also get food poisoned for spoilage, as well as being left with too much cleaning up to do.
So in order to keep your leftovers to a minimum, store it immediately, reheat it completely and eat the dish as soon as possible.
Reheating Lasagna in the Oven
Knowing how to reheat lasagna in the oven is something the everyone should know. Because even though it is easy to pop things in the microwave, the oven still offers a more even heat distribution. It also gives your food a more home-cooked vibe.
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. for non-frozen lasagna and 350 degrees F. for frozen lasagna. Put your leftovers in a lasagna pan and make sure that you cover your lasagna with tin foil before placing it on the middle rack of the oven.
2. Heat the lasagna until you hear or see the fillings are sizzling. You can also check the internal temperature of the dish. When it registers at 165 degrees F, the lasagna is completely reheated. The process can take from up to 40 minutes to an hour depending on the size, number of layers and the temperature of the lasagna before you reheat it.
3. To make sure that the tops are also warmed through and a bit toasted, remove the tin foil and leave the lasagna in the oven for 10 more minutes. Allow it to rest before serving.
What You Need:
- A lasagna pan provides excellent heat distribution.
- Aluminum foil or wax paper
- Kitchen thermometer
- Oven mittens
Reheating Lasagna in the Microwave
1. Place it in a large microwave-safe dish or on a larger plate. Cover the lasagna with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Seal it thoroughly to make sure that you are trapping the steam inside.
2. Place the lasagna in your microwave and press the defrost button if you are trying to reheat a frozen lasagna. If you are not using a frozen one, you can simply set your microwave timer to 2 to 3 minutes for a personal to an average sized lasagna. Now, if you will be reheating a large batch, you can adjust the length of time.
3. Always make sure that the lasagna is heated through. If the lasagna doesn’t have an even internal temperature, try moving the lasagna layers a bit and heat it up again.
What You Need:
- Microwave-safe plastic wrap
- Mittens
- Meat thermometer
How to Reheat Lasagna in a Pan or Skillet On the Stove
If you do not have a microwave or you are only reheating a small amount of lasagna, you can always use your trusty stovetop and skillet to do the job for you.
1. Transfer your thawed lasagna in your skillet and place on a stove over medium to high heat.
2. Add a little bit of water, pasta sauce or stock along the sides of the skillet to loosen the lasagna up. cover and bring to a slow simmer. The pasta will absorb the sauce and will soften the sheets again. Gently stir it around and allow to cook for about 15 to 20 minutes depending on the amount of pasta that you want to reheat.
3. Personally, I like it when the noodles and sauce have become a little toasty. If you and I share the same preference, you can remove the lid and crank the heat up during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. This will get the sides a little bit crispier and toastier.
What You Need:
- A large skillet
- Stock, pasta sauce or water
- Lid
Final Thoughts
Aside from the 3 popular ways on how to reheat lasagna, there are still other means to warm them up or to transform it into a dish that is entirely new and equally delicious. While some simply resort to microwaving their leftovers, there are some who go beyond the norms and use techniques such as broiling, grilling, griddling and even using the waffle iron.
Always remember that every type of food of dish requires a different method of reheating. And when it comes to your favorite lasagna, you have more than 3 ways to choose from. But, whatever method you decide to use, what is important is that you find the most comfortable means for you and you get to enjoy your favorite pasta dish.
Read More:
– 4 Tasty Recipes From Your Leftover Lasagna Noodles
– The 4 Best and Easy Ways on How to Reheat Wings
References:
