We Style-Examined 11 Manufacturers of Frozen Lasagna—Right here Are Our Favorites

Lasagna is one among my favourite consolation meals. Further-creamy, tomatoey, and meaty, with an undeniably satisfying cheese pull, it is a dish that hardly ever disappoints, particularly at potlucks and large dinner events. Whereas I choose it selfmade, there’s undoubtedly a time and place for the frozen type, notably on hectic weeknights when cooking from scratch takes a again seat. The query is: Which model is price shopping for?

To seek out the very best frozen meat lasagna, our editors taste-tested 11 broadly out there manufacturers. We baked every one based on the package deal instructions, then sampled them in random order with out figuring out which was which. We then tabulated the outcomes and topped an total winner, in addition to two worthy contenders that we might be comfortable to maintain at residence.

The Standards

Nice frozen lasagna would not must be pretty much as good as selfmade lasagna, however it ought to nonetheless be satisfying and gratifying to eat. Every aspect—the pasta, sauce, and cheese—ought to work in concord. A very good meat lasagna ought to be generously tacky, intensely meaty and savory, and wealthy with tomato taste. The pasta sheets ought to be well-cooked and durable sufficient to carry their form after baking, not mushy, waterlogged, or falling aside. The meat ought to be well-seasoned and free from gristle, and the sauce ought to be gently candy with a daring tomato taste.

General Winner

Dealer Joe’s Household Model Meat Lasagna

“It is a properly layered lasagna with meaty richness,” wrote our editorial director, Daniel, who gave this lasagna prime marks. (Excessive reward from a devoted lasagna prepare dinner!) Our senior social media editor, Kelli, appreciated its well-seasoned mix of herbs and spices. Our affiliate visuals director, Amanda, wished for a bit extra cheese however loved the feel of each the pasta and the meat sauce. Our affiliate editorial director, Megan, discovered it strong and famous she would fortunately eat it if she have been ravenous.

Runners-Up

Kirkland Italian Sausage and Beef Lasagna

This lasagna leaned closely on the flavour of Italian sausages spiced with paprika and garlic powder. “Finest taste of all I’ve tried to date,” wrote Megan, who was a giant fan of the hearty chunks of sausage. “This has a taste profile that jogs my memory of sausage pizza,” wrote Kelli. Amanda loved the intense, well-seasoned sauce however discovered the pasta a contact too mushy. In the meantime, Daniel thought the sauce was a bit too candy for his liking, however appreciated how the sausage added steadiness and depth.

Rana Meat Lasagna

This lasagna is right for individuals who love skinny pasta sheets and a ricotta-forward profile. “Wow, this one is definitely fairly good,” wrote Kelli, who praised the pasta’s thinness. Amanda appreciated the beneficiant quantity of ricotta, however wished there have been a bit extra sauce. Megan discovered that the abundance of ricotta gave the lasagna a gentle taste and barely mushy texture. Daniel agreed that this one was a bit too ricotta-heavy, although total he deemed the lasagna advantageous.

The Contenders

• Banquet Lasagna With Meat Sauce
• By Chef Ramsay Lasagna With Bolognese Meat Sauce
• Kirkland Meat and Cheese Lasagna
• Lean Delicacies Lasagna With Meat Sauce
• Marie Callender’s Conventional Lasagna With Meat & Sauce Bowl
• Michael Angelo’s Lasagna With Meat Sauce
• Rana Meat Lasagna
• Rao’s Meat Lasagna
• Stouffer’s Traditional Lasagna With Meat and Sauce
• Dealer Joe’s Household Model Meat Lasagna
• Wegmans Frozen Meat Lasagna

Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Most mass-market frozen meat lasagnas depend on the identical foundational parts: durum-semolina pasta, a tomato sauce created from purée or paste mixed with diced or crushed tomatoes, and a trio of cheeses. (Ricotta for creaminess, mozzarella for meltiness, and a tough cheese comparable to Parmesan and Romano for savoriness). Practically all embody onion, garlic, and a starch-based thickener comparable to modified cornstarch or rice starch. Many manufacturers additionally improve taste with yeast extract, soy sauce, or Worcestershire for umami; sugar to mellow out the sauce’s acidity; and vinegar or citric acid for brightness. Protein varieties differ broadly: Some lasagnas are made with floor beef or pork, whereas others use Italian sausage for added spice and richness. 

Our winner, Dealer Joe’s Household Model Meat Lasagna, stood out for its steadiness. It combines beef and pork for a meaty base, a number of tomato merchandise (crushed and diced tomatoes, and tomato juice) for layered acidity, and a mix of cheeses, together with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano. Not like many different manufacturers we sampled, it makes use of just one thickener—modified cornstarch—which helps keep a cohesive sauce with no gummy texture. 

Our runners-up have related ingredient lists with few, if any, preservatives and stabilizers. Our editors loved the daring sausage taste and hearty texture of the sauce in Kirkland’s Meat and Cheese Lasagna, in addition to the skinny pasta sheets and beneficiant quantity of ricotta in Rana’s Meat Lasagna. Usually, we choose frozen lasagnas with fewer stabilizers, which are inclined to style more energizing and extra balanced than these with xanthan gum, cottage cheese blends, and taste enhancers.

It is price noting that we discovered that the prepare dinner instances listed on the package deal have been typically optimistic. A number of lasagnas, together with one among our runners-up, Rana Meat Lasagna, required extra baking time to make sure the middle was totally heated. We suggest cooking based on the inner temperature specified on the package deal somewhat than relying solely on the package deal’s listed prepare dinner time.

Our Testing Methodology

All style assessments are performed with manufacturers utterly hidden and with out dialogue. Tasters style samples in random order. For instance, taster A could style pattern one first, whereas taster B will style pattern six first. That is to stop palate fatigue from unfairly giving anybody pattern a bonus. Tasters are requested to fill out tasting sheets, rating the samples based on varied standards. All knowledge is tabulated, and outcomes are calculated with no editorial enter to offer essentially the most neutral illustration of precise outcomes doable.