The Best Way To Reheat Lasagna In The Oven For First Night Flavor

Lasagna is the perfect make-ahead dinner for busy weeknights. Make it on the weekend when you have extra time on your hands, and pop it in the oven for a quick, delicious, hearty meal for the family. It's also delicious as leftovers, the blend of sauce, noodles, and cheese enhancing in flavor as it sits in the fridge overnight. Unfortunately, sometimes your pre-made or leftover lasagna can taste a bit dry when reheated, it's delicious gooeyness replaced with an unpleasant rubbery consistency. Luckily, with a few simple tips your lasagna can taste as fresh as the first night you made it. 

To reheat your lasagna in the oven, add some water or sauce to the top and bake it covered, slow, and at a relatively low temperature. Using a baking dish, cover the lasagna in foil and heat it in the oven at 325 degrees for around 45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Once completely heated, remove the foil and stick it back in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the cheese to brown. 

Sprinkling the lasagna with a few droplets of water or sauce and covering the dish with aluminum foil is key to retaining the moisture and preventing your lasagna from drying out. This reheating method also works for other cheesy noodle casseroles, like a tasty cheesy baked ziti. 

If your lasagna was frozen, it's best to let it thaw before reheating it in the oven. While some tempered glass dishes might be safe going in the oven frozen, the extreme temperature change can cause glass or ceramic to shatter. To avoid this hazard, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before sticking it in the oven. To ensure your lasagna has heated through, check for the ideal internal temperature of around 165 degrees using a probe thermometer.

Besides adding more sauce or water to the dish, to deliver day-of gooeyness, consider adding some shredded mozzarella cheese on top. The moisture in the cheese will also help prevent the noodles from drying out as they are heated. Sprinkle some parsley or basil on top to freshen the flavor and add a touch of color. Basil and other herbs and seasonings are perfect for making your store-bought sauce taste homemade.

The oven is undoubtedly the best way for reheating a pan of lasagna, but if you need a quicker method for just a single slice, you can always microwave it for a minute or two, placing a piece of damp paper towel on top to help retain the moisture (and prevent a saucy mess in the microwave). If you enjoy unbeatably crispy lasagna, try heating a slice or two in a pan on the stove with a bit of olive oil or in the air fryer.