You’d be hard pressed to find a more comforting dinner mainstay than classic lasagna. A weeknight staple and dinner party star, it’s as versatile as it is customizable. From traditional ground beef-and-tomato sauce to an updated turkey sausage-and mushroom, it’s easy to mix-and-match ingredients for creative takes on cheesy, baked layers. Our favorites include traditional and creative combinations, like our Extra Easy Lasagna, Heavenly Chicken Lasagna, Healthy Turkey Lasagna, and Sausage and Squash Lasagna. (We’ve even been known to take lasagna to the dessert table with our Chocolate Lasagna recipe.)

Better yet, you can fix and freeze the lasagna of your liking. On a busy weeknight, you’ll have a convenient homemade meal that just needs to be popped in the oven. Here’s the best way to freeze lasagna before baking.

How to Freeze Lasagna
Step 1: Prepare the Baking Dish Line a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with heavy-duty nonstick aluminum foil, allowing several inches of foil to extend over the sides.

Step 2: Follow Recipes Instructions: Prepare the recipe as directed in your foil-lined dish, stopping before any instructions for baking.

Step 3: Freeze Until Firm and Wrap with Foil: Freeze unbaked lasagna until firm. Remove the firm lasagna from your baking dish by holding the edges of the foil, and fold the foil over the lasagna completely. Wrap in additional foil, making sure it is tightly sealed to keep out air. Freeze up to 1 month.

Step 4: Defrost and Bake: The day before serving, remove the lasagna from your freezer. Remove the foil and place you lasagna in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover and thaw overnight in your refrigerator. Baked according to recipe directions. You can also bake your lasagna frozen, though you should plan to double your baking time.