It's the secret weapon chilling on the shelves in freezers across America. Busy people consider frozen lasagna a favorite go-to entree for their busy lifestyles. Lasagna satisfies on so many levels as a hearty convenience food, just right for lunch or dinner. This Italian casserole is as versatile as it is tasty. Whether you make fresh lasagna, or buy the packaged variety, you can freeze it for up to 6 months and then bake it when you need the convenience of a fast meal.

One major advantage of frozen lasagna is that you can take it right off the shelf of your freezer and bake it, from frozen, in a pre-heated oven. There is no need to thaw it first. In a conventional oven, it will take approximately 90 minutes to fully bake a 38-ounce frozen lasagna, and just 20 additional minutes to bake a 96-ounce family-sized casserole.

Bake frozen lasagna at a medium-high temperature. If you use a conventional oven, set it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. To cook the lasagna in the same amount of time in a convection oven, you only need to set it to 350 F because the fan circulates the oven's heat more efficiently.

In addition to the variables of time and temperature, portion size of your lasagna will affect how long your casserole will take to bake. By reducing the overall size and thickness of the frozen lasagna, you can reduce the time it takes to bake. A single serving of lasagna, baked in a small casserole dish, cast-iron skillet, or in the microwave, takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish.

The best way to store your lasagna in the freezer is to keep it in its original packaging whenever possible. When freezing fresh lasagna, no matter the portion size, use tightly closed freezer-safe containers, and remove as much air from the packaging as possible. This keeps unwanted contaminants and moisture out. Tightly packaged, carefully sealed lasagna will thrive for months in the sub-zero temperatures of your freezer.