One of the most frequent requests I get is for is to organize a category of recipes that freezes well, or can be packed up and brought to new parents with bigger (er, tinier) things on their agenda than stirring pots. And you’d think I’d be an expert on this, having been in their shoes just one year ago but I never bothered. [Update: I since have.] New York City is not a place where you have to stock your freezer to get a good meal in; we can get literally anything delivered to our door in under an hour, even food that is both healthy and better than I make at home. (Well, almost.) Plus, almost anything that sits in my freezer for more than two weeks smells… freezery. It was hard to summon enthusiasm to store anything worthwhile inside it.
But there are few dishes more freezer-friendly than a lasagna, and I love a good one. Unfortunately, it took me a while to find what I considered “good”. Most of the lasagnas I’ve had fall in the American-style ricotta/tomato sauce/mozzarella/ground meat style and I never took to them, finding them both heavy and yet, still dry. So it surprised nobody more than me that I found my lasagna nirvana in the tomato-free béchamel-ed variety, which managed to be light and almost delicate. White sauces are not the kind of thing people associate with a lightweight meal, especially over pasta, but paired with salad this was surprisingly refreshing meal without making us feel like we’d need to bust out the fat pants. Well, most of us, that is.
The magic is in the recipe, which is from Ina Garten. Rather than loading the sauce down with two or three cheeses, she only opts for parmesan. The mushrooms are sauteed and seasoned and … that’s it. Layers of noodles, parmesan, sauce and mushrooms are stacked and baked together and the result is ridiculous, so good that although I’d planned to pack up the second half to store in the freezer of a family member on the mend, I fear it won’t make it. Good thing I bought enough ingredients for two.
Previously
One year ago: Quiche Lorraine
Two years ago: Best Challah (Egg Bread) and Mom’s Apple Cake
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Brownies
Four years ago: Acorn Squash with Chile-Lime Vinaigrette
Mushroom Lasagna
A few optional tweaks: I sometimes add 1/2 cup chopped shallots to the pan before the mushrooms, cooking them until they soften a little, then adding the mushrooms. I often skip warming the milk, and just add it slowly and carefully to the butter-flour mixture, and it isn’t a problem. A splash of wine or marsala would be great in the mushrooms, then cooked off at the end. Finally, I am always tempted to increase everything in this recipe by 1/3, i.e. using a full pound of noodles and a full two pounds of mushrooms, and make a more towering lasagna, but you’ll want to make sure you have a deep pan (mine is 3″ deep and I’m not fully confident). There’s also the fact that it might be almost over-the-top rich; the thickness, as written, is quite nice.
- Salt
- Olive oil
- 3/4 pound (12 ounces or 340 grams) dried lasagna noodles
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups (950 ml) whole milk
- 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons, 6 ounces or 170 grams) unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I use less, because this seems like a lot)
- 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) cremini or portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup (85 grams or 3 ounces) freshly grated parmesan
Prepare noodles: Bring a large, wide (if you use a wide one, you can save a dish later and saute your mushrooms in the bottom of it) pot of water to boil with salt and a splash of oil, that will help keep your noodles from sticking together as they drain. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Make béchamel: Bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan, or heat it in your microwave, and set it aside. Melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 115 grams) butter in a large saucepan. If your name is Deb, you will probably brown this butter, too. Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. Once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 2 teaspoons kosher salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Set aside.
Prepare mushrooms: Discard portobello mushroom stems and/or trim the ends of the cremini stems. Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in the bottom of the large, wide pot you used to cook the noodles earlier, or in a large sauté pan. Cook half the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. Repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms.
Assemble lasagna: Spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. (Ina recommends the former, I only had the latter; if you’d like to freeze or give this dish as a gift, remember to use a foil pan). Arrange a layer of noodles on top*, then more sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), 1/3 of the mushrooms and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaning sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan.
Bake: For 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. To freeze for future use, allow it to cool completely and wrap two to three times in plastic wrap before freezing.
looks so good! mmmmmmm…
I am all over this one. Have a new obsession with sauteed mushrooms. Even if my dad calls them a fungus!
I just made a very similar recipe from an old Saveur, but it had the addition of Dungeness crab and pecorino-romano. It was amazing!
How did you prepare the crab? Forgive my ignorance. I’ve never cooked with crab before.
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Oh my. After looking at your pictures, I am CRAVING this dish. I need to go mushrooming. Now.
That looks AMAZING. I love mushrooms so much. Have you ever tried the No Boil lasagna noodles? I have a bunch in my cubard left over from a chicken lasagna, and they’ve worked pretty well in the past.
YUM! this looks fantastic!
I agree..I’m not too big on the traditional red, saucy lasagne. Or maybe I just haven’t found the perfect recipe for it yet.
No-boil lasagna sheets — I knew someone was going to ask about these, and likely more folks, so let me get to it right here. I’m honestly not fond of them. I know they work, and there’s no real reason you cannot use them here, but I still don’t care for them because they still need to absorb liquid to become soft noodles and they take it from the ingredients around them. I think they’re to blame for many “dry” lasagnas. I’ve actually suggested to folks before that they add an extra half cup of water to their tomato sauce if using the no-boil sheets, but I am not sure I recommend that with a balanced bechamel.
Thought I’d chime in, as I use these comments all the time and never “give back” – I only had no-boil sheets last time I made this recipe. I boiled ’em anyway (just 5min) and then used as normal. Texture was not perfect, but totally edible.
Just adding to the comments for future lazy no-boil noodle users like me – I multiplied the amount of bechamel by 1.25 (so 10 tbsp butter, 81 g flour, 5 cups milk) and added in the liquid from the mushrooms, and it came out creamy and delicious.
I haven’t done it in this recipe, but in other lasagne recipes where you can’t increase the liquid in the sauce, o I use the lasagne pan to first soak the no boil noodles in boiling water for a few min while preparing other ingredients. Then remove them to a kitchen towel, empty the pan and then assemble the layers. It works really well without the trouble of boiling the noodles which I have an unreasonable aversion to doing!
I just read that the other day about soaking your noodles but thought, I don’t have a container long enough to do that in. You soak in pan, genius!! Thanks for that!
i love great mushrooms lasagna…now i can make my own! you don’t even need the meat :)
I do my noodles just like you—three to a layer. Works great for cutting.
Re freezing: Things stored in glass keep much better than things in plastic. No freezer smell. (Be sure to freeze all peppers in glass or their smell will completely WRECK the freezer.) I store pre-made meatballs in quart jars and pop out what I need later on. Many soups freeze well, as long as there are no potatoes in them as potatoes get grainy—just be sure to fill jars only 3/4ths full to leave room for expansion and thaw at room temperature so the jars don’t crack.
This sounds heavenly.
What fantastic comfort food this would be!
I loved your stuffed cabbage and did in fact successfully freeze half! Thanks to you and your MIL for this one!
Oh man, I want this now! Perfect fall food – loving it.
My two favorites to tuck away in the freezer are tamales and gnocchi.
Sounds delicious for the wet weather we’ve been having in LA! On the freezer note, I love freezing meatballs. When I’m making spaghetti I simply add them frozen to a pot of marinara so they can defrost and add depth to the sauce.
This looks delicious, and I was looking for a different spin on lasagne to stick in my sister’s freezer. Perfect timing.
As for other freezer friendly items – Empanadas! I stocked my sister’s freezer with 3 dozen empanadas around her 8th month and she hasn’t stopped thanking me yet (day 9 post labor). They bake perfectly right from frozen – both beef and chicken.
Your peach hand pies would probably do quite nicely in there as well, though you might have to increase the flour a smidge since frozen pie fruit tends to throw extra juice when baked.
Also scones. Definitely scones.
SK you are soooo right – Ina’s recipes rarely need tweaking. I have no idea how she does it – I’m going to give this one a try because I do love myself a freezer full of food.
What about chilis? I make a super easy chili that freezes easily – made it Monday to rave reviews.
Soups are also great for freezing – I use plastic Gladware to freeze everything (probably influenced by Top Chef, ha ha) in individual portions that I then drop into a glass bowl to microwave/defrost.
I told my husband about this post. His response “do it” lol. Guess I’ll be adding this to the list to try sometime!
I, too, have also not found my perfect lasagne but I know it’s out there. Maybe this is The One.
I love marinara sauce, but for some reason I DON’T like it with pasta (I prefer it with meatball subs and the like), so this recipe is a refreshing change.
I know from personal experience -Your mac and cheese recipe freezes well :)
deb, what are your feelings on no-boil lasagna noodles? the last time I made lasagna, I burned myself pretty badly on a rogue boiled noodle, at which point my mom suggested no-boil noodles. but will they work with a lasagna that’s not just soaking in sauce? any advice would be appreciated! yum.
I find a nice béchamel sauce always brings out the wonderful flavours in fresh crimini mushrooms. The photos look gorgeous too by the way!
– Brittany
I wish I could make this but my mom would freak out :c she’d start poking around looking for meat
I could halve it and freeze leftovers I think :)))
I’m so sorry! by the time I posted there were many more comments and I saw you just responded to this question above. apologies.
I love the idea of a tomato sauce-less lasagne! I played with spinach and mushroom last year but it was still of the tomato-y variety. I shall be trying this version this winter for sure! Thanks!
As for freezer stuff, I’m also not that wise on the matter, but I will say: SOUPS!
Have you tried Ina’s turkey lasagna recipe? It’s really spectacular! Chevre + ricotta…the most amazing rich and creamy cheese filling. I’m not big on lasagna but this one is a favorite from now on…the turkey sausage keeps it light and interesting.
Roasted vegetable enchiladas freeze perfectly. I may have eaten them for almost every meal after my daughter was born. When this next baby arrives I’ll have to alternate with mushroom lasagna.
YUM! Looks great — could possibly be dinner tonight :)
I have tonnes of mushrooms! And I have been thinking of what to do with them. So timely!
I have had this recipe saved in my “to make” file for a few years after seeing it made on an episode of Barefoot Contessa! Thank you for making it, this forces me to give it a try.
I <3 Mushrooms, Pasta, and Cheese.
Fan-Damn-Tastick looking lasagna! Can’t wait to try it. I make my own pasta – so easy with my food processor to make the dough. And since my hubby needs the whole wheat pasta, I can throw in some whole wheat flour and make a nice noodle.
LOOKS GREAT! ONly thing is i’m scared of mushrooms…..i think this recipe may force me to try em. Hubby loves shrooms. I’m goin to have to quit being afraid of stuff. at 28 you would think i would eat more veggies but ….i just don’t.
Have you tried the Cook’s Illustrated mushroom lasagna? It’s similar to this, but a bit more fussy. All at once amazing though. It calls for a bright gremolata topping over two types of mushroom.
I’m crazy about mushrooms but never tried them in lasagne before. Love it!
Freezer-friendly dishes: definitely meatballs, legume dishes (chickpeas, butter beans, lentils) and your beef chili. That would freeze really well.
Magda
This looks great. I adore mushrooms.
I love anything with mushrooms in it!
When I was pregnant I froze a couple dishes of macaroni and cheese (but now that I’ve seen this recipe, I think I’d opt for lasagna instead!), bean & squash soup, potstickers, and dozens of cheesy jalapeño corn muffins (yum).
Very delicious looking! I love your buring questions that you sometime have. They make me smile. I line mine lasangna noodles just as you did!
Love mushrooms,Ina,and SK. Not necessarily in that order. This looks like a yummy recipe that I will have to try.
I happened to make this a couple of weeks ago, it’s fantastic! I used the no-boil noodles, but soaked them first because I was afraid the bechamel wouldn’t give off enough liquid. It was kind of a disaster, they just ended up all stuck together by the time I was ready to assemble. A great reminder of why I hate making lasagna (especially since it’d be so easy to assemble these with a shaped pasta into more of a casserole)!
Oooh….looks so delish, only wish I liked mushrooms. It’s a texture thing. I’m running into the same problem freezing things. Something about it tastes “off” or it doesn’t reheat properly. However, I’m working full-time and going to school part-time…..and live alone….so I need to make friends with food that can be frozen out of practicality and for quick meals. I have found that I like to make a batch of panko-crusted chicken breasts, bake them, freeze them, then pull them out for part of a quick meal during the week. Those seem to taste fine after the freezer.
My mother used to make an amazing “white” lasagna with a sautéed spinach layer: béchamel, some mozzarella, spinach sauteed with garlic & shallots, parmesan on top – and it was heavenly.
I sneak in a spinach layer when I make regular baked penne (with tomato sauce).
wow. next week’s dinner.
can I sub low fat milk? I can’t bring myself to buy whole milk.
Looks so delicious. and there are fantastic wild mushrooms in season. Will have to try!
Oh, wow. How I love mushrooms! And I’ve just managed to get my husband on board with an occasional mushrooms instead of meat dinner. I could also see this being served at a girls’ dinner party. Maybe it’s just my friends, but a creamy pasta dish served with salad and wine would go over in a big way!
I actually prepare lasagnas in loaf pans. Each pan is just the perfect size for two. And then just pop the others in the freezer for an easy dinner mid-week.
I’ve frozen your blue cheese scallion biscuits. And even though they were only in the freezer for a week or so, they came out beautifully. Also, I think goulash freezes very, very well. I’ve sort of melded your goulash with my own, and when I make a big pot of it, I always freeze the leftovers. I serve it over noodles, and I think the addition of something freshly prepared counteracts any “freezerness” when it comes to reheating!
Oh also freezable unbaked: Cheese straws, Spanakopita triangles and anything else phyllo triangle related, and Parmesan cream crackers.
And chili. Cooked of course.
Hmmm…It seems I freeze a lot more party food than substantial dinner fare. A window to my priorities I suppose.
I *LOVE* this recipe – it’s one of my favorites, despite the dishes (as you mentioned) – but I also narrowed it down to 3 pots.
RE: no-boil noodles – I always use the Barilla no-boil with this recipe, and they work fabulously – no problems at all. Kayepants – I don’t need to soak them first…
Some of the foods I’ve found freeze well are soups (vegetable, chicken without the noodles, etc) and pulled/BBQ meats. My mom makes and freezes large batches of BBQ beef in case people come over unexpectedly (or her daughter has made off with the last batch – so good!)
Mmmmm – that looks good. I bet it would be good as a ziti-bake, as well as a lasagna.
Stuff that can freeze well…
Biryani freezes well in individual portions, really any soup or stew does well. Eggplant Parmesan is awesome. Pulled pork can be frozen and then the meat pulled out and added to other dishes or heated up for sandwiches. I make a Mario Batali recipe for Bolognese sauce which is only worthwhile in a large batch, then divide it up and freeze it in about 4-person portions. Basically, anything that can be made easier for a crowd than for one person (long, slow cooking and large quantities) generally freezes well.
This looks so tasty for a cold evening. Mmmm.
Your chana masala freezes really well, and it’s delicious.
If you dip the no boil lasagna pieces in water,one by one, right before you use them, the finished lasagna is not dry. I make a lasagne with layers of bolognese sace, bechamel, and parmesan and in the middle a layer of yoghurt and spinach. The final layer is a thin bechamel. It is a really juicy lasagna , the lasagna sheets are relatively al dente and it freezes well. I cut it into portions and vacuum pack.
Maybe it’s because we’re sicilian, (or maybe it’s just my family) but we always make lasagna with sausage meat and serve it with extra tomato sauce over the top. I can’t stand a dry lasagna (or any baked pasta)!
As far as dishes that freeze well… I’d love to see more of them on here. My husband and I have started a dinner co-op (where we cook double of everything and then swap meals), along with another couple, who also love your blog, and one of the key issues is that the food, not necessarily be freezer friendly, but it must reheat well so I think a lot of freezer food would fall into that category. Using the recipes on this site quite a bit, I’ve found that curries are really good for this, as are short ribs and soups.
Thanks so much for all the inspiration!
I never overlap lasagna sheets. Not overlapping makes it easy to cut neat servings… who wants a serving with an additional frilly edge of an over-lapped layer?
And for freezer-friendly recipes I’ve tried here: spanakopita traingles and empanadas. I mean, they’re meant to be like hotpockets already.
Deb – nice recipe. I have to try this one. I am not a fan of thick creamy pasta dishes, just reminds me of bad alfredo sauces. But this is a must try. I also agree on the lasagna noodle part, but it depends on the sauce. If I have a very juicy meat sauce i use no-boil to stiffen up the lasagna. Also if i do not have time to boil up the sauce or have time to let the lasagna sit to stiffen up i end up using no-boil noodles.
I am totally making this with my 2 1/2 lb hen-of-the-woods. Thanks for the inspiration!
this looks amazing! i pack my freezer with desserts (mostly cookies) and soup whenever i can
I also use 12 lasagne sheets in a 9 by 13 pan……this sounds yumm, too bad my son is not a fan of mushrooms :(
My go to lasagne is made with bolognese sauce, bechemel sauce and mozzarella, and man is it good!
I’ve made this before for a dinner party with co-workers and received rave reviews. I added garlic and thyme to the sauteed mushrooms, yum! Served with a green salad and tiramisu for dessert.
I have wanted to make this ever since I saw it on Ina’s show. I always add a bechamel to my tomato based lasagna, but it is labor intensive so I rarely make it.
I know others have said it, but I think the best freezer food is soup. I was out of town for almost a month last winter, and had a freezer full of soups for my husband’s survival. I also freeze breads and muffins. Some others–chicken tetrazzini, grits casserole, breakfast casseroles, broccoli/wild rice, etc. Chicken pot pie can be tricky because of the crust (it gets soggy if you defrost it before baking), but merits some testing and research.
With all this talk about lasagne – don’t forget about stuffed shells! They freeze wonderfully. I usually make them and freeze on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. (I freeze containers of sauce separately.)
PS – love the blog! Don’t think I’ve posted before though.
This looks amazing!
I made this last winter and it was so rich and delicious. I also think that since it’s sans meat, that definitely helps in its “lightness”. It’s the perfect dish on a cold, wintery night. And in regards to you always tweaking the heck out of recipes, there are times when I find a recipe and then come here to see if you’ve made it and what exact revisions you applied and always end up following your revised version. Sooo…I like the changes you make. That is all.
Yum! This is going on the menu for meat-free night.
Pulled pork, brisket etc. always freeze great for me, and make handy sandwich, taco, enchilada, turnover, etc. fillings. Even better, they can be cooked in the slow cooker (sw pulled brisket, anyone?) so it’s many meals with little effort. Pretty much any soup or stew will freeze nicely, though I find that anything creamy or with potatoes reheats better if it’s not defrosted beforehand- just put the frozen soup or stew straight into the pot over low heat and cover, moving things around occasionally.
This looks just lovely for autum weather. Too bad it is getting warmer again here. I would love to try this out soon! I would very easily make my weekly grocery list and menus from your site!
YUM….this looks amazing! And I just happened to buy mushrooms….can’t wait to make this!
I love this Ina Garten recipe, and I’m happy to see your take on it here at Smitten Kitchen. Knowing all the amazing things you do in your kitchen, I must say it’s very encouraging to see a photo of your small stove, which I think is exactly the same one as mine! I have total cooktop envy whenever I see one on which the four burners aren’t smack up against each other, but that’s Manhattan living for you. Thank you for working your magic once again!
Wish I had made this instead of baked ziti last night! Unfortunately I fall into that camp of cooks that loves to eat but rarely eats leftovers (stop cringing, Im sure when I have kids I will get over that). So many things go into our freezer for those days when I can’t muster the energy to get in the kitchen. But my favorite meal to freeze is chili, I have my own vegetarian recipe I call Firehouse Chili, but I am sure that any of the chili’s you have made will easily freeze. Since its just me and my husband we like to freeze the leftovers in individual portions since our recipe would definitely feed some hungry firemen, with room for seconds.
I don’t makelasgna as often as I’d like to eat it because of how many pots and pans it uses. I hand wash my pots and it’s a pain. I’ve made a white Lasgna only once before, with chicken and peas, and it was pretty good. From my experience with mac and cheese, I made the bechmel sauce pretty thin and buttered the noodles, so that the noodles wouldn’t absorb so much of the sauce and make it dry as I like a more saucy lasgna, too. This looks good, wish I like mushrooms more, they always look so good in recipes that use them, but to me, unless drenched in a wine sauce, they taste like dirt. Maybe I’ll sub in asparagus or caramelized butternut squash and sage..or something.
Wow that got my attention! Looks really good Deb. I have cooktop envy too, it just goes to show it’s not the stove that makes the delicious food!
Just made this and it was amazing. I used a bit less nutmeg as suggested, but will go the full amount next time. Wish I had a 1/2 cup more bechamel to not be skimping at the last layer. And I almost had 2 lbs of crimini mushrooms and will go the full 2 lbs next time. I only had Barilla oven ready lasagna sheets, and was really worried about using them. Did so anyway, as I was too lazy to go buy more and boil my own. It came out fantastic! Not dry, and very well balanced. Oh, and I added a shallot to the mushrooms, as suggested. Will definitely make again.
Deb,
I actually made something similar last night but used ground chicken and oven roasted zephyr squash instead of mushroom. It was fantastic!!!
But, on the no-boil noodles topic: I used 8 no-boil noodles with 5 cups of behcamel sauce in an 8″x8″ pan on 400 degrees for 40 minutes (COVERED with foil) followed by a quick broil across the top and 20 minutes resting time after removing from the oven. It couldn’t have been creamier and more delicious. The noodles had a great texture and there was plenty of sauce to go around. I did use 1/3 cup flour and 5 tablespoons butter for 5 cups whole milk so it may have started out to be a thinner bec sauce than others.
That’s my 2 cents on a really important topic that is near and dear to me because I would never make lasagna were it not for the no-boil noodles.
Deb, the spinach breakfast strata you made when you did a post about how to make brunch and sleep in. Well, I made three for a baby shower and froze one of the extras. It defrosted and reheated well. Add it to the list!
How about some cubed butternut squash with the mushrooms? Saw a huuuggggee canister of mushrooms at Costco this morning, and wondered what the heck I’d do with so many of them. Ta-Da! (They had butternut squash too!)
Re the no boil noodles — to add to Deb’s comment, I use them all the time if the Lasagna is red-sauced based, and it turns out good (just remember to cover every bit of the noodle with sauce), but I would not use them for a bechamel sauce only lasagna, since I cannot imagine that the noodles would have enough liquid to absorb. (I use them with a bechamel sauce lasagna recipe that I have that also includes a tomato-based sauce as a layer). Other successful lasagna recipes that will freeze well: red sauce, butternut squash, and kale.
i’ve made this one before. it really is terrific!!
Meatloaf is another good freezer-friendly recipe, as is chili (which I always freshen up with more tomato sauce and fresh cheese).
This looks incredible and cannot wait to try. My husband and I are trying to find recipes that reheat well for during the week – there must be something in the air as we made this lasagna recipe below on Sunday and really loved it (although it is possible we added more than 2 oz of gorgonzola). Also tomato-less for those looking for a different take.
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/caramelized_onion_lasagna.html
The more nutmeg the better in my book. This looks scrumptious.
This looks so perfect! I can’t wait to try it. I love the fact that it isn’t laden down with all kinds of cheese.
As for your recipes that freeze well, I recently made your Meatballs and Spaghetti, and froze some of the meatballs very successfully. Of course, they’re so good that they didn’t stay in the freezer very long. Less than a week, actually!
I am usually cooking for one, so the freezer is my friend – I have frozen with success your chana masala, stewed lentils & tomatoes, gougeres (baked, just recrisp for 10-15 mins. at 375 and they’re the perfect app to keep on hand), spanakopita (unbaked), and the dreamy cream scones (unbaked).
Deb- for sure add your thick, chewy granola bars to the freezer friendly list if they are not already there. They might even taste better out of the freezer, still chilled. Man do I love those bars. They were a life saver after my baby was born. Thanks!
Haven’t read a single one of the comments, but empanadas RULE for freezer-friendly chow! Assemble them, freeze on a cookie sheet, wrap in plastic wrap and bag up. They only take a few minutes longer to bake than if they hadn’t been frozen.
Favorite freezer items are bolognese sauce, fontina stuffed veal meatballs (cooked and in their tomato sauce), flank steak or pork tenderloin in a marinade – bagged but not cooked. Take the meat out of the freezer the day before and over the time it takes to defrost in the fridge, it picks up an excellent amount of flavor from the marinade. Re the no bake noodles – I just did a short rib/bechamel lasagna with no red sauce and the noodles worked well. I always make sure they’re very thoroughly coated.
Well, let me tell you which recipes worked for me! I scoured your site in the weeks before my babe was born (she is now 6 weeks old) & I made the following to freeze, all of which have reheated really well, if not downright perfectly:
– Dreamy Cream Scones (flash frozen BEFORE being baked), such a treat to have a hot scone without all the effort!
– Gnocchi
– Chicken Empanadas (ran out of time/energy to make the beef version, but I’m sure they would have been just as lovely)
– Cocoa Brownies
– Thick & Chewy Granola Bars (can actually be eaten right out of the freezer as I discovered on my way to her first pediatrician visit)
– Spinach Quiche, baked in a muffin pan for individual servings. Flash frozen & wrapped in foil, stored in freezer bags. Reheated by baking at 350 for about 15 minutes. If I have my hands full at the end of said 15 minutes I just turn off the oven & let them sit until I can get to them. They are perfect every time! I’m sure any other quiche recipe would work just as well, but spinach does a body good for recovering mamas.
– Spanakopita & the Goat Cheese variation in that same entry
– Stuffed cabbage, cooked from start to finish then frozen in smaller quantities in gladware with plastic wrap set on top of the cabbage before sealing the lid. Same prep as freezing ice cream. The texture isn’t as great as freshly made stuffed cabbage, but they are just as yummy.
– Shakshuka (eggs added on reheat day), also frozen with a layer of plastic on top
– Snickerdoodle dough – formed & flash frozen. They baked up thin & kind of crispy, but they still tasted great. Perfect for a quick sugar fix or afternoon treat. :)
– Zucchini bread, prepared as muffins. I will throw 1 or 2 of these in with my quiche toward the end of the quiche reheating time if I have my hands free. They have been just as moist as the first day they were made each time.
– Jacked-up banana bread as muffins – I reheated a couple of these in the microwave and they were a bit dry, but that was probably a result of using the microwave. I still have some left & will try heating them in the oven to see if that helps retain some moisture.
– Potato Pierogi – I tried boiling a few which was unsuccessful because the dough split & the filling got very watery. I’ll try again, but will fry them instead in the hopes that if the dough splits the filling will just get buttery & crispy instead of watery.
The items I would like to keep my freezer stocked with are the granola bars, scones, quiche, zucchini bread, banana bread (assuming I figure out how to reheat it without drying it out) & snickerdoodle dough. Those were/are all the easiest things to grab in the morning or afternoon when I need a quick snack or protein.
Hope that helps!
Oh this sounds and looks wonderful – agreed these types of dishes freeze so well!
Most soups freeze well — lentil; carrot; butternut. We always freeze bolognese sauce and chili con carne.
I didn’t read over the recipe that closely, but I don’t see why you couldn’t cook the noodles, drain them, cook the mushrooms and put them in a bowl, and then make the bechamel afterwards in the same pot. That way you would only have to wash the pot once. It would take more time (assuming you’d make everything at once in the original recipe), but depending on how your day is structured, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing…just a suggestion. I hate to wash pots and pans too and really consider the mess that’ll be made when looking at a recipe and determining whether or not I want to go for it, especially on a weekday!
I’ve got to say, I’m not one to normally eat mushrooms (I’ve eaten maybe a dozen during the span of my entire life thus far), but… I’d totally eat this. Brilliant job.
I always make big batches of tomato sauce and freeze it in small containers!
I was just wishing I had some lasagna! Have you ever had lasagna like this? http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/pumpkin-sausage-lasagna/
Rchel Ray I know, but I was surprised with this recipe.
Deb,
This recipe is always a crowd pleaser and great for my vegetarian friends at dinner parties.
I like to add toasted buttered bread crumbs to the top and sometimes crumbled sausage for the meat eaters in the house.
SO GOOD!
this lasagne looks like my husbands idea of what heaven would serve daily.
as for things I have made from this site that freeze well…
– the sauce for shakshuka, then just drop the eggs in once reheated
– the summer squash and potato torte, since the recipe makes two we ate one and froze one and both were equally awesome
– the three bean chili, it makes SO much and i just freeze it in individual servings
everything else (and really, i make just about everything you post at least once) we have been too impatient to attempt to WAIT to eat. i mean really…
I have found most casseroles work well with the “half-bake” method. I do this often when planning a trip in our motorhome. Bake the recipe for half the time, cool, freeze and later – just finish cooking in the oven til brown. Works great. I also have baked mac & cheese or lasagna-type dishes in an 8×8 glass dish lined with parchment. After it cools, I can easily remove the casserole and slip it into a vacuum-seal bag for even easier storage. Later, slip it back into an 8×8 pan to bake. This saves on freezer space and doesn’t use disposable aluminum pans.
I LOVE mushrooms, so I am going to have to give this a try!
yum! mushrooms, cheese, and pasta in perfect harmony. i just started a blog myself (2 days ago) and wanted to thank you for being such an inspiration. your choices always delight! i can only hope (someday) to have a site of your caliber.
I have adored this recipe ever since I saw Ina cooking it up on her show[and how can Ina be wrong], it is delicious, although I have never had any left over to freeze.
I know you have an awesome recipe for cabbage rolls…they freeze beautifully.
Soups…always good to freeze [also chili and beef stew].
cookies…even good frozen [most of them].
crepes…thaw and fill with almost anything [or make fillings and freeze separately.
latkes or potato pancakes…put wax paper between each one.
hamburgers on buns…my boys loved this.
I think the important part about freezing is the containers you use and how you defrost the dish.
This sounds fantastic!
For the freezer, curries freeze amazingly well. And soups, of course.
Re: no-boil noodles. Cooks Illustrated soaks them in hot water until they’re pliable before layering and baking them. That way they’ve already soaked up some liquid, but they’re still a little less work than actually boiling noodles.
I have some of your red kidney bean curry in the freezer right now. I’ll just defrost it, reheat it, and serve it over rice. I freeze things like that a lot- meshes of a bunch of cooked ingredients. Your mushroom bourguignon is in the same category, so I bet it would freeze well too.
My god — 12 Tbs of butter? Do you think there is any way to cut down on the butter in the roux and still get reasonable results?
#46 “I actually prepare lasagnas in loaf pans. Each pan is just the perfect size for two. And then just pop the others in the freezer for an easy dinner mid-week.”
That’s brilliant! I’m totally stealing that idea.
Unfortunately, my husband would never go for this meal, but it would a perfect girlfriends dinner. In any case, lasagna with a bechamel sauce is fantastic. I had some in the Cinque Terre with basil pesto and I’ve dreamed about it ever since. Maybe I could modify this to recreate it….
Thanks for the recipe, I love Ina Garten but I haven’t made this yet so I am going to print and make ASAP. Her butternut squash risotto is addictive like crack of which can be frozen also. I know it is sacrilegious not to eat risotto immediately but when you make a huge pot and your cooking for one freezing is better than throwing it out or eating it 4 days latter. It really is about 95% as good and much better than most risottos from the store or restaurants. The other things I freeze (maybe these were already mentioned in the near 100 posts above) are soups and chili, of course, and pasta sauce (just the sauce). Lasagna is great cut into serving size pieces and frozen.
I’m so glad you made this! I made it about a year ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I suppose I should get around to making it again, rather than keeping it up on that pedestal. Isn’t that always the case? There are just so many new shiny objects, er, recipes that catch my eye :) Love your blog!
I sometimes get scared away from making lasagna because of the the ingredient list. No excuse I HAVE to try this one!
a white lasagne…i second the above comment–no excuses gotta make this for the fam!
that shot of the apartment – sized stovetop with your pans is inspirational
That looks like an excellent no-tomato-sauce lasagna. I’m glad you swapped out a different mushroom for portabello, although, I do think they have a different flavour, it’s not such a difference that demands the higher price. But they are pretty when roasted.
Re: only using 2/3 of a box of noodles – why is it always like that? Must be a pasta-manufacturing conspiracy.
Cheers!
Fabulous photographs, as usual! Great, thanks for sharing.
This gets made this weekend. Lasagna, a little salad, a little crusty bread, wine…..fireplace. YUMMY! Thank you, Deb.
I wanted to made Ina’s lasagna this week, but what do you know, after freezing temperatures all weekend, we now have a warm spell. You’ve remotivated me, however. Fingers crossed for next week!
I freeze individual pot pies, but without the crust (I do the crusts separately). Works great.
I also do beef stew (no potatoes), chili, and various soups, all in portions of 1-2 servings.
Oh man, Deb … sooo good :) I love Ina Garten. That might be an understatement actually … more like I worship the ground she walks on. This recipe looks to simply reiterate that fact.
Also – have you ever tried butternut squash lasagna? My best friend and I made it last fall, and it was DELIGHTFUL.
Re the no-boil lasagna noodles–I love them! So much easier. However, I do like a chewy lasagna, so they may not be for everyone.
So funny, I just did a post about freezable lasagna! Mine is for post-baby food for my husband and I to eat once our little one gets here. I love freezer food. Keep it up!
Oh yeah, and to back up Staci – I’ve also frozen the chicken empanadas. I flash-froze them before baking and baked them straight from the freezer. They were just as flaky as when they were baked fresh.
This is quite funny because yesterday I went on your Italian section of the site, and was sad to not see lasagna since I wanted to try one of yours… Thanks for reading my mind!
Hi Deb. Don’t know if anyone has given this tip yet. But, I only use no-boil lasagna noodles now and the trick is to soak them in hot tap water. It is so much easier than boiling a big pot of noodles. It actually works for the regular noodles too. The is no reason to EVER boil lasagna. Just lay them in a bowl of hot water. I shingle them so they won’t stick together. I usually do it while I prep the other ingredients, but I would guess about 15 minutes is enough. That way they are hydrated enough to not dry out your filling.
Baked quiche/fritatta freezes great – I make them about every 2-3 weeks and freeze all but a couple of slices (I prefer deep dish ones) for my little monkey, who loves it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Things like meatballs that are somewhat labor intensive are great to freeze individually, so that you can make a big batch and then can thaw the number you need quickly for easy meals. I tend to freeze more staples, like tomato sauce, pesto (arugula, basil, etc) and soups (without the starches {rice, pasta or potatoes}), which can be added when rewarming. I also like to assemble casseroles that won’t break down during thawing, such as my husband’s favorite chicken enchiladas. And it’s not your recipe, but I almost always have a batch of Ina’s turkey sausage lasagna in my freezer, although I have the same complaint with that recipe that you had with this one – too many pots and pans, but the taste is worth it. I just make a large batch to make all that labor and dish-washing worth it.
Lasagna looks yummy! I like to freeze components of dishes, and I must say it makes life easier in the long-run. In freezing components instead of entire meals you get to mix and match when you’re planning a meal. At almost all times for instance, I have cooked beans, tomato sauce or salsa, some kind of stock, bread, tortillas, anything I know I might want to have on hand. My favorite thing to freeze is compound butter. I still have some ramp butter left from the spring, as well as garlic-scape butter! I find as long as things are sealed well enough, they don’t develop that nasty freezer-ness you mentioned. I look forward to seeing what kind of freezer-storage you end up developing ;)
i love bechamel sauces with lasagna! My favorite Giada’s Butternut Squash Lasagna.
As for things that freeze pretty well, I usually go with broth soups and sauces. Canning kinda scares me (botulism? seriously?) but freezing keeps them for a long time.
the pumpkin black bean soup freezes very well
I’m a huge fan of our dear Ina (some might say approaching stalker), but I have to disagree. I’ve made her lasagna and it’s amazing, but I think the Cook’s Illustrated version is even better. Maybe it’s becuz they add 2 more mushroom varieties (dried porcini and buttons – how easy is that?), but it really has soo much more depth. Give it a try!
Our freezer houses soups and stews, chicken enchiladas, pasta bakes, and chicken pot pie. Chicken pot pie is a family favorite (two 30 somethings, 6 year and 1 year old.) I freeze mine either without a crust or unbaked. When making these items I always make two. I have a quick meal on hand for nights we are all going in separate directions (which comes way too fast.)
But our freezer is also full of berries we’ve picked, tomato sauce from the garden, roasted summer vegetables, extra okra, green peppers that are over producing, homemade pizza crusts, and pesto (no cheese).
Would the recipe change at all if I made my own lasagna sheets?
Nanna — It would only get better. :)
Ohh, I saw these pictures and immediately cried, “Ina!” I love love love this recipe. Sometimes, I just use regular rotini or penne and toss it all with the sauce and mushrooms so I don’t have to deal with layering lasagna noodles.
I agree with Jill. You absolutely have to try Giada’s Butternut Squash lasagna this fall. It is another amazingly light and airy *fall* lasagna dish. If I remember correctly it has a thin layer of crushed amaretti cookies buried inside..so yummy!
I love the aroma of sauteing mushrooms, there is nothing else like it. It stimulates the appetite and draws us to the table. We love lasagna, mine is never dry (or, sadly, low calorie) I add so much ricotta, sauce and cheese, but I like the idea of changing it up with a white sauce.
-Brenda
Oh my gosh, THANK YOU! Your description makes it sound like the out-of-this-world, feather light lasagna at a nearby Italian place that charges the astronomically-out-of-this-world PRICE of $20 for a small portion. I’ve been wanted to make it at home! They also just use a bechamel, homemade noodles, and ricotta, but they put a slick of sweetly simple tomato sauce on the very top (i think AFTER it bakes). That little bit of sweetness makes the whole thing perfect :-)
I will have to try it with this recipe…
I’ve never thought about using mushrooms for a lasagna. This looks absolutely delicious. I will be giving it a try.
PS: Your photos are gorgeous.
Karen
look this so, so, so amazing! I am not a huge traditional lasagna fan, but I could get on board with this!! Can’t wait to try it
Your photos are gorgeous!
The beef short ribs, barley and leek soup freezes well. Also, almost all pancakes and waffles freeze well (if you’re looking for a breakfast food to heat up easily in the morning).
Wow does that ever look good. So perfect for the fall weather we’re [finally] having in San Francisco!
Deb, do you think that I could use dried mushroom (reconstituted) for this recipe?
I love that word….FREEZERY!! Jacob is an absolute cute chereb….I want to squeeze him!
Have made your single crust plum and apple pie receipe TWICE now. Everyone wanted the receipe…it was amazing!
My daughter made it with fresh peaches last night…drool drool..with vanilla ice cream.
This reminds me of a cream of wild mushroom soup I tried once with just a touch of nutmeg – the nutmeg adds a really incredible flavor that really complements the cream and the mushrooms. I’m hungry now.
This is something I HAVE to try. I love everything Lasagna … THANKS Keri Russell
Re: no boil lasagna noodles… i actually use regular lasagna noodles in my traditional lasagna, adding (2 cups) extra water, and it always comes out absolutely perfect, not dry in the slightest!!
This recipe looks fantastic & yummy… and I hope to give it a shot soon!!
Freezer suggestions — Thank you. There are many more in the category now. I didn’t add soups or sweets; I guess I assume people know that they are freezer-friendly and to add them would make it a very, very long listing of recipes. The gems seem to be the chilis and gratins and stratas and currys… Thanks.
simplicity, clean flavors,a few key ingredients = awesomeness! Great post – I’m so glad I found this blog :)
p.s. things with great freezability (is that a word?): soups that use lovely savory pureed vegetables – carrots, parsnips, butter cup squash, turnips — mmmmmmm…
This lasagna looks great. I like freezing all sorts of soups and pies. I currently have 3 of your tomato and corn pies in the freezer, which I am looking forward to eating when the weather has turned and it is much more difficult to find good quality vegetables.
I once spent way too many hours in the kitchen putting together a Cook’s Illustrated mushroom lasagna (Don’t get me wrong, it was totally worth it). But I think I’ll have to try this one because it sounds like it’s quite good and less of a time commitment (which might mean we’d be eating before 9pm).
Can’t wait for for list…………your chennai masala recipe rocks from the freezer…i just froze the last bit of your scalloped tomato recipe……will advise if it was a yea or no way.
Deb, if you like this lasagna, I guarantee you will love this other bechamel-based, true Bolognese Italian style one: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Anna-Nannis-Baked-Spinach-Lasagne – it isn’t necessary to use the homemade pasta but the bolognese sauce and bechamel combo is to-die-for and tastes JUST like it does in Italy (I lived in Bologna for 1/2 a year and searched for a recipe ever since, experimented with no success, almost gave up, and then found this). When it gets a little colder and you are in the mood to try the best, meatiest, creamiest lasagna ever, give it a whirl!
Black bean soup and brisket both done in the slow cooker.
I just made this… with NO BOIL lasagna sheets… and it is fabulous… but here’s my addition: I wilted fresh spinach in with the mushrooms, so there’s plenty of extra (and tasty) liquid to absorb into the lasagna noodles. I have found that the no bake lasagna sheets most closely resemble handmade, once baked. I really did like the way this turned out, but it may be due to the extra liquid naturally put off by the spinach. Give it a try. And THANK YOU for all of the wonderful recipes and tips you provide! You have become a tried and true favorite of mine!
this recipes is just perfect & i am excited to make it…as soon as my oven is repaired!
i freeze sk baked chicken meatballs (i add tomato paste to cover the meatballs in freezing container… & also have made your zuni cafe roasted chicken & it freezes well… i wrap the containers w/freeze-tite after labeling & it works out ok.
this looks so fantastic, deb. My husband hates mushrooms otherwise i would make this right away!! next time he goes out of town, i might have to make a mini, single-serve version just for me.
This looks absolutely amazing. I’m always looking for a new lasagna recipe. Mmm.
I’m having visions of this with whole grain pasta, and whole wheat in the white sauce… seems it would recreate this gracious, somewhat ‘sensitive’ dish into something a little gruffier. A little more ‘umph’. Just for fun.
I’ve heard about the freezer friendliness of lasagna but haven’t yet taken advantage of it. Mushroom lasagna might just be the thing to do it.
We’re makin’ it right now: and, I’m taking pictures, too! :)
Fabulous lasagna, I’m sure. I will definitely make this. I’m new to your website, and enjoy it very much. However, I question your posting a recipe basically from some one else (Ina Garten), even though you have said “adapted.” I wonder if it was changed substantially enough to be a different product.
I notice your website is copyrighted. So is Ina Garten’s work. “Food” for thought.
O.K., so I’m in the middle of making your Snickerdoodle recipe and now you’ve got me dreaming of lasagna? With an Ina Garten recipe, nonetheless?!? You are terrible. Truly terrible. Good thing it’s getting colder and sweater season is here. I LOVE INA (and Smitten too)!
Wow–this looks SO good, I can’t wait to try it. As to things here that are freezer-friendly: your brisket comes to mind, the one from the slowcooker. I haven’t tried it but most of my other slow cooker recipes are very freezer friendly when done, so that might work too…? Thanks for this–yum–one of the best looking tents still at our farmers’ market is the mushroom one so this is perfect!
What freezes beautifully for me is butternut squash soup (Alton Brown’s recipe) and black bean soup (Dave Leiberman’s recipe – minus all the bacon and pureed at the end).
Also, scones, whether sweet or savory freeze and bake up like a dream!
I love Ina Garten. This recipe sounds amazing!
I’m somewhat of an expert on frozen foods, as I am a consultant so I live away from home but I love to cook. Haven’t made anything from this site that I’ve frozen (I mostly just make your Bailey’s frosting again and again) but the following are some things that freeze well: pasta, casseroles, quiches, quinoa, gnocci. I’m sure there’s more, I just haven’t gotten to them yet!
ditto the empanadas, I have made them just for freezing a couple times now. I froze the tomato corn pie in individual slices – I think it reheats okay, but the bottom gets a little soggy unless I let it defrost and pour off the juice (though I skipped seeding the tomatoes and that is probably why). And usually anything that I end up with one serving of leftovers I freeze and it becomes a lunch- prepacked! Also pulled pork in the crockpot is great to freeze and pull out for a meaty dinner on the days when vegetables alone are not enough stirred into pasta or risotto or tossed on a pizza. And of course ice cream, it makes an impressive dessert to whip out a tub of homemade ice cream when we have people over at the last minute.
Also, I lack a microwave so I reheat things old school on the stove or in the (toaster) oven, usually by letting them thaw for a couple hours first to speed things up.
Now that I am home and went back to your site to copy this recipe I read your questions again and decided to comment on them. I make my lasagne the same way you do, lining the noodles up, not overlapping, they fit best in my pan that way. I too have trimmed the edges and I find I only use the whole box of noodles if I am using a larger pan for company.
As for freezer-friendly recipes. I often freeze meals so that when I arrive home from work later than expected there is a quick meal available. When I make chili, I freeze half of it for later, your chili recipe would work good for this. I have frozen soups, lasagna, stew, meatballs and pot pies. When I make a whole chicken, ham, turkey, or any larger piece of meat, I will slice or chop up some of the left-over meat and frozen it to be added to dishes or sandwiches later. There is only my husband and I that I am cooking for and we like to eat the left-overs only once during the same week, so I freeze for later rather than throw out food.
By the way, your stove-top looks nice and clean. I find this to be a challenge, so I think you deserve credit for that. :-)
-Brenda
what does not freeze well for me is Mushrooms. Ewwww, so many bad experiences. The get really tough and rubbery because they pee out all their liquid. I’ll never, ever freeze a mushroom. Sorry. :D
I freeze a lot of things made with legumes, pasta, ground/shredded meat, and well-cooked vegetables (like winter squash, roasted eggplant, etc). That chana dal is really good frozen. The more you can make it a solid blob, the better it will freeze. Fluffy stuff like rice dishes or “fresh” vegetables are not good.
bechamel lasagnas really are wonderful. i had one in paris, of all places, and still remember how utterly delicious it was.
I just made this dish and it’s currently in the oven :) I will let you know how it turns out! I baked it in a square dish, which hopefully doesn’t matter too much ?
Yum, it looks delicious and I love how there are so few ingredients!
I also love this lasagne from Ina. I use the Barilla no-boil noodles and soak them just for a minute in the warm chicken stock that I’m using for the bechamel– 1 cup instead of one cup of the milk to lighten it up. For a more traditional lasagne I use the Barilla no-boil noodles and the recipe on the box but substitute homemade bechamel sauce for one of the jars of tomato sauce–it makes the lasagne much creamier. Another lasagne tip that I learned from a friend is to cut it into pieces before baking. Braised short ribs, chilli, stew, pulled pork, brisket, and your brioche buns have all frozen/reheated beautifully for me.
Molly Katzen — the brocoli forest lady or whatever – has this amazing recipe for spinach pesto lasagna that is meatless, red-sauce-less, and deliciousioso. AND freezes well. I usually make a big pan, cut it in half, live off one half and freeze the other half. Until I just read your shroom lasagna recipe, I’d thought I’d only ever make Molly’s green lasagna…thanks.
Looks wonderful,it would be so nice to have some freezer friendly recipes!
I find bechamel sauce heavy in lasagnas so usually only put it over the top layer of lasagne noodle but recently found that tofu ricotta was an even better way to make lasagna lighter
re freezer meals – stews and soups are my favourite things to store in the freezer – though I also enjoy some vegetarian sausage rolls and choc chip cookies
Hey Deb- I didn’t see your pumpkin waffles listed as freezer friendly. I make these all the time and freeze them. They reheat really well for a quick breakfast from the toaster oven!
And the lasagna looks amazing. Ina is just the queen of simple and fantastic. I love how the mushrooms shine in this dish!
@jenny…I’m naming my new band “Rogue Boiled Noodle.”
This sounds amazing, love the homemade sauce. I agree, the nutmeg seems like a lot but maybe because it is with mushrooms it blends nice. I am not a mushroom eater but would love to try this with shredded chicken and spinach. I will use only 1/4 tsp nutmeg with it then…? I am a recipe changer too :) Love the added garlic.
I just made this! It’s in my oven now! It smells sooooo good.
I think many of your squash-based soups would freeze and re-heat well. If I recall correctly, you also suggested that the peach shortbread bars would work frozen when wrapped in wax paper.
As for this recipe, looks tasty! If only my boyfriend wasn’t a mushroom hater. :(
if i could only every read one food related blog…it would be you…i am smitten!
I like mine lined up neatly also. Thanks for sharing this. I need a good freezer meal, plus I’m tired of regular lasagna.
How do you reheat this once frozen? Straight in the oven from the freezer, or would you thaw it first? How long to cook and at what temperature?
Made this tonight and it’s resting beautifully now! Can’t wait to eat it!
looks delicious… my freezer, like so many other people’s, is always full of soups and stews, as well as pierogies (assembled, but uncooked), homemade tomato, bolognese, or pesto sauces, and cakes of the pound/coffee/loaf variety (I always make a double recipe). The key with everything is to seal it well, in glass or plastic containers with a tight fitting lid. For the cakes I use a layer of wax paper and then tight saran wrap (the wax paper keeps it from tasting like plastic after) and then a ziploc bag. I don’t find that quiches freeze particularly well, something about the egg makes them kind of sponge-y after, but if you have a frozen pie crust, a fresh quiche is the fastest thing in the world to make.
I love mushroom, this dish looks really yummy.
Just slipped this into the oven and already did the dishes! Got away with 2 pots, 1 bowl for the hot milk followed by the mushrooms, a cutting board, a knife, a whisk, 1 measuring cup and a spoon. Not bad! Can’t wait to taste the finished product… Thanks Deb!
Frozen meals… hmmm…
I make heavy stews and store them in metal containers to maintain maximum freshness. Being Chinese, I make meat (usually pork or chicken) dishes and freeze half for busy work nights. Additionally, I found that meat balls/patties/burgers freeze extremely well.
Pies that are not too runny (savoury and sweet) have both survived the freeze. I’m not sure what else.
Having said all that, this lasagna will be my weekend treat :-)
i’ve seen a lot of people over the years comment on various cooking blogs that “so and so doesn’t like this, but screw ’em!” and i have to say, this is the first dish i’ve truly felt that way about. and i know making a WHOLE LASAGNA for just me is DANGER, but i don’t care. i need this.
my only concern will be the sauce – i’ve made a bechamel starting with a roux as you describe for mac & cheese many times, and it is never, ever that thick as it is (should be?) in your photos. but who cares, i’m giving this a go. thanks deb!
We always make lasagna with bechamel – it adds delicious flavour! I like that you opted to go meat-free on this one, adding mushrooms instead. Bet it tastes fantastic. Garlic lovers unite!
My boyfriend just visited me from Italy, and he made the best lasagna in the world!! He made the ragu, I made the pasta. I’ve adopted his technique of layering pasta/filling/pasta…etc. No cheese, except on top, the thinnest pasta you can manage, bechamel folded into the ragu. His was a classic bolognese style, but at the restaurant we’re getting amazing chanterelles, so I’ve taken chard, roasted shallots, thyme & the wild mushrooms, a bit of bechamel folded in, then layered that with a bit of aged pecorino. I always have a few pasta sheets left over, so I’ve taken to layering just bechamel with a few layers for the top. And fresh pasta doesn’t need to be cooked beforehand, so it’s super easy and quick to put together (especially when service is in half an hour and you just finally[!!] finished cleaning the mushrooms, and you still have to saute everything, etc.).
As far as freezing this goes, you already know. But as far as freezing other things goes, Jacopo was kind enough to cook dinner every night while I brought home the bacon, and made quite a few ragus for freezing: tuna with capers & tomato, bolognese….really, any hearty pasta sauce freezes well, and packed into smaller portion sizes in pint containers makes it easy to pull something out of the freezer in the morning so that after I’ve spent 12 hours behind my boss’ stove, I don’t have to stand behind my own, except to boil water or plug in the rice cooker. Thanks to Mr. Italy, my dinners don’t consist of crackers with condiments, at least for a while anyway.
My favorite quote ever from a boyfriend: “Baby, you have to eat!! I don’t want you getting skinny….those girls are so sad!”
this lasagna looks DELICIOUS. i love mushrooms! this is such a nice change from the regular tomato based lasagna. thanks for the recipe!
Your baked chicken meatballs freeze very well! I always have very good luck with soups and soup bases (such as butternut squash soup without any added milk or cream) and pasta sauces (such as marinara).
This looks fantastic and I plan on making it right away! Does anyone know if unsweetened soy milk could be used in place of cow’s milk?
I’m not sure how into Lebanese food you are, but a great freezer recipe that’s just filling and wonderful is kibbee sineyee. It’s a ground meat and bulgar baked dish that it just perfect for freezing and eating in the colder months. I also believe lubee ah laham freezes well (as it’s a tomato, beef, and green bean sort of stew). The lubee is serves with a rice pilaf, but I don’t think it freezes well (as I have tried before). They are both delicious, simple foods that are great during the fall and winter (their primary seasoning is cinnamon).
This mushroom Lasagna looks delicious. This is the perfect dish for my husband. He loves mushrooms. I also like it for parties, because you can prepare it ahead of time and just stick it in the oven to bake before serving. Thanks.
I always have the following in 2 portion size ziplocks in my freezer :
savoury mince / ragu
fried onions – almost everything I cook require onions to be fried first, so I do a huge batch, dirty one pot and save myself a lot of time when I get home from work.
grilled brinjals (aubergines)- If you don’t use them the day you buy them, it tends to go limp. Like with onions, I use it grilled most of the time anyway (f eg. moussaka). Dirty one pan and it is done.
grilled peppers
tomatoes cooked down to use as base in stews, gravy, soup
white sauce – I make this to use up milk before it turns, or sometimes I just make a 2 litre batch, with or without cheese added at the time- one pot, lots of uses, no time or milk wasted.
Handy to jazz up cauliflower etc. or to use in my version of moussaka (yes I know it should be bechamel) with the ready prepared frozen brinjal and savoury mince (ragu).
When I do pot roasts or cook a large chicken, I freeze slices of these leftovers in ziplocks – a couple of steamed veg and a starch and you have a full meal within 30 minutes. The deboned chicken pieces are also easy to convert into (old fashioned chicken a la king, pot pies etc.
I just joined a mushroom CSA, so thanks for the timely recipe! I freeze a lot and I love the Pyrex containers that have a red plastic lid that fit just enough leftovers for one or two. They go right from freezer to microwave without plastic worries and I can be sure I’ll have something good to eat for lunch while the kids are at school. I freeze meatballs in the sauce that I cook them in, also lots of soups, ratatouille, mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, – even plain cooked pasta or rice can be frozen for a quick kid’s meal. If you’re not getting good results with freezing these things, it may be an issue with your freezer.
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I distinctly recall watching Ina Garten make it on tv. I rarely watch cooking shows, but was home sick with a bad cold watching everything and anything and this looked soooo good. I have made the Cook’s Illustrated mushroom lasagna many times, http://www.cmsweb.org/recipes/mushroom_lasagna.htm, and everyone I have served it to loves it. Not exactly a short-cut recipe, but the flavor building really pays off.
As I have a tomato alergy, I am very pleased to see this on here. Thank you!
This looks absolutely divine! I am always keeping an eye out for a truly GOOD lasagna. I think this one is just the ticket. You really can’t go wrong with the Barefoot Contessa!
Fat pants!! :)
It should be good for vegetarian.
wow, I am so excited you posted this because I JUST made it last week, by coincidence, and it was amazing! I messed with the recipe just a little to make a lower-fat version and it came out great too. Used half a stick of butter and lowered the flour in the bechamel to 1/3 c to compensate, also used 1% milk instead of whole and sauteed the mushrooms in 1 Tbl. of olive oil rather than oil and butter. I also broke out my pasta roller and did the noodles from scratch, and the texture was fantastic. I have no doubt the full-fat version is even tastier than what I produced, but my husband loved every bite of the lower-fat version too–which, let’s face it, was also not exactly diet food.
Help! My friend just announced that she’s getting married THIS Monday and celebrating on Saturday. Our rotating supper club is catering the shin dig and I need a cake that fairly average (we can measure and time but probably not make puff pastry from scratch) bakers without stand mixers can pull off. This lasagna looks great and we’ll probably make at least a couple pans of it for the party. Any suggestions on the cake???
I usually eat lasagnas that have tomato-based sauces, but this one looks lovely! I’m not much of a noodle-overlapper – I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist so I’m all about the trimming! :)
Congrats on being in GOOP!
I was planning on making an eggplant lasagna, but I’m throwing that idea out the window. Ina does have fab recipes. I’ll let you know how this goes.
I was just looking at this recipe the other day. I am so glad it is here so I can see your results. Looks great!
Fab recipe and so nice to see that you and your fabulous blog have been mentioned on todays Goop (Gwyneth Paltrow’s site)… Yay you : )
This looks delicious! What a great recipe… thanks for sharing!
Gywneth Paltrow just mentioned your blog in her GOOP newsletter!
For four years, Deb Perelman has been blogging her cooking pursuits from her tiny New York City kitchen as a newlywed and then as a new mother. This is the result of hours spent perfecting her own recipes and interpreting those of the best food publications out there. Some of the recipes featured can be complicated, but you have Deb’s warm chatter, funny anecdotes, encyclopedic knowledge of food and cookbooks, cooking, and gorgeous photography getting you through it. She’s a farmers market shopper and hence her blog is completely seasonal, and archived that way as well. You’ll see her tackle the impossible – a wedding cake – and the very simple, “How to turn a Bucket of Cheap Tomatoes into a Perfect Pot of Sauce.” Do we really have to wait until 2012 for the Smitten Kitchen cookbook?
Congrats! :)
This is pretty much my dream meal come true. My boyfriend hates mushrooms but I’m making this one anyway. Thanks!
You’ve done it again! Simple ingredients turned into a perfect, lovely little dish!
Cathy B.@ brightbakes
Red beans, gumbo, and etouffe freeze very well (without the rice). A freezer-safe plastic container works fine.
Deb! You’re one of Gwyneth Paltrow’s favorite food blogs on GOOP! And you’re the first one!! I wasn’t surprised to see you there at all – you are amazing and do incredible work. I’m making the Chicken Pot Pie for dinner tonight!
This looks delicious, pretty, and simple…I must try it! Question… for years I’ve been looking for spinach lasagne noodles. I ‘ve never found them. I really didn’t want to have to make my own…any suggestions?
Love any recipe from Ina Garten! And, I was so excited to get an email from Gwyneth Paltrow’s GOOP saying you were one of her favorite food blogs! You were first on the list!
I freeze your whole wheat apple muffins. While they don’t look fantastic when they come out of the freezer, they still taste very yummy. I ate these for breakfast when i was first home with our baby last winter. I defrosted in the microwave and either ate them cold, or toasted the cut side down in a skillet.
For this recipe, (and many pasta and casseroles) try putting it together and then freezing it unbaked. Put it in the oven straight from the freezer, and bake about 25%-50% longer than the unfrozen version. You’ll likely have to cover the top with foil to prevent burning, but only baking once helps you avoid that reheated, freezery cheese texture.
I made this last night and it was AMAZING and what I had been craving. I absolutely love your blog!
One of the reviewers of this recipe on Foodtv said she used the no-cook lasagne and it worked just fine. I would be all in favor of one less pot to clean! Maybe just add more sauce??
Deb – I hope you saw Gwenyth Palthrow’s endorsement of this site on her GOOP newsletter – she listed you first in her list of favorite food blogs.
just looked at all the comments here – looks like you’ve been well-informed :)
AH, lasagna! Such a hearty and comforting dish. I’ve tried freezing it before and it does do well. So do tamales!
I quit using dried noodles two years ago and I’ll never go back! I use the sheets of fresh pasta (Olivieri) and don’t bother to overlap too much, but you can cut them if you want them to look fancier and more home-made. You just toss them in raw(No POT!!) and the whole thing comes out divine. Thanks for yet another great dinner idea!
Deb, your italian recipes are PERFECT as usual! I do exactly the same over here, except that I use egg pasta that does not need to be pre-cooked. Of course, the béchamel has to be a little more runny, but truly it works perfectly. (Do you have the brand Giovanni Rana over there?).
I don’t know if you welcome suggestions, but my favourite version of vegetable lasagna is with courgettes, bechamel + parmesan, and… a little pesto sauce. It’s incredibly tasty and super, super light.
Ciao!!
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/spinach-pie
one of my all time favorite freezer meals. it makes two pies at once. I swap two of the boxes of spinach for two 8 oz. containers of mushrooms and sautee them with the onions. delicious.
A friend of mine just made this for a bridal shower and it was so delicious that I had to ask her where it was from! Thanks for posting this, I almost forgot how delicious it is!
perfection!
Top mention on Gwenyth Paltrow’s Goop Blog today!! Congrats! I absolutely love your blog Deb!
Hi Deb – I laughed when I saw GOOP’s shout-out to you this morning. I wonder what Gwyneth thought when she saw your sort of shout-out to her when you covered her gingery salad dressing. I guess it could be classified as more of your warm chatter?
I HAD to make this as soon as you posted – it’s amazing!! I added shallots to the mushrooms, sauteing them first. I also used the full amount of nutmeg, and thought it was great (but mine is old, not sure I’d do the full amount of freshly grated stuff).
I didn’t bother heating the milk (so I only needed 2 pots!), I just added it slowly to the roux and cooked it longer, stirring often, to get it to thicken (also a bit of time saver, I chopped the mushrooms while it cooked)
Someone told me once that she was told a “caterer’s trick” for lasagna noodles – she just puts regular dry noodles in the sink, dumps a whole bunch of boiling/hot water over them, and just lets them sit for about half an hour. I didn’t try it for this recipe, but it’s worked for me with tomatwo-based lasagnas.
That looks yummy. And did you see that you’re first on the list of Gwyneth’s favorite food blogs? Check out goop.com
I made your tangy brisket more than a month ago and we just finished the leftovers last week. Love this tomato sauce-free lasagna, definitely a keeper.
You sure that’s Ina’s? Where’s the butter and cream?
Hi Deb, Awesome looking lasagne. Aren’t mushrooms just fabulous fungi :) On the weekend I made your Beef Chilli with Sour Cream and Cheddar Biscuits. The chilli freezes well and as you suggest, the uncooked biscuits do as well.
Deb,
Congratulations on your GOOP mention! I feel so much cooler for reading your blog now.
This looks so good! I completely agree about Ina’s recipes. They are almost fool proof! As for freezer friendly meals I made your Alex’s Moms Stuffed Cabages a few weeks ago and they were awesome. They would freeze well with plenty of sauce around them. Keep the great recipes coming!
Would anything about this recipe change if I were to use fresh sheets of lasagna noodles instead of the dry? Is the baking time the same? I’m weird about pasta and I am just not a fan of the dried noodles because they are usually so thick!
It’s funny how you should post this recipe! I made this lasagna for a dinner party a month ago! This very recipe from Ina Garten! This was my first lasagna ever. I mean I don’t think I had ever tried lasagna before. Anyways, I thought it was all right. Or, may be my expectations were too high??? I made a classic lasagna last weekend and that one I really liked. I usually love Ina’s recipes but I guess this one didn’t quite work for me… (sigh…)
I haven’t ever posted before but have been looking (and using) your website for a couple of years. I had to chime in about the freezer friendly recipes as I made a ton of stuff for the freezer when my little one was due last February. Off the top of my head I can remember making your red bean chili. It was delicious the night I made it and it was delicious the night I reheated it from the freezer about a month later.
I have Ina’s book with this recipe in it, but haven’t gotten around to trying it. Your efforts now compel me to give it a go! TY!!
Am not a mushroom fan, alas, but would encourage you all to check out another Food Network persona, Giada’s recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna (whoops, I see this has already been mentioned). Well, echo echo. Made for a large Christmas party last year. Raves. Used no boil noodles as specified – not dry at all. You can cheat a bit using frozen pureed squash – feel good about yourself and get organic! Additional note: I make traditional lasagna swapping cottage cheese for ricotta and never preboil the noodles. Use regular dried and have for years. It always works.
This looks amazing and delicious! Ina is always right on que with good recipes. I always find that when I freeze lasagna (The meat and cheese kind) it is always watery. Thanks again for inspiration for the weekend.
One thing that would be good to cover in freezer posts would be how to best reheat food that’s frozen. For example, there was a woman that posted here about stuffed shells and how easy they are to freeze. I love this idea but I’m not sure what I’d do with them when I pulled them out of the freezer. Let them thaw in the fridge first then bake, or chuck them right in the oven? Is she freezing already cooked shells and if so would you microwave them? Just food for thought if you’re going to cover this topic
Mmm, I love Ina! And adore lasagne. I use no-boil noodles, and I admit one of my reasons is because using the regular lasagne pasta always results in having a few pieces of pasta left over, which makes me nuts. The no-boil comes in a smaller package (more expensive per piece, grr) and there’s no waste. Haven’t made a bechemal lasagne, though, so I don’t know how or if they would work with this. Detour over now.
And great tip from a previous poster about making lasagne in loaf pans, eating one, and freezing the extra!
Just noted Mom’s Apple Cake from 2 years ago and wanted to say that is the first recipe I think of when the first hints of fall come. Only took one taste to become my primary apple cake and if anyone hasn’t tried it yet, they should. The schroom lasagne is tickling my taste buds and I do have schrooms I bought yesterday. Dinner is determined.
Could this be made with 2% milk instead of whole?
Lowfat milk — Lowfat milks generally make perfectly fine white sauces. They’re just not as rich.i
Lentil — 12 tablespoons of butter, in fact.
YUM. I wish my husband was not allergic to mushrooms! My mother will love this one, though, and I’ll highly recommend we make it the next time I come over without my spouse ;-)
I have a delightful recipe somewhat similar to this that uses chicken and broccoli instead of mushrooms, and the nutmeg in the sauce really makes it special; and I agree, a full teaspoon sounds like a lot. It’s also surprisingly light and perfect with salad.
Wow, this looks great. I sampled my first mushroom lasagna in Venice Italy several years ago and have been on the look out for a good recipe to measure up to. I’ll have to try this. Thanks!
It looks scrumptious! I love any recipe from Ina- they are always amazing! :-)
I can’t believe baby Jacob is a one year old already! Soon I’m going to have to stop thinking of him as “baby” Jacob (although you always will)! ;-)
This could not have come at a better time I was just planning for my husbands birthday dinner and making 2 pans of Ina’s turkey sausage lasagna. Well, now it will be 1 pan turkey sausage lasagna and 1 pan mushroom lasagna. YUMMMMM!! If you haven’t tried Ina’s turkey sausage lasagna you must!! It will make you a convert – the secret is the goat cheese!! And for the record I agree with you on the ‘no boil’ lasagna noodles – just don’t like them. I use Ina’s suggestion of just putting regular noodles in a bowl and pouring hot tap water and letting them sit for 20 minutes. Works perfect every time!
Mushroom tarts freeze very well, as does chili and chicken pot pies.
Deb you’re famous now. Gwenyth Paltrow knows who you are! Now everybody else will be on to my secret cooking weapon.
Mmmm! Looks delicious! :D
I have been making this exact recipe (minus the garlic) for a couple of years now, and it is a favorite of all my friends and family. In fact, my friend just had a baby and called me on her way to have the C-section and asked me if I would make her a tray of it. Of course, I did and made myself one too.
I have on occasion roasted a turkey breast or turkey legs and layered it in with the mushrooms (for the men who require meat in everything) and it is delicious that way too.
To Gretchen (197) who wrote about her friend’s wedding, if you’re looking for a really simple and not at all fancy cake, try a Texas sheet cake. Pretty much mixes in one pan, is tasty and feeds a bunch of people. You can get a recipe on line. Caveat — the frosting (which is poured over the hot cake) is sweet, but the toasted pecans on top are really tasty.
congrats on being featured on Goop. This is an excellent alternative to traditional lasagna. As a vegetarian who loves mushrooms, I need to try it. If it takes 4 pots that will pretty much clean me out for that night! :D
no boil noodles are great but only if you pre soak in hot water i use them for canaloni all the time and they don’t absorb that much if soaked til pliable
Deb – love your recipes! All I have tried have been delicious! Would this be horrific with soy or almond milk? I think I could handle the lactose in parm. cheese, but 4 cups of whole milk would definitely be pushing my luck. Would it be terrible? Tempted to try!
I have made this (from Ina’s recipe on foodnetwork.com) and it is DELICIOUS! So rich and filling!
This looks superb! My husband would balk if I tried to give him a meal with no meat so I think a nice sliced up gormet sausage would fit in nicely here!! I can’t wait to try this!
I don’t know if anyone else already suggested this, but a way to cut out one more dish to wash is to saute your mushrooms and garlic clove and when everything is nice and soft, add the butter and flour to make the bechemel sauce in the same pan. i do it this way when i make my “healthy” mac and cheese and it always turns out great. (i also trade milk for Trader Joes Butternut Squash Soup to make it less heavy and add another veggetable to the dish.)
I went ahead and made this last night, it looked so good. And, yes! It was delicious. The bechamel sauce was perfect (I added an extra garlic clove), and came together wonderfully with the mushrooms. We are definitely NOT freezing it because, well, it’s too good. We have polished it off in no time!
MaryAnn – I like the Butternut Squash Soup suggestion! Perfect solution for lactose solution! Thanks!!! Love this site!
Keep them coming…. I too am looking for freezer friendly foods as I will have smaller things to worry about. Chicken etouffee freezes surprisingly well for something non-tomato based. I haven’t seen you make this on your sight but you could google it actually I use Emerils recipe it’s very very good, or I’ll be positing it next week, but you don’t want to go there…. as I am guilty of recipe poaching and rave about your wonderful selections. Also Spanokopita, and finally from your site… and I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but I found that your raspberry bars froze well. Of course that’s not really dinner… well it could be when you’re two days home from the hospital and you don’t care as long as it’s edible, but new parents need breakfast and snacks too right?
“It’s in the ‘freezes beautifully’ section of my cookbook. I want to take her something that freezes beautifully.”
The endlessly quotable Steel Magnolias.
But anyway, this looks like heaven in a casserole dish. Maybe it would make a great, non-traditional, Thanksgiving side?
Oh, I wish I could make this. I love mushrooms so much, but my significant other is deathly allergic to them, so much so that it’s best not to keep them in the house. Want. So. Badly.
This looks amazing but holy butter, Batman!
This is one of my favorite go-to “dinner party” recipes. (“Dinner party” these days means 10 kids under the age of 6 running around wreaking havoc while their parents blatantly ignore them…) Great for vegetarians, and the meat eaters feel totally satisfied, too! I like to serve it with the roasted carrot and avocado salad you posted ages ago. But then again, I like to serve EVERYTHING with the roasted carrot and avocado salad! Oh – and I love your adaptions – will definitely incorporate your changes.
This is fantastic! I am allergic to tomatoes, and I have so missed lasagna. Can’t wait to make it.
Cannot beat a good lasagna & this one looks wonderful, its still an all time fave with our family. Thanks Deb.
Interesting about the no-boil noodles…I just recently made Ina’s Turkey Sausage Lasagne, and she has you do sort of a hybrid thing with the noodles…you soak them in hot tap water in a big bowl, so they are sort of par-cooked. Of course, I used same bowl to mix up the ricotta-goat cheese-egg mixture, b/c like you, I’m always trying to cut down on the clean up. Anyway, the Turkey Sausage Lasagne was good, and I love Ina, but I would definitely leave the salt out next time…I think the sausage is probably salty enough.
Love your work, btw.
I’m going to throw in another vote for freezing braised/pulled meats. I have had great success freezing braised shredded pot roast, the pulled brisket you have published here, and braised and pulled pork shoulder. I’m on Weight Watchers and can only eat such things relatively infrequently and in small portions (but I still eat them — take that, rubber chicken breast!), so when we make them, we always throw some of it in the freezer for later. The key is to freeze it in the braising liquid, which makes reheating easier (I also defrost in the fridge and reheat in a pot on the stove, in the liquid — I don’t trust a microwave with this stuff). We portion it out into quart freezer bags, squeeze out as much air as possible, freeze them flat so they are stackable, et voila — you have pre-cooked pulled meat for sandwiches, tacos, to eat over polenta…now I’m hungry. And I swear to you it tastes exactly the same as the day you made it…even after several months.
@ #253 Jen – If your local stores stock Soy and Almond milks, they *HAVE* to stock a lactose free milk. Heck…if my grocery stores here in BFE Indiana stock it, you’re bound to have it too. My local brand is “Dairy Ease”. Look for it next to the regular milk. It makes life as a lactose-intolerant person SO much easier.
Sorry for the hijack Deb. This lasagna looks killer. I think I’ll try a little sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves along with those mushrooms. Mushrooms lurve thyme. :)
This looks and sounds delicious. I think I might like a little gruyere in there, but that’s just me. When I make lasagna, I put one layer of noodles lengthwise, and the next layer crosswise, repeating for all the layers. Just seems to make it hold together a little better when served. I can’t wait to try this, and my hubby will love it too.
This looks soooo good! And a great vegetarian version. I love it!
You should most definitely include your empanadas in the “freezes well” section, I make ’em and freeze ’em all the time and they are sheer perfection!
it is in the oven…dishes everywhere…looks and smells amazing! thanks for another great dinner!
Thanks for the culinary inspiration! Husband, whose criticism of everything is:” after awhile, it gets boring,” said, “VERY ELEGANT!” I did saute 3 chopped leeks with both cremini and shiitake mushrooms, plus I added a glug of marsala to the white sauce. Next time I might make the white sauce with chicken broth and marsala, which I believe there is a fancy french name for in the Joy of Cooking and which I have used in making chicken pot pie. Anyway it was hailed in story and song and I salute you for your prudent planning of pot cleanup. The only thing that is worse is making mac and cheese, which, if you use a food processor to grate the mountain of cheese, means 3 pots (white sauce+large pot for macaroni + pot to warm milk) plus processor parts to clean up after. Comfort food to only those who did not do the cooking and cleaning!
There is a website – helpwithcooking.com that includes a section ” Freezing food guide – foods that freeze well and foods that do not freeze well”. This might be a starting place in your quest for freezer-friendly foods. I cannot attest to the accuarcy of this information since I needed to research this infomation in the first place.
I love to cook/eat, I love fall/winter foods; soups, stews, pot roast, etc. and I find it difficult to cook for one so leftovers are an issue and I do need to freeze. I like to make meatloaf, crustless quiche, mac & cheese, etc. in jumbo sized square silicone muffin pans and freeze the leftovers.
The lasanga looks wonderful I think I will use loaf pans as it will be easier to manage single size portions for freezing.
Heh, I think I’m the first person who has made this dish after 276 posts! It was delicious. I substituted 1% milk for the whole milk and had no problems, though my bechamel looks less thick than the pictures here. Also, I only sauted the mushrooms in olive oil. Mine baked for about 30 minutes on a 375 convection setting, for all those who use convection and not bake. Rather time consuming but well worth the effort.
I make a lasagna similar to this one. Only mine requires no noodle boiling, AND it freezes beautifully. Instead of mushrooms use pureed butternut squash. I’m sure you could use frozen, but I use fresh. The extra moisture from the squash helps cook the noodles in the oven. I use both parmesan and mozzarella. I add fresh chopped basil into the beschamel. It’s soooooo good and not heavy. I usually serve it with a grated zucchini/pine nut salad. I have to trick my husband into eating vegetables, so I’m always hiding them in between layers of yumminess. He’ll tell you he hates butternut squash, but that’s only because he doesn’t realize that’s what he’s eating when he eats this lasagna. If I told him there was squash in it he wouldn’t eat it. Food psychology, I guess.
I just discovered your blog yesterday and love it. Such depth!!! I spent several hours pouring over recipes and immediately put together a shopping list to make several of the recipes. First up tonight was the mushroom lasagna. My husband was skeptical due to the lack of tomato sauce but he loved it and had two pieces. It was excellent. I followed the recipe exactly as I usually do the first time I make a new recipe. Looking forward to trying some of the other things. I’ll let you know how it goes! P.S. Your photography is stunning. I love the beautiful simplicity of the things you photograph.
Looks Amazing! I will be filing this one away, thanks!
Interesting that you have had so many problems with too dry lasagna. I have much more often encountered the opposite in other people’s lasagna: slippery, gummy noodles, and a slice of lasagna that just falls apart all over the plate. I usually don’t pre-cook my noodles, but then again, I usually use fresh pasta sheets for lasagna.
This looks great. I have used a much more involved mushroom lasagna recipe from gourmet and it was a bear. And I do adore ina. For freezing, I love Rao’s meatball recipe (less 1/2 the water) and their sauce. It is perfect all winter. I also do chile but never freeze the beans. They come out all mealy. I just add fresh ones each time. Love that you’re expanding this section. You could do a cookbook just on that for all us working, harried moms.
This might be a crazy question, but what is bechamel? A type of sauce? This recipe sounds divine! Mushrooms, pasta, cheese, wow….
Mmmm . . . sounds awesome! I check your website half of the time for the recipes, half of the time to see photos of your adorable son!
yum-o! i just made this for dinner and it was a stunner. crunchy enough to be paired with just a green salad. my husband said this was the best lasagna i’ve ever made. thanks sk ;)
My name is Deb, and I do tend to brown the butter. I also layer béchamel with red sauce in a killer lasagne (many, many pans…) — you might like it too, since the béchamel seems somewhat oddly lighter than the usual cheese layers..
This one sounds delicious, and some nice hot oven food will hit the spot as fall rolls in.
I freeze a lot of leftovers –especially soups, which are so forgiving and easy to reheat. Roasted or slow-cooked meats in sauce or gravy, too.
I’ve been reading your blog for some time now, but have never commented before. Every recipe I have tried has been delicious (let me think… a rhubarb cobbler, a granola bar, a clafoutis, several breads, and probably others. Every one a winner!) Thanks for the great recipes and the wonderful pictures.
Thanks, Deb, for another inspiring post. I cannot express how much I look forward to reading your blog. Today’s post reminds me of the “Lasagna al Forno” from the amazing book, “The fine art of Italian Cooking”. Please look it up and make it on a rainy day. It’s absolutely delicious. Thanks again–you’re the best.
Mark Bittman had a great piece on using the freezer last year:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/dining/06mini.html
For me, the discovery that you could cook a big batch of brown rice and freeze it, and then just knock off the amount that you need when you need it was a HUGE, huge deal. Tonight’s dinner? Defrosted brown rice, defrosted black beans, salsa, cheese, avocado, and a poached egg. Five minutes. It’s amazing what a well-stocked freezer can do.
Man, have you so got my number.
I’ve always wanted to try to make a bechamel lasagna, but have always had trouble finding a good recipe for it—I’ll have to try this one!
Mole sauce freezes really well—and because its so much work, it really begs to be doubled and frozen anyway.
OMG, mushrooms, pasta, and cheese….I don’t think this would make it to the freezer in my possession, either.
Your chicken pot pie recipe freezes beautifully unbaked (I have about 20 of them in my freezer right now). I’ve also frozen big batches of your chicken chorizo empanadas, also unbaked, and they were terrific. Both can be put directly from the freezer into the oven, I don’t even need to adjust baking time.
Oh, and I second the comments above about who freezing your granola bars. I keep them stocked and eat them straight from the freezer. I have a couple of books on freezing foods, and to avoid foods getting “freezery,” they suggest wrapping well in plastic wrap, then wrapping again in aluminum foil. I don’t bother with things like soups and stews, but for casseroles, lasagnas, pot pies, that sort of thing, it’s worked well for me.
Oh my goodnessssss! Mushroom is one of my favourite food and i love lasagna too!!! Thank you so much for this inspiring recipe :)
Any tips for freezing pizza dough? When I thaw mine they’re too wet and sticky.
I froze your raspberry bars and peanut butter crispies before taking them on a backpacking trip. Both held up wonderfully and were very popular with the guys.
I just got my Goop (Gwyneth Paltrow’s newsletter) in my inbox and who’s name was the first I saw…Deb’s name. She totally named dropped Smitten Kitchen as one of her favorite food blogs and I have to agree with her!
Food in my freezer also gets that “feezery” smell after couple of weeks,that is why I prefer a fresh food most of the time.
White sauce lasagna (any kind) is my favourite!,but always the best on the same day.
People are totally going to roll their eyes… but what’s a good substitute for the mushrooms? :) I love the idea of the bechamel and want to try out a lasagna like this but I’ve never been fond of mushrooms!
Amanda — I imagine any sauteed vegetable could be used in place of mushrooms.
On the mushrooms — I suppose this goes without saying, but if you’ve got access to wild mushrooms, I’m sure they’d be wonderful in here. But mostly, I love the you can get tremendous flavor from regular old inexpensive brown mushrooms.
Delicious sounding lasagna recipe! Although I also love the traditional lasagna (although it’s quite difficult to get a good one in case you don’t make it yourself) I like the idea of just bechamél and mushrooms. Bookmarked!
I too am quite bad at freezing food. The only thing I regularly freeze is bread. That way I can always have a freshly baked loaf of bread :)
Just want to echo all the “congrats” for being deemed worth of GOOP. gp sort of bugs (her guilty pleasure is wine and surfing on her laptop? what a novel idea!) but I still read Goop every week and was thrilled to see you topping her list of great food blogs.
Thank you for this category! With winter coming, I love to have a few tasty entrees stashed in my big freezer (perfectly complementing our stash of summer berries). Something about the deferred gratification of ‘investment cooking’ which leads to a night of no cooking and fewer dishes is so suitable to cold winter nights. I’ll certainly be returning to these pages in the coming months.
I love reading that I’m not the only one who pulls your granola bars to eat straight out of the freezer on a regular basis. For me, regular means every morning. It probably goes without saying, but every sauce or pesto that you make for your many pastas can be frozen for very easy future meals. Whenever I make marinara I make a huge batch and freeze extra in multiple old jam jars for future use. For pesto, it works well to freeze it in an ice cube tray, pop it out and save those cubes in a freezer bag.
Can’t wait to try this.. would it ‘hold’ in the fridge a few hours or overnight before baking? I know Ina is a fan of doing things the day before or the morning of..would this work?
Like Bridget (comment 98) and Claudia (Comment 191), I would recommend the Cooks Illustrated mushroom lasagna to anyone. It a bit of work because it uses a bechamel sauce with two kinds of mushrooms. I’ve made it several times and everyone loves it. It freezes like a dream and hearty enough for your biggest carnivore. I believe Claudia posted a link to the recipe. Enjoy!
for Amanda 297 – yes, probably most of the vegatables would work fine. My suggestions are:
1. finely sliced artichokes sauteed with EVOO, little garlic, little white wine and salt.
2. spinach (briefly seared in salted boiling water) and ham
3. in Genoa we prepare them with pesto and grated parmigiano reggiano instead of vegetales….my favourite!
i am also not a huge fan of traditional lasagna. i made a white lasagna like this recently. i made my own noodles. revolutionary, i tell you. so delicate and like you said, somehow “light and refreshing”.
Hi Deb
As i said i would, I made this lasagna for dinner tonight. actually i made the lasagna sheets at home from another website (i wanted to learn everything from scratch) and your sauce and filling and instructions. it came just so sumptuous!! Hubby couldnt believe it was my first attempt at lasagna, all thanks to you. and guess what, 19th is my birthday, and my eyes are already roving at your celebration cakes section. cant wait to bake!
Love
Pooja
Oh, yes! I think this is just what I need.
I haven’t made lasagna since my personal cheffing days. That makes it… hmmm, 4 years or so.
Never been a fan of meat lasagna but mushrooms… Yup.
Yum, I can’t wait to make this and I just love that you can freeze it.
If you’re looking to cut down on the pots and time spent on the recipe, use the no-boil lasagna noodles. They are great! My family are hard core guineas and we all switched years ago and no one ever complained….
Love your blog! Thanks for always posting…
I would definitely say chicken pot pie is 100% freezable. Ironically, I made one a la Thomas Keller, and doubled it to give to a friend who’s popping out a little one any minute. lasagna was my second choice for freezable – and i love the mushroom lasagna (made a similar recipe once for a vegetarian party!).
Mmm, what a great twist on the traditional lasagna :) Sounds so good :)
Hey Deb,
I’m sure this would work with many of your cookie recipes:
I like to scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet as usual, then pop the whole sheet in the freezer overnight. The next day, you put the frozen cookie dough balls in a plastic bag, and anytime you like, you can take out a few and bake them from frozen (might have to experiment a bit with the bake time.) I usually write the baking instructions on the bag and stick them in my boyfriend’s freezer so he can have fresh baked cookies even when I’m away. Little comforts like that go a long way, I think :-)
Enchiladas freeze wonderfully. I’ve frozen pans of them and they warm up really well. I use whatever veggies I have from my CSA that I need to use up: in summer, zucchini, corn, black beans, and onion or in winter, winter squash, corn, black beans, and onion, both with a basic red enchilada sauce. Great for a busy day with a green salad on the side.
I’m going to use this lasagna idea but swap the mushrooms for the 3 bags of assorted greens I have in my fridge from the CSA (b. rabe, escarole, and some unidentified green). I think sauteed garlic-y greens with the b. sauce and parm will be great.
wow, this looks GREAT! i like baked pastas from the freezer, soups, pasta sauce/meatballs, etc. also meatloaf is good- you don’t even have to cook it first.
this looks so yummy! i’m a big fan of mushrooms…excited to try this out!:)
I have made this lasagna numerous times to rave reviews. I now add some shrimp, cut lengthwise to the lasagna YUM YUM
I’ve never ate or cooked lasagna before. I find it intimidating. But yours is droolicious :D
Absolutely a great idea. Mushroom lasagna sounds delicious!!
Ohmigosh! I made this last night and it was absolutely sublime. I was a bit skeptical only because although I like mushrooms, I’ve never focused a dish around them. Well, now I will never make lasagna any other way! Thanks for another winner.
LOVE THIS! I go through phases where I love mushrooms, eat a ton of mushroom dishes then am umami’d out. So I have been off of mushrooms for awhile but is one of the few items that I can get fresh year round here in Chi-town. So this is going on my “cook now” list.
oh wow I’ve never tried mushroom lasagna. I bet is so good and I will trying to recipe as soon as I get a chance. thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I stopped eating meat this past summer and with the fall coming have been looking for warm, comforting dishes that are vegetarian friendly. I love lasagna and was not looking forward to the veggie versions I have come across. I gave this one a try last night and it was delicious! I had to put the leftovers in the freezer right away; because it was sooo good I couldn’t stop myself from cutting little slivers of it off to munch on.
I made this last night, and it was awesome! Thanks for another great, filling, meatless recipe! I’m not a vegetarian, but it’s nice to have this kind of option.
I made it last night and it’s THE best veggie lasagna I’ve made. Even my 3 year old had seconds. I wanted to freeze the leftovers but there are non today. I will be making this again for sure! Thanks!
Made it last night and it turned out fabulous! Perfect fall dinner. Even the kids loved it.
Deb – dry lasagna is the Sin of Sins in my mother’s Italian, Staten Island family. I feel your pain, but don’t write off the “traditional American” lasagna because of it. The trick is to add some egg to the ricotta and use lots of tomato sauce, especially a thinner (i.e. less chunky) sauce, like one made from tomato puree. Such is the horror of dry lasagna that I’ve gone too far in the opposite direction, and ended up with something that is more like lasagna goop than actual layers of pasta, cheese, and sauce (though it still tasted fantastic).
I really loved your photo–and although I don’t like tomato-sauce lasagnes (and therefore, I thought, lasagnes in general), I decided to try this. It went over great with the whole family and I thought it was delicious. I have to admit that I don’t like counting the layers when I’m making something….
Deb…Even Alton Brown freezes food. Your current disdain for freezing foods and past “snobbery” regarding crockpots make me smile. I also love to cook and am VERY fussy about the quality of our meals. Little monkeys grow into football players and cheerleaders that need to be driven to practice and games, always around dinnertime. Save yourself. Get crackalackin! Build up your collection of time saver recipes now. You and your loyal followers will be glad you did. The freezer is your friend, Deb.
cant wait to try this! my family has one they love that i cook that they call the “white lasagna” which is chicken/spinach/feta cheese mostly and delish. this is a nice change. :)
When I was stocking my freezer for the impending birth of my son, burritos were the way to go! You can put anything in them, I hid a whole lot of veggies amid the black beans, spicy chicken and cheese. Wrap individually and freeze. Warm up in the microwave or oven. Also, meatballs were a winner. If you freeze them individually and stick them in a freezer bag, it is sooooo easy to pop them into a bubbling sauce and serve on a hoagie or over pasta. Another idea is to freeze chicken breasts or pork chops individually in bags of marinade. They thaw really quickly and are packed with flavor, ready to cook. Love your blog, and especially the Jacob pictures, thanks so much!
well i made this with the no bake lasagne pasta and yes i agree i don’t enjoy those very much, but alas, after an extensive search, i couldn’t find any normal pasta, only the no bake ones that i have admittedly had for a very long time now. The stars must have aligned for me though since the bechamel i made was not very thick (some of the butter/flour was stuck in the edges of my sauce pot) and it ended up coming out great. My husband is from Italy (near udine -moved here when he was 30 and his whole family still lives there from italy) and he really enjoyed this dish. He will not eat american lasagne and he doesn’t understand how ricotta cheese got into that recipe. So thanks
I have to say – I don’t want to burst your bubble of freezer-friendly foods, but I personally find that cooked mushrooms don’t freeze well for long periods of time. I’ve frozen things like mushroom and barley soup, only to find that the mushrooms get a strange rubbery texture afterwards.
Don’t hate me!
I made this last night for a dinner party. I used hen-of-the-woods mushrooms that I found on a walk. I made it in 2 8×8 pans, and it was perfect! I also added a few extra cloves of garlic. This was absolutely delicious, and it was a huge hit with everyone else at the party as well. I’ll definitely be making a couple to freeze. Thank you, thank you!
I used the no boil lasagne noodles since it was all we had. I added ~1/4 c water to the lasagne before putting in the oven and sealed the pan tightly with foil. Came out lovely, and plenty moist.
I freeze a lot, heartier food seems to freeze better, aside from regular lasagna and eggplant parm, gratins and stuffed vegetables also freeze well, as do tagines and really, any sort of stew/soup. Indian food freezes amazingly well, channa masala and baigan bharta are great, as are Indian kofta in sauce. And these you can reheat in the microwave…or on the stovetop, and it literally takes 2 minutes from freezer to bowl. If you want to extend the life of your lasagna, you can assemble all the ingredients in foil tins (or heck, in normal tins, though I’d make sure they can withstand being frozen and then baked) and freeze unbaked, then toss in the oven whenever.
i like so much lasagna ! thanks for this recipe
So simple yet looks so delicious ;)
Browning the butter in the white sauce…why have I never done this before?!
When I made this I was a little worried about how un-white my white-sauce looked, but it was SO SO flavoursome. I added a light passata with zucchini in it, which made the lasagne very slidey after it was cut, but after a night in the fridge all the excess water soaked up and it now slices beautifully.
I ended up using brown rice pasta by accident (I saw the curly edges, and thought ‘must. buy. now!’) but it was delish anyway, and I couldn’t notice the difference under all of the other flavours.
Thanks for another great recipe deb!
I made this last night, and it was wonderful. Thank you for your terrific blog.
Made this last night with the addition of a box of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and VERY well squeezed out) in the sauce. And I used a 7 x 11 dish which made it thicker. It was fantastic! I will freeze about half of it. It was so rich the two of us couldn’t possibly eat it all. Thanks Deb.
Hi Deb. Love this and will definitely try it!
For freezing, how about your AMAZING chicken meatballs. I bet they would freeze great, although I wouldn’t know because the two times I’ve made them, they are gone in a flash! I just made them yesterday for a baby shower, and they were the hit of the party. Along with an apple cake that fell apart so I turned it into a trifle, layered with creme fraiche, and everyone thought it was supposed to be that way. I love when that happens.
Anyway, love your site; I get such great ideas from it! Thanks!
Deb – Thank you for the best lasagna I’ve ever eaten. Made this last night – added a bit of crumbled breakfast sausage. Just amazing… thank you!
I made this last night – it turned out really well even though I didn’t get quite enough mushrooms (why don’t they have scales at whole foods???) and my bechamel was a bit thin. I used fresh pasta, which did not have to be pre-boiled and it worked really well. not dry at all.
I’m amongst those who tried your lasagna, too. Actually I made a point of cooking a “smitten kitchen recipes weekend”, having the over-the-top delicious chili con carne with the heavenly cheddar’n’sour cream biscuits and your mom’s apple cake on Saturday and the mushroom lasagna for Sunday dinner – which was every bite as delicious as it looked, and, what’s more, the leftovers I had today for lunch had been even better, the mushroom aromas having well soaked into the bechamel sauce and the pasta. Great one – husband and I loved it! Thank you so much for all the great dishes, great pics and the so fun to read descriptions!
OMG this is the most delicious lasagna I have ever made or eaten! It was a hit last night at a dinner party, and tasted even better as left overs for breakfast =)
I’ve seen this recipe of hers, and have been dying to try it. However, my kitchen is rather small, being in an apartment. Multiple pots does not sound appealing. Have you tried a mushroom ravioli as freeze worthy?
nicole — I have a tiny kitchen as well, but I’m insane and make things like this anyway. Nevertheless, I honestly don’t see why you couldn’t use 3/4 pound of, say, ziti and bake all of this together in one dish. Which I’m realizing as I type this will not save on pots and pans, but it will save on time! That helps, right?
Yvonne — Totally didn’t mean it to sound like snobbery. I freeze a lot of things (unbaked biscuits, purees from when the baby was eating them) but small things. If they become freezer burned, I chuck them. Knowing that my freezer “stinks” food pretty quickly, I’d be afraid to store a lasagna I’d spent hours assembling in there. I’m sure one day we’ll have a better (and bigger, I hope; this one is the top third of tiny fridge), I’ll be happy to start freezing meals in advance.
I have never tried this before. It sounds wonderful. I will surprise my husband with it tonight because he loves mushrooms. I will serve it with a nice salad. I can’t wait.
This is absolutely wonderful! I tried it tonight with the lasagna sheets I had on hand— spinach noodles. Gave it a slight “vegetable” flavor and added some green to the otherwise white meal. Lovely!
This looks really good. I store my meatballs in the freezer. Also, store baked pasta before it’s been baked.
I made this yesterday and my husband commented after cleaning his plate and eyeing the stove for more, “So basically it’s REALLY BIG fettuccine Alfredo with mushrooms.”
This recipe was fantastic. Thank you!
So amazing – I made this for supper last night, adding leeks and shredded chicken thigh meat (because my husband won’t eat it if it has no meat :….) and it was a HUGE hit. Wow, is it ever rich…I going to freeze half of it. :) Thanks, Deb.
OMG this is incredible!! Best lasagna I’ve ever had! I’m in love at every bite! I added all the nutmeg it called for and loved it and I’m not a big fan of nutmeg. For some reason the bechamel took forever to thicken, definitely not 3-5 minutes. But totally worth it!!
I made this with skim milk, extra garlic, and no boil noodles! It tasted heavenly! Definitely a family favorite and a keeper recipe!
Missing NYC and not being able to get great delivery, I am really looking forward to this new section.
I wanted to say that I made these biscuits: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/blue-cheese-scallion-drop-biscuits/
And froze them before baking, but post dropping. When I was ready, I just threw them in the oven and added a couple of extra minutes. The froze really, really well!
Also, any kind of drop cookie/sliceable cookie tend to freeze well as do pound cakes. Pesto and tomato sauces hold up to freezing in my experience, as well.
I just made this into two smaller pans (8×8) – one for tonight and one to freeze – I’m sure it will freeze beautifully, as lasagna almost always does. I didn’t quite have enough mushrooms and had a bag of spinach lingering in my freezer, so turned the middle layer into a spinach layer – will let you know how it worked out. I also used no-bake noodles that I soaked in a pan of boiling water for a few minutes before layering. It usually works well as long as you jiggle them enough so that they don’t end up all sticking together.
One question I had was about my bechamel – the sauce ended up really, REALLY thick. I am wondering if you have any ideas what I did wrong. I’ve made bechamels plenty of times before, but usually with less butter/flour.
I’m pretty excited to try this dish using the chanterelle mushrooms from my own backyard…. yum!!!
We discovered this recipe almost a year ago – my husband and I both love it, actually the 3 year old loves it as well! I tend to use a variety of mushrooms. I’ll buy some of the buttom and crimini and then add a package of wild mushrooms to the mix as well! I know what I’m planning for supper this weekend!!
I plan on making this for dinner tonight. I am going to add some black olives to the recipe and some garlic toast. I can not wait to try your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This is an awesome idea for a section – I am always trying to make things that will freeze easily, but have a hard time figuring out what would work, on my own. The lasagna looks fantastic!
My mother may be the only Italian grandmother in the world that can’t cook. But I love her for her love of reading and her fierce love of her family. Luckily for me, I inherited my grandmother’s great culinary skills. Having said that, I often make dinners and freeze them for her and her husband (ages 80 and 85). This will certainly be on this week’s menu. Please send more our way.l
Made this tonight and it was so very, very good. I used portobellas and it smelled lovely and was delicious. Great recipe, even with all the pots and pans involved. Thank you for sharing this. Love that it’s vegetarian as well.
I made this recipe and I used fresh / no bake lasagna sheets and the noodles got really soggy–even though I drained all the water from the mushrooms after cooking them. I was guessing the sogginess came from the mushrooms. Any tips? Novice cooker.
I made this tonight for my girlfriend (okay, a slightly augmented vegan version) and she liked it! thanks, Deb!
That sounds yummy.. hmmmm.
Have MERCY!! Deb, you are a freakin genius. This looks superb and a great change of pace from the “traditional” tomato sauce lasagna. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
I know you’ve already got 350+ comments with people’s opinions… but I have to say I made this recipe last night and it was amazing. I added a drizzle of white truffle oil to the cooked mushrooms before adding them to the lasagna as well as mixing in a little fontina cheese with the parmesan… and your tip to browning the butter when making the roux made a world of difference. Thanks for sharing! Already looking forward to leftovers (as this will not have a chance to make it to the freezer)
I made this on Sunday for a birthday dinner. It was wonderful!
I used the liquid that the mushrooms gave off in the Bechamel; giving it a subtle yet more complex taste. I think that addition really made it even more delicious. I used three different types of mushrooms–portobello, crimini, porcini, but next time I will use only portobello as I do not think the variation made much difference.
I also made a smaller (9×9) to put in the freezer unbaked. I lined the pan with overlapping foil and froze it in the pan. When frozen I removed it from the pan, wrapped it in another layer of foil and then vacuum sealed it. When it is time to bake I simply defrost and put the foil wrapped casserole back in the original pan to go in the oven. I have had tremendous success freezing and baking casseroles this way.
I also made this lasagna this weekend with one tiny twist. I mixed in about 3 tbsp of prepared pesto into the bechamel. I also didn’t simmer the milk before adding to the roux because I didn’t feel like dirtying more dishes. Just had to bring it to simmer in the pot instead and cook a little longer :)
This was a fantastic recipe as is! Thanks for sharing :)
Posts are really slowing down lately. Do you have news for your followers? We are recipe and Jacob deprived!
Kathy — Very sad for me too! It kills me that I don’t have more time to share the cooking I’m doing. Right now, it’s mostly the cookbook work, a child who likes to wake at 5 a.m. and a pileup of other boring things slowing it down. Hope to be back at pace soon.
Yes, a recipe slow-down has been noticed. Hope everything is okay!
Follow up (to post 356)… Despite the thick bechamel, it came out WONDERFULLY! The rehydrated no-boil noodles tasted like homemade and the spinach gave it a little extra body (and vitamins). Deeee-lish! So glad I made two pans!
For many years I have made my own lasagne noodles and would assemble the meat and marinara sauce layers without parboiling the noodles. I always use bechemel – white sauce with grated cheese on the top. I did try to make it with purchased noodles recently and what does the ‘trick’ is refrigerating the assembled lasagne for 12-24 hours before baking. The noodles always come out perfectly with no need to boil them and risk burning your hand. I am wondering how this would taste with green noodles – made from spinach, artichoke or chard.
I’ve made your Spinach Quiche many times, and it freezes wonderfully. Make it with a pie crust (vs puff pastry) and you’re set!
Hi Deb, I made this for dinner tonight, very happy with the results. I added a little spinach and leeks to the sauce as I like lots of veg, and plenty of parmesan. I made mine with fresh pasta as I had a bit of time on my hands (dropped fresh sheets in boiling water for 30 seconds before rinsing and using) and I loved the texture. I’d add a drop of white wine or lemon juice to mushrooms to add a bit of zing next time. Lovely dish tho. Thanks!
Deb,
Glad to hear all is well, except for the daily drip of life getting in the way. I just thought maybe morning sickness was weighing you down. We’ll be patient.
Wow, I am blown away by how simple this recipe is! I am sitting here debating what to do for dinner with the little that I currently have in my fridge, but I could actually make this, and I think I will…
I freeze batches of the Baked Chicken Meatballs (already cooked) and have had great luck with them. They make a good meatball sub when sliced and doused with tomato sauce, they can be quickly added to almost any pasta dish, or taken a different direction and served with gravy and rice or egg noodles. Most often I freeze just 2 or 3 meatballs in a little packet and then reheat them for a quick toddler lunch–very popular around here!
This turned out wonderfully! Even the pickiest eaters in my family went crazy for it. The common reaction was, “Man, usually I hate lasagna, but I like this.” What a triumph. Thanks, Deb!
If you are taking requests, I would love to see more recipes that don’t require an oven. I’m currently renting an apartment that has only a stovetop, in a country that’s very fond of steak, and I’m looking for recipes to make something other than variations on fried/sauteed beef with pasta.
Hey Deb,
I made this for thanksgiving(Canadian) dinner on Monday and it was a huge hit! Very light, despite the cream sauce… thanks!
I made this yesterday and wow! It was for dinner for me and my man, so I made a smaller amount in two small pans, thinking we’ll eat one and I can freeze the other… Well, that never happened, but we both stuffed ourselves so bad, it was so tasty! :D
I ended up using no-boil lasagna sheets, as ‘proper’ ones were impossible to find (soaked in boiling water with oil for 5 mins, no dryness, perfect taste), and added just a little white wine to the mushrooms.
I made this on Monday. I was actually making it for Tuesday’s dinner but wanted to make it in advance and put it in the fridge for the next day. Well, it’s a little time consuming and on top of that my husband was hovering over me in the kitchen when he started to smell the mushrooms being sauteed, so we ate it on Monday! I did a little step by step of my adventure making it in my blog, but linked back to you for the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Long time, no post. Aren’t toddlers WONDERFUL?
Thank you for all of your beautiful recipes. I am quite excited for the cookbook!
Keep up the terrific work, Mama!
I made this for dinner last night, it was delicious and I could have eaten the garlic bechamel with spoon. The addition really makes the dish. My husband also loved it, and he’s generally partial to tomato-based pasta sauces/dishes. Thank you.
I made this on Monday evening and it was so very delicious!! It makes a fantastic leftover too and was super easy to make, which I wasn’t expecting. Thanks for posting this recipe, Deb!
Hi Deb. Amy here. From Very Culinary…a much lesser known food blog. Just wanted you to know that after reading your description (and, of course, seeing the gorgeous photo), I had to make this the very next day. I, like you, am not a huge fan of the traditional red sauce lasagna. And what do you know? You’re right – it’s the Béchamel that I’ve been missing. This was excellent. Although, even with your reduction to 3 pots/pans (much appreciated), it will be a while before I make it again. Holy cow. Looked like a cyclone went through my kitchen…or a day after chasing after my two young tots.
I made it & it is fabulous!!! May even qualify for my “last meal on Earth”.
Made this last night. Fool proof & fabulous!!!
For some reason I ended up with alot more roux than I needed to fill the lasagna.? I also used some venison sausage along with the mushrooms. It’s in the oven right now I cant wait to see how it turns out with the addition of the venison.
I love this recipe! I have made it a few times before but I tried it with fresh pasta this weekend. Our Whole Foods carries RP’s fresh egg lasagna sheets so I tried that with it and it was spectacular! And one less pot to boost! I did make it with about 1/4 batch extra Bechamel thinking it may need a little extra moisture. It was perfect.
I made this last night, but not before ripping it apart with all manner of adjustments. I switched to light butter, adjusted to 6tbsp for the bechamel, 2 for sauteeing the batches of mushroom. Flour was replaced with whole wheat flour, adjusted to 1/3 cup to match the reduced butter. The sauce still thickened up quite well with 4 cups of skim milk instead of full fat. I also upped the mushrooms and used whole wheat noodles. I hestitated to even make the changes, since I *know* it would have been far more delicious in original form, but some of us can’t have all the fat/dairy/white flour. Sigh. I figured it was better to alter and still have it, than just miss out entirely.
All that said – it was absolutely fantastic. Even in light/less fat/whole wheat form, this is flat out amazing. Thanks, deb!
Fantastic dish…used ‘baby portabelles’ and it was so amazingly delicious. Rivaled anything I could order in a good Italian restaurant. I used lowfat milk and reduced the amount of butter…still was delicious & we hardly had leftovers! I’d make this again as a baked pasta dish…any kind would work I think.
This was DELICIOUS! A little annoying with the number of pots but it was well worth it! I was surprised how much the nutmeg enhanced the flavor. Definitely got the stamp of approval from the boyfriend! Thanks!
i made this earlier this week and it was SOO good! and easy to pack for multiple lunches. i love how the mushrooms taste with the cheese + bechamel!
Oh my, this was amazing. I’ve been a long time reader and fan and I don’t know why its taken me so long to comment on the recipes I’ve tried. But I felt compelled after making this on Sunday night(the leftovers of which my boyfriend and I are still enjoying). I’d never made my own béchamel sauce and was a little nervous. This one was flawless, outstanding flavor really. I’m a big fan of hearty, meatless main dishes though I am not a vegetarian. My boyfriend, who is meat man, could not stop raving about this lasagna….and he’s Italian, so I’ll take that as a good sign. You’re blog is fantastic!
Yum! Just packed this delight into my belly. I halved the recipe, but increased the garlic and added half of a small package of spinach (come on, vitamins!), and in so doing have impressed my boyfriend – he’s actually the main cook of the house. Will happily be making this again, definitely the full recipe for company or to freeze! Thanks Deb, I have yet to be disappointed by anything you’ve kicked into the ethernet. Oh, and I line the noodles up neatly in one direction as well ;)
This is my first visit to your blog (it’s the talk of our office so it was about time I ventured your way) and I dove right in making this dish. I work two jobs, so this is perfect for me to have left overs and quick meals the whole weekend. I cut my mushrooms a little thicker (I like them meaty) and went the whole way with the Nutmet Ina called for. All around amazing dish. Thanks for writing such an amazing blog, great pictures for following, and delicious recipes. I can’t wait to be your newest avid reader!
This is delicious, although I had to add more mushrooms (maybe because I was using a 9 x 13 pan). My friend and I have started a tradition of “Smitten Kitchen nights” where we make at least a few of the recipes of yours that we’ve been bookmarking and pining after. This lasagna was COMPLETELY worth the effort, and tastes delicious in leftover form.
I make a recipe very similar to this, except I add sautéed leek and instead of Parmesan, I use a nice smoked Gouda. I love the smokey flavor it adds. This reminded me that I haven’t made it in a while…maybe this weekend>
This was an amazing success in my house. We all found it mouth watering!!!! Thanks so much for such a simple gorgeous dish.
I could not find cremini mushrooms so I am using portobello. I’m a bit nervous because, like you, Deb, I am so used to making lasagna with ricotta cheese or meat but I always anticipated a lasagna recipe that was meatless too. I hope this will be a grand slam at the park. I have a gut feeling it will be.
so good. my husband and i were stuffed from dipping the extra lasagna in the bechamel in the pot and the few extra mushrooms before the lasagna even came out of the oven. but, we wanted to try it fresh and both went in for seconds.
also, i have always disdained ricotta filled lasagna so i was eager to try this. this has been my first lasagna that i’ve ever baked.
I baked this as my very first lasagna last night! Used 2% milk and only cooked the mushrooms in a little olive oil… and it was freaking awesome. In spite of not using whole milk, the lasagna came out incredibly rich. Next time I think I’ll actually try less butter too. Also did half portabello/half button mushroom as those are the only kinds I could find
Thanks so much for the recipe. My husband loved it.
Saw you mention the freezer friendly issue and thought immediately of your brunch post. I have frozen biscuits and scones many times to be baked fresh when needed, thanks to your recommendation, and they have always turned out beautifully.
This was an excellent and must try recipe!! My husband said it was the best dish I’ve ever made. I did modify it a little bit. I added shredded roasted turkey breast with the mushroom layer. Amazing!
I made this a couple of days ago and it was fantastic. I will definitely make this again!
Just made this, absolutely amazing! One question, it took over 30 minutes for my bechamel sauce to thicken, did I do something wrong? Maybe I added the hot milk too quickly?
Either way, it was extremely delicious. I may try Raven’s tip of using 2% milk and a little less butter/oil, if it doesn’t affect the taste too much. Again, Deb, thanks for an amazing recipe!!!
I am enjoying festive holidays and I will surely try this tonight…seems delicious and mouth watering….thanks
I love this recipe, I don’t know how Ina Garten does it!
I’m not a fan of the no boil noodles either… however, when I make lasagna I only partially cook the noodles, this way they’re not too dry. They soften- but not to the point of becoming too mushy and fall-apart. I use what I need and the rest of the pasta sits in the hot water, each waiting his turn. They don’t soften too much after being completely cooked and then sitting in hot water!
I made this with sage and butternut squash added to the filling. And with a vegan bechamel. It was divine. So good I had to share it with everyone I could think of. And I’m already plotting my second, third, and fourth pans. I love this lasagna!
Made this on Saturday and it was killer. Much easier than I thought it’d be too. Thank you Deb (and Ina)!
Ridiculously delish!!! My daughters loved it! I even brought extra to work for a friend to try and he also loved it!! I will definitely be making a double batch next time so that I have enough to freeze for later. Thank you so much for this non-traditional delicious lasgna!!
I finally got around to making this just now! It is currently in the oven. I somehow had a LOT of sauce left over (nearly 1/3 the amount!) and ran out of noodles so my top layer had mushrooms, cheese and sauce… oops. Well, I guess we’ll see how it turns out!
I’m going to make this for my BFF’s bday dinner tomorrow. Can’t wait to try it.
I didn’t read through all 416 {!} comments, but my favorite freezer-friendly item is cookie dough. :) I very often have just a bit left and not enough patience to wait for the sheet of three to cook…
This savory looking post brought to mind a mushroom lasagna recipe from the mid-80’s that I came across in Food & Wine magazine (I think!). It was always a hit at parties. For some reason, it has been on my mind to search through my files and create this dish once again, it’s the perfect time of year! Thanks for another prod in that direction.
By the way, I made it using four or five different mushrooms (crimini, chanterelle, oyster, shiitake, etc.) and the sauce included Roquefort. Rich! Divine! You might want to think about this as an addition for a future variation.
Delicious! Even though I forgot the garlic. Grrrr. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles that did require boiling. I _think_ I might have figured out how to save another pot-boil the noodles, drain and lay on paper towels. Saute mushrooms, transfer to another container. Make bechamel in same pot, no need to even wash in between. I heated the milk(without the garlic, waah) in the microwave. Still multiple containers, but only one pot.
Conveniently, Costco sells creminis in 24 oz containers.
It was a big hit at movie night supper with a green salad and fresh mozzarella/ tomatoes/fresh basil/balsamic vinegar, big loaf of warm Italian bread and some grilled Italian sausages. Next time I might add a mandoline-thin sliced sweet potato to the layering.
Ohhhmannnn, just found your blog and am sooo excited to make this! Thanks!! the site is beautiful by the way…
This looks divine. I’m always looking for things I can give to my little boy who is 15 months as chewing meat with his meager six teeth isn’t the easiest thing but he loves noodles, bechamel and mushrooms. Jackpot! Thank you for sharing.
Recipe feedback: I only had an 8×8 pan so I “2/3-ed” the recipe and it was perfect. Just the right amount of everything. Husband and toddler approved.
I’ll have to try this. Never thought about using mushrooms in lasagna. Very clever twist.
stews are great for freezing – and it’s really handy during winter, when you suddenly crave something substantial
I make big Dutch oven of stew consisting of beef (browned first in tiny amount of olive), then add lots of red wine, some dark soy sauce and lots of roughly chopped onion – and then let it simmer slowly for quite a long time (until meat is completely tender and onions become thick sauce)
and actually freezing only makes it better – the meat is spectacularly tender, you can almost spread it on bread
OK, now when you heat up a leftover slice, put a fried egg on top of it. Amazing.
I made this last night and it was delicious. Because my husband did the shopping, I ended up using regular white mushrooms and no-boil noodles. The mushrooms gave off a lot of juice and I think that helped moisten the noodles. It ended up with a pleasant density, which I liked. The parmesan helped class up the regular mushrooms.
I might be reading it wrong, but is there a step missing about cooking the mushrooms in two batches. I was a little confused on this piece, but it may just be my mistake.
Just made it a few days ago. INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS. I put extra cheese on the top and it created a nice golden cheesy crust…It was like heaven in my mouth…
I made this last night for my boyfriend and I. I was intimidated by the bechamel but everything turned out great! Apparently this is my boyfriend’s favorite dish i’ve made for him yet. I also slow roasted some tomatoes to serve on the side because i was afraid I’d miss the tomato-y taste. This is such a fun recipe. Next time i may add some sausage or some spinach for more depth but its great on its own too.
Margaret — You’re right, there is. They are to be cooked in two batches. Will edit that now. Amazed that it took 426 comments for someone to note it. Thank you.
I made this this weekend – extremely delicious, simple and everyone commented on how good it was. I will say, it took *much* longer than 3-5 minutes for the béchamel to thicken. It was closer to 15 minutes. But it turned out great!
I just got lucky and found some Hen of the Woods mushrooms at my local farmer’s market and I’m thinking they would be perfect in this recipe. I have some great local raw milk Parmesan type cheese that will put it over the top I think. Thanks for the recipe, I’m always keen to eat mushrooms in any way.
I made it. Little bit like heart attack in a pan. Little bit like heaven on a plate. I’m staying with someone who’s just got back on the dieting bandwagon, so halfway through making this, with my arteries aching just by LOOKING at the pot of amazing bechamel I was stirring, I texted her: “Is a diet-friendly portion of lasagne going to be OK for dinner?”
First – impressed with how you kept cooking thru pregnancy and now. I have 4 month old twins and can’t remember last time I cooked anything more than grilled cheese! I was brought some lovely dishes while on bedrest and after twins born but often too much cleanup or activity (boil pasta) required of me. 2nd – curious whether you have made homemade pasta for lasagna? I do – Mario batali basic pasta. Can roll very thin and get lightness desired. I combine with Alton brown Italian sausage plus basic red sauce (San marzano tomatoes) and make what I think is best lasagna around. Ps – cooks illustrated had mushroom lasagna recipe. I never made. Did you compare it?
I made this dish this weekend and my husband and I loved it! Though I did tweak it. I added 3 small sauteed onions and a bunch of sauteed chard. I used parmesan and some leftover mozzarella too. I decreased the (lactose free low fat for us) milk by a half cup. And a used a pound of (whole wheat) pasta because I hate having a 1/4 pound of pasta stuck in my limited size cupboards.
The biggest difference I did was break up the lasagna noodles a bit before boiling them. I hate perfectly lining up the lasagna noodles. It totally bores me! So after they are cooking a bit, I strain them out with spider spoon and just layer them around the pan instead of perfectly lining them up. (I know you are cringing right now Deb at the imperfection! Sorry!) But it still bakes up lovely for me!
Kind of like what Heidi Swanson did here http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/broken-lasagna-with-walnut-pesto
This was amazingly good and I am SO making it again!!
This was WONDERFUL…..did change it used 3 lbs of “Baby Bellas” mushrooms and 1 1/2 lbs of another type of fresh mushrooms and 3 bags for fresh spinach. Each type of mushroom had their own layer with cooked seasoned spinach layered on top of cooked mushrooms and on top of that Parm. cheese. Then the final topping a layer of Parm. and Mozzarella. My husband had never seen something like this with out meat and it was HEAVY to lift. Solid! The sauce was wonderful and was worth the wait. Total amount of Parm. cheese was 3 cups (2 bags) and Mozzarella topping one full bag (my husband Loves cheese). So this dish was heavy for a reason. The favor was wonderful. I shall keep working on this but this is a wonderful dish. Also I put all cooked mushroom liquid into the milk. This is heaven!
Thanks so much for posting this! Made it for the inlaws this weekend, and it was devoured! It fed 8 people perfectly.
See?:
http://cassiemarieedwards.blogspot.com/2010/11/exquisite-dinners-and-new-projects.html
Loved it!
I loooved this lasagna. I think next time I will use more veggies. It would have been really good with spinach. And maybe a little less butter…. WHAT less butter! I know.
Made this with roasted butternut squash and green beans w/hazelnuts as the sides! AMAZING.
Hi.
Hate to poop your party, but it’s a good thing your leftovers didn’t make it to the freezer. It would have come out as pasta, mushroom and milk soup. You can not freeze stuff that has been thickened with a roux, it loses it’s thickening power. I found this out the hard way: my beautiful, labour intensive and expensive shrimp croquettes were half empty after freezing. The ones that didn’t explode that is.
I haven’t tried it yet, but I think if you make your béchamel with no roux and less milk, and thicken it with mascarpone, it should freeze quite well.
My freezer favorite: portions (4 – 5 oz.) of a good, onion thickened curry sauce. These occupie almost no freezer space and will turn a handful of meat or fish (prawns!) and some (leftover) vegetables into a quick and satisfying meal in no time. (Just like Bolognese sauce, freshly boiled pastaand some green vegetable like zucchini, peas, broccoli florets, etc.)
Always in the freezer: better-than-fresh vegetables (spinach and peas), portions of complicated marinades (make four, freeze three), half pints of homemade stocks, Chinese Mastersauce (I only use this 4 – 5 times a year), and an icecube tray of glace for quick, restaurant quality sauces.
Hi Kees — We froze half this lasagna and it defrosted wonderfully.
Almost forgot: (and also the answer to the question somewhere else on this blog: `what to do with chocolate in summer`) my best-ever-in this galaxy-of all times chocolate icecream!(wich can be done without icecream-maker in a foodprocessor bowl because it´s a quite heavy mixture; I´d be happy to mail you the recipe).
Question for all people who add basil to the sauce / spinach to the dish: doesn´t it discolour and take on that horrible discoloured taste?
yum! I made this with the last of the eggplant from the garden (sniff, sniff)… roasted the eggplant and just layered it up. Excellent base recipe… I cant wait to play with it again soon! Oh, and I think it would be amazing as written with the mushrooms… maybe, next time.
I prepared this last night and baked this evening. It was delicious, my husband loved it…the béchamel was perfect, the mushrooms so flavorful. I added sun-dried tomatoes and baked for 60 minutes instead of 45 because we love any extra crispiness.
I would love to make the lasagna tonight, refrigerate it overnight and then bake it tomorrow night. Does anyone know if it will hold in the fridge overnight?
I made this for my Lover yesterday. It earned me the title of Lasagna Queen. :-)
This I do not understand. Anything roux-based I freeze comes out thin. I know cornflour withstands freezing quite well, but produces very gloopy sauces. Maybe is has something to do with your American all purpose flour, which has a higher gluten content than the stuff I use for roux here in Holland. I guess it´s back-to-the-drawingboard. Time to start experimenting with stronger flour.
Deb, I’ve been a lurker on this site for over a year now, and I’ve looked at nearly everything you’ve made and have been dying to try something. Finally I decided to take the plunge into the unknown. I picked this for my first try at seasonal cooking, and it was AMAZING. My boyfriend said that it was the best thing I have ever made. I made it according to original recipe though, and used portobellos and the full teaspoon of nutmeg. I agree that the nutmeg was a little excessive, but overall the end result was perfect.
Made this for a girls night in this weekend! Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. I will eat the last little bit tonight. This is the first time I have attempted bechamel and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
I love making this and your recipe for the squash and chickpea morrocan stew. For some reason these are always the ingredients left in my fridge and whenever I need to make space, these two are my go to recipes. Man, most especially that morrocan stew!
I made this for a dinner party last night and it was a huge hit – no leftovers at all! I read over the comments on Ina’s site and ended up only using 1/4 tsp nutmeg – that was PLENTY. I also added a little thyme and garlic to the mushrooms as they cooked, but it wasn’t very much, so I didn’t really notice it.
Two things that made it easier using regular lasagna noodles instead of my typical no-bake ones:
1. I discovered that my big canning pot was perfect for lasagna noodles. It made it really easy to separate them as they cooked, which is always the problem I ran into before.
2. When the noodles were done, I spread them out inidivudually on a Silpat, and then in layers on top of that with wax paper in between. That ensured that nothing stuck together while I did all the other steps.
I’m going to make this again next month for an office potluck, and I will try amping up the garlic & thyme a little, and may also add some spinach to the mushroom layer, more for color than anything else. (Last night, I served this with a chopped salad, which made for a nicely balanced plate.)
Can I freeze this mushroom lasagna before I cook it? Instead of after?
Once upon a long time ago, my (then) husband made something like this for me, only with the addition of some spinach. He wasn’t much of a cook and said that everything he made tasted the same (it did — like chicken cacciatore), but he did a spectacular job with this.
I’m going to have to try this.
Thank you so much for this simple, delicious lasagna. We are a family of mushroom lovers so this is perfect! One thing I added was some great truffle cheese from Trader Joe’s. My daughter and I sliced it and added it to the middle layer only. Delicious. Thank you Thank you Thank you! BTW – I love Ina also and agree with you that her recipes are perfect the way they are.
That looks fantastic – I like lasagna but not the heavy ingredients the usual recipe calls for, like heaps of ricotta and mozzarella. A good substitute I found is low-fat cottage cheese and plenty of herbs.
does no one else find that this recipe simply doesn’t produce enough bechamel? the first time i made it, i’d run out of sauce by the time i got to the top layer (with what seemed like fairly skimpy amounts on the previous layers) and the lasagna was a bit on the dry side. the second time, i increased the bechamel by 1 cup milk (and all other ingredients proportionally) and it worked much, much better. i also added cooked spinach to one of the mushroom layers, and at least twice as much garlic to the milk – i had found the original recipe a bit bland. i used whole wheat noodles both times to add flavour and depth. (now that i think of it, they might be the dryness culprits…) in any case, i love my tweaked, second version of this recipe!
I made this for a potluck at work and (not to brag toooo much) it was definitely the favorite dish of the day ;)
Thanks for another great recipe!
I made this for christmas with homemade gluten free noodles, rolled by hand and a rice flour blend for the sauce and it turned out wonderfully. I browned the butter (like deb) and people couldn’t get enough of it! Thanks for the recipe!
I used to be intimidated by recipes containing more than 6 ingredients. Since discovering your blog, I’ve made maybe a dozen of your adaptations :) They’ve all turned out fantastic! This mushroom lasagna tasted like something I’d order in a restaurant, a really good restaurant (my opinion and my guests!)! Thanks for making me think I could cook :)
I made this when you first posted it, using Trader Joe’s no-bake lasagna noodles. I just defrosted it the other night, and it was as perfect as when I made it. I vote yes for no-bake (maybe TJ’s are different, but it wasn’t dry at all), and a hearty yes for freezability.
I am married to a professional hockey player, so we go through A LOT of food in our house. As such, I double almost every recipe I make – sometimes it goes in the freezer, sometimes it’s lunch the next day. Baked bread, muffins and cookies freeze well, but I often just freeze the dough/batter and bake it up fresh at another time (this works great for pizza dough!). Chili, stews and soups all freeze well, as do quiches and meat pies. Enchiladas freeze well, just add the sauce and bake from frozen. I agree with an earlier comment that freezing in glass is the way to go, that way you can just microwave or bake your goodies from frozen. Lasagna, mac and cheese, and even curries freeze well too! I have probably frozen almost everything! Thanks for all of your amazing recipes! I love your site:)
Just made this using no-boil noodles (accidentally bought them at the store). Turned out great, however, in addition to coating each noodle very well with the sauce, I also added the butter/oil/mushroom liquid from the earlier step, which seemed to soak the noodles and leave the béchamel perfectly tasty!
Just made this – vegan style. Delicious! Will use a little less pepper next time. See pictures here: http://blogs.mail.ru/mail/nm1184/664FED62C131D567.html .
Just tried this using no-boil flat noodles (sadly, no other variety available in my hood). Though quite tasty, I found it to be really fatty and heavy- which is something I don’t usually complain about. Ah well. If I were to try this again, I think I’d use only olive oil to sautee the mushrooms, keep the bechamel thinner and perhaps add a bit of tomato just to lighten it up.
Just made this for the second time – so yummy! I added tofu to the sauce and you can’t tell at all. Also used mozzarella cheese as well as the parmesan! It’s a nice change from the usual lasagna.
I made something very similar to this lately! It’s a quick and dirty version. I got the idea from “College Vegetarian Cooking,” a wonderful book that I recommend. It uses tortellini, lower-fat milk, a few less spices, and those are pretty much the only differences. You could definitely just add in the same spices though. It was fantastic.
P.S. I have a friend who bakes things from this website a lot. Everything has been SO fantastic!
I have made this again, remembering the garlic this time(yay!) and adding a mandoline-thin sliced sweet potato. It was beautiful and delicious. The sweet potato cooked perfectly in the stated recipe time. I’m going to make it next week for my son’s teacher lunch as a “vegetarian Italian dish”. Just need to find one of those thermal carriers for a 9×13 casserole dish…
I stopped boiling my lasagna noodles before they ever came out with the no-boil noodles. I just add extra liquid to my sauce, a red, and the lasagna comes out moist but very firm, which is how I like it.
This was delicious – I made it a while ago, adding in some chopped frozen greens (spinach, collard greens, and mustard greens), and just had more the other night from the freezer. It’s a keeper. :-)
I mentally bookmarked this recipe when it was first posted. I knew I’d need it in these winter months! I finally made it over the weekend and have been enjoying the leftovers since. Added fresh thyme to bechamel sauce and sauteed spinach into mushrooms, and it all came together wonderfully. Thanks so much, Deb!
Just made this tonight for my Oscar party – it was a big hit! Thanks!
So. Flipping. Good.
I made this the other day with a few changes: used fresh sheets of lasagna, one pound of chanterelles and half a pound of shiitake, 4 cloves of garlic instead of one (reading error, whoops!); assembled the whole thing and then kept it in the freezer. I baked it a couple of days later at 375 degrees for 75 minutes with a foil cover, then at 400 degrees without the foil (per Cook’s Country’s instructions). It came out perfectly, and I can confidently say that this is the most delicious thing I’ve made so far. This, and an accompanying glass of white wine? H-E-A-V-E-N.
Thank you for the great recipe.
Also, because of the amount of pasta that I had, I made this in a 8×8-inch-square pan and with only three layers (two layers of the mushroom mixture). I used all of the cheese, all of the mushroom sautee, and most of the sauce and thought the proportion was perfect.
this lasagna was amaaazing. My boyfriend and I ate nearly half of it in one seating :)
Made this twice last week – once for me and the boy, and again on the weekend for dinner with friends – and it was loved by everyone! I think this will become an instant staple in our “trying to eat more vego food” house. Perfect recipe! :D PS. My bf thinks you are some kind of amazing – because it’s due to your blog that I cook so many new and delicious dishes!
I so enjoy reading your posts – and love your sense of humour!
For an upcoming dinner party I did a trial run of the mushroom lasagna (added a splash of brandy to the bechamel) and very much enjoyed it. My question is could I make it in the morning and keep it in the fridge uncooked for a couple of hours? I know it reheats well – but I want it to be freshly baked. Thanks for any help.
Betty — That should be fine.
Making this for my mom on Mother’s Day! Thank you!
@476 Betty,
I just made this, but because of some diversions, it was kept in the fridge and wasn’t baked for a few -days- later (today!) and it tasted really good. It was a little runny, but I was a somewhat inattentive on the bechamel, and so that was probably why.
This recipe was -really- forgiving: I didn’t have whiteflour on hand and had to use wheat for the roux, plus I miscaluclated the butter, didn’t measure the cheese and added a layer of kale*. It was great – not at all heavy, but sturdy and filling. I’d definitely make this again.
*kale: just steamed for a quick bit, so it still had some body in the final dish.
Whew. I thought i got my first dud from your site when i made this in a bout of pre-exam midnight madness last fall.. i baked then froze it, and when i defrosted/baked a slice a couple days later, i found it to be too dry- this has been in the freezer since.
But today i had chicken breast and mushroom to eat for dinner, and decided to add one slice of the lazagna to my cooking pan. omg, best decision ever- it was succulent. flavorful, cheezy, mushroom-y. I guess moisture from the additional mushrooms and a bit of truffle butter helped, but still, it was sooo good! The rest of the pan will disappear in no time. Apologies for ever doubting your genius :)
I second Rosette (it was so. flipping. good). I JUST made it then and am struggling to not just eat it all myself. I’ll try it with homemade pasta next time me thinks.
so easy. so delicious… thank you for posting :)
Long time reader, first time commenter. Loved every single recipe i have made from your blog (impressive outcome with minimal effort). Even though i loove meat, i agree with everyone, this lasagna is super delicious and very simple to make(halved it, used pre-boiled lasagna so it was slighty drier than yours looks, 3/4c pre-grated parmesan because it was what i had, and my beshamel came out less thick). Thanks!
This sounds amazing! I would end up using no-boil noodles, a suggestion to help others who want to try to use no-boil noodles, is to soak them for a little while before using if you’re worried about them being too dry or sucking up all the sauce. If this has been mentioned previously, sorry. :)
Started feeling domestic yesterday and decided to make this for dinner for my parents. We all loved it! I made a few mistakes along the way (such as not using a big enough pot for the lasagna noodles… oops) but it was still amazing. I think I’ll be cooking much more often!
Made this 2 months ago, put in the freezer and then took it our 2 days ago to thaw. Today I slowly warmed it up in a 300 degree oven and it came out beautifully, not to mention, delicious. I was afraid it might be dry but it wasn’t at all. Very tasty with a green salad. Will make it again for sure.
I had to give this a go the other day, but with a few minor changes. Mostly I swapped out the whole milk for skim and added kale. I absolutely loved it! You can see my end result here: http://gardenkitchenhome.blogspot.com/2011/09/worlds-best-lasagna.html
I was at Windows on the World in the World Trade Center for Thanksgiving, back in 1998 or so. Being a vegetarian, I asked if they had another option than turkey with giblet stuffing. They brought me something almost identical to this, a luscious rich medley of wild mushrooms but with thin slices of potato instead of lasagna noodles. On 9/11 that was one of the first things I thought of: that wonderful meal I had had there, and the lovely chefs who had thought to provide something for the herbivores in the audience…
I just made the bechamel sauce for Greek pastitsio. Can I just say: spicy! I substituted white pepper for the black.Next time I will reduce the amount of pepper. In addition to the garlic, I added onion in with the milk. Not sure if that made a difference or not.
Sounds kind of strange, but I really like to make the bechamel with vanilla soy milk. I have been doing this for several other recipes as well- and this is one in which it tastes pretty delicious! Anyone else try this? If so, let me know what you think.
I LOVE this dish. I’ve made it a few times now, and it always gets rave reviews. However, I like to up the mushrooms. It never seems like there are enough!
Made this tonight, for the second time – soooo good. You can eliminate another pot by adding the garlic to the butter, sautéing it for a few, and then adding in the flour. Then add in the cool milk to make the béchamel.
I made this recently using no boil noodles (pre-soaked until they were a little ‘bendy’) since those are all that was available at Trader Joes, and cooked covered with tinfoil for 40 minutes, and uncovered for 5-10 minutes. I otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The texture was great and I had no problems.
I’m curious–do you wash or just brush off your mushrooms? I’ve heard washing mushrooms causes them to soak up too much water and lose flavor, but I just don’t have the patience to brush clean each one.
Made the recipe. I only had regular mushroom and it worked fine. Simple garden salad on the side. Yum! thank you
Made this recipe with rice pasta and a gluten-free all-purpose flour for the sauce – it turned out wonderfully. Thanks!
It’s in the oven right now and smells incredible! We used the no-boil noodles only because that’s what I had in the cupboard. I did add 1/2 cup of water to the edges, so hopefully it will taste just as good. We always love your recipes :)
What a great recipe…and flexible- I didn’t have enough(or the right kind of) mushrooms so I threw in some diced chicken and used no boil noodles and it was STILL really yummy. Thanks for a great site!
This turned out great! I used no-boil noodles (it’s all I had on hand) and pre-soaked them in hot water until flexible. It was so good I couldn’t stop eating it!
Freakin’ heavenly. My stomach hurts so good right now.
I am really liking the fact that this recipe has no tomatoes in it. Creamy, simple and delicious…sounds good to me!
I love all lasagna. I had not made it in a long time, until last night. I was inspired by amateur gourmet’s recent posting. I made your yellow cake a few days ago and his most recent lasagna last night. I am planning to make your bolognese lasagna in a few weeks and interested in this mushroom lasagna as well. My question is about the no cook noodles. I used them once a long time ago and I did not like them either. I found they were not tender in the finished product. I was afraid to do as adam said, “don’t boil the regular noodles,” just put them in a pot of really hot water for twenty minutes. (I boiled the noodles). Do you think the no cook noodles would absorb enough water (to not rob from the other ingredients), if just put in hot tap water for a few minutes. I suppose I can just give it a try, but I really hate to invest the time in a good sauce and have the finished product be too chewy. Looking for your professional opinion.
Eileen — I used them once years ago but wasn’t fond of them. I have little practice using them in my own recipes. Out of caution, I usually buy traditional lasagna noodles and boil them fully, regardless of what recipes say. This one doesn’t cook very long and I’ve tried to carefully balance the wet and dry so I’d be nervous about letting the noodles draw any moisture out.
Devon — I can’t wait to live in an apartment with an amazing kitchen too! Maybe one day…
I made this tonight for a dinner party and it was a hit. I had to leave out nutmeg because I didn’t have any, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe pretty darn closely. I had some great wild mushrooms in the mix as well. I used no-boil noodles and they were nice and tender, no problem (I did cover the lasagna for most of the baking, though. But I don’t have enough leftovers to freeze!
I made this for my yoga instructor today. It worked brilliantly. She loved it! I made one addition…Since I had a ton of swiss chard out in the garden, I thought I’d add a bit of green… I chopped a huge bunch and added to the mushrooms cooking. What a hit! My new favorite lasagna. Thanks!
I’ve now made this twice! Each time it’s turned out great and it’s really a pretty easy recipe. I’ve used the no-bake lasagne noodles each time – once with Trader Joe’s brand and once with the Barilla brand, both were great. Only change I might make next time is to increase the amount of mushrooms by a quarter pound or so…
I made this this week. I went line by line, and for whatever reason my Bechemel seemed loose. BUT, I used No Boil and the whole thing came out PERFECT! Thanks for the recipe and the tips!
Not sure if this is worth posting as there have been so many comments, but I wanted to make as much as possible in advance for tonights mushroom lasagna. I have never made a bechamel sauce, so I was looking on line to find out if I could make it in advance. I came across a recipe for bechamel using extra virgin olive oil. I made it. It thickened nicely and is in my fridge for tonight. Tasted just like bechamel. I am kind of excited by this because I made the same amount of sauce your recipe calls for using 4 tablespoons of the oil instead of a stick of butter. I love butter, but when I can cut down on the fat I opt for that. Wondering your thoughts about this as I am always interested in your cooking advice. Looking forward to the lasagna and will post how it turns out with the alt. bechamel.
Eileen — Bechamel is traditionally made with butter but as you noticed, I am sure olive oil would work just as well. Just a slightly different flavor profile. I am sure it would still be delicious.
I made this for dinner last night! I loved it, it was definitely delicious. However as some other people have said, my bechamel sauce took forever to thicken! Around 15 or 20 minutes at least. Not sure why that happened.
And I added broccoli because I only had about 8 oz of mushrooms on hand–it was awesome.
Deb, I love your recipes! I’m a college student cooking on my own for the first time and your recipes inspire me to try new things all the time :D
I want to make this for my book group. I’m thinking of going to the fancy-shmancy store and getting fresh pasta sheets to cut into lasagna noodles. How long do you think I should cook them before assembling the lasagne? (I’ve never done this).
Also, I just want to say that your spiced sweet potato wedges have been in heavy rotation this winter and we love them just as much every time. Thank you!
I just served this to guests last night. I made it in the morning and then was able to whip it into the oven as everyone arrived for a hot and toasty dinner an hour later. It was fabulous. My new favorite.
Just made this and it was delicious! My husband said it tasted like a restaurant quality dish from a very nice Italian restaurant. Success!
This lasagna was amazing! I read the recipe and was thinking it needed to be three layers, so I only cooked 9 lasagna noodles…and realized the mistake as I was assembling the lasagna. So it had plenty of sauce, but that was somewhat offset by the fact that I used two pounds of mushrooms. Still completely delicious! I love that it has a short list of ingredients, so that every element–mushrooms, Parmesan, bechamel, pasta–gets a chance to shine.
I made this today, and other than using non-cooking lasagna and adding 2 fried scallions to the mushrooms, I followed your recipe. It was pretty good, but I think it is a very heavy dish…will try with ricotta next time and add some cherry tomatoes.
Made this yesterday, followed the recipe exactly (well, mostly – subbed all white button mushrooms since that’s what I had), and it turned out great. Warm and creamy and delicious and such a nice change from the traditional red lasagna. I love your website!
Just saw the comment about kale – love that idea! Kale is so hot right now.. I am thinking about adding it to everything, and this recipe would seem to be a good place for it.
45 minutes at 375 seemed a bit high and long, especially since all the ingredients were already cooked. I lowered the oven to 350 for the last 15 minutes but my lasagna was still pretty dry. I think that the next time I make this I’ll cook at 350 from the start.
I made this recipe last night. DIVINE! My only tweak was to drizzle Black Truffle infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil (a gift from friends who traveled to Italy) on the top layer and broil on low for a few minutes until the top was really crispy and brown. I had no leftovers. Thank you for this wonderfully elegant, yet affordable dish. It is now going to be in my entertaining repertoire.
I love making this lasagne. While I was making it for the umpteenth time today, I was reminded that I wanted to ask a question about the mushroom juice. Do you put in all the mushrooms AND their juices. I think I’ve always done kind of half of the juice since I wasn’t sure and it always turns out smashing.
In general, I pour it in. It might make it a tad messier but it seems better than tossing all of that flavor. However, in this recipe, you’re looking for the mushrooms to “just start” releasing their juices, i.e. there shouldn’t be much in the pan.
Just made this – it’s great. Thanks.
My darling boyfriend and I just made this and, mother of god…it was delicious. The nutmeg really sets it off. It’s warm, savory, creamy and the nutmeg really gives it that something special. Normally, I abhor lasagna, but this was hands down the best I’ve ever had. Even my “hesitant to volunteer an opinion” boyfriend said, “This is tasty. Make this again.” That, in my book, is the best compliment for this dish. It’s tasty. All should make it.
I have made this twice now and both times I end up with a large amount of oil after cooking- enough that I can tip the pan and it oozes right out! Can someone help me figure out what I’m doing wrong?
As Nanna (#122), Carolyn (#218), (and possibly others whose comments I overlooked) have mentioned, it is easy to substitute fresh lasagna sheets for the dried lasagna noodles. I layered them into the dish (not dipping even a toe into hot water), made sure that sauce covered each noodle as I built the layers. I added some shredded smoked chicken, which worked well (and allowed me to use up that chicken, finally!). Delish!
I know this comment is about two years late, but maybe someone scouring the archives will find it helpful :)
Dear Deb,
I tried to make this. Let me precede by saying that I never made a lasagna before. I got lasagna noodles from Trader Joe’s which were not curly and half the size of yours. I measured my baking dish with them an decided I needed 20 for the recipe. In order to boil them I put them in the pot all at once. All 20 came out of the pot 10 minutes later as one piece. I could not separate them so I threw them away. Luckily I had bought 2 boxes. I started boiling the noodles two at a time. Even then they managed to stick together and I had to separate them 2 minutes into the cooking process. When I boiled all 20 (this took over 2 hours!!!) I realized that they almost doubled in size and 12 was enough. My bechamel made with 2% milk (I know, I know .. ) took about 15 minutes to thicken. From what I had read I am lucky that it thickened at all. It seemed like I could cook it forever. I had no idea when to stop. The mushrooms I cooked until they absorbed all the liquid. Maybe I was not supposed to do this because I barely had enough for 2 layers. I am sitting here totally exhausted. Anyway for next time how do I get enough mushrooms for 3 layers, how do you know when the bechamel is done and do I really have to boil lasagna noodles?
Thanks,
Anna
Hi Anna — Yikes! I’ve seen a range of options for lasagna noodles. Some require no bar-boiling. I’ve also seen in a different Ina Garten recipe the recommendation that she just soaks them in hot water for 20 minutes or so before using them. I cannot recommend either here with total confidence for the next time you make this as I have not tested the recipe this way, but if you root around the comments (#145, #236, #245, 335, 354, etc.) it definitely looks like other folks have tried one or the other successfully here.
The 2% milk might be the reason it took longer to thicken. The mushroom amount is relatively small and just scattered loosely across the layers (sorry, no process photo of this one!). You can always increase it next time if you’d like more.
I am going to try making this for a birthday dinner tomorrow night. Not sure why I always wait to try new recipes on guests, but all the reviews seem wonderful. Just wondering if it’s possible to make and assemble the day before and keep in the fridge. I have frozen lasagna before, but have never made one the day before and kept in the fridge. If it’s not a good idea, maybe I can at least make the sauce in advance and reheat? Any thoughts would be so helpful. Also any suggestions for a simple salad to serve with this and a regular meat lasagna?
Hi Candace — I definitely think you can assemble it the day before and bake it to order. However, I do think that it reheats really, really well and that you can just rewarm it the next day too. Any simple seasonal salad would be great here.
Half of what I cook these days seem to be recipes from your site, but I’m a terrible lurker and have never commented. (Long past) time to fix that! I made this last night for a few friends, and it was a huge hit. Just what we needed on a chilly first of December! I didn’t change a thing, though next time I may add more mushrooms… but then I reeeeally love mushrooms. Maybe it will be a lasagna all to myself!
Anyway, I wanted to say a very belated thanks. There are so many food blogs out there — many of which that I love — but I don’t think any of them inspire me to actually make the recipes as much as yours does. Looking forward to gifting your book this holiday season (and snagging a copy for myself, of course). Now, time to go eat the last remaining piece of lasagna…
I’ve never made lasagna in my life. Then I decided to make one today and serve it up to the parents. Yeah, I’m one of those who ‘run before learning to walk’ people.
The bechamel sauce worried me at first, but HOLY COW. It’s really EASY. At first I was panicking at how ugly it look but when I got the rest of the milk in, it turned into a sexy creamy white sauce.
The lasagna noodles: not so much a success. I used up the whole box where it all ended up stuck together or shredded into strips all over the place. And it got revenge on me when a huge glob of boiling water landed on my hand. Yeah, I think I’ll try soaking it in boiling water next time, taking into account that it’ll all go in the oven anyways.
Next time, I’d add more mushrooms (cause I heart heart heart mushrooms) or something else. And maybe find a smaller baking dish.
Although, there was a lot of butter by the end of it (which squicked the parents). Is that from the bechamel? Cause that was a lot…
I made this tonight and was VERY pleased with the results for the effort. Yes, a lot of pots (I made my bechamel in my pasta pot), but really not difficult, except keeping the lasagna noodles from breaking. I cooked the whole box, so having a few that didn’t work left me with just enough. I will probably do 2 lbs of mushrooms next time; it felt a little thin. I was going to freeze leftovers from the two of us for my post-baby stock, but I couldn’t put it away that quick – we’ll probably end up eating it all weekend!
This recipe is amazing! The only change I made was that I added rehydrated porcini mushrooms. I loved the sauce,it was pure velvety goodness. And I was so excited to find a lasagne that didn’t use ricotta cheese.
It was fun to make, if you like being in the kitchen for a while as I do. My only complaint is thst it used a lot of pans, but it is so beyond worth it.
I served it with a salad and custard and strawberries for dessert.
Leftovers heat up well.
This was great and your additions of garlic and brown butter were perfect. The lasagna was an ideal vegetarian main. Plus, I had a blast making it with my best friend for a little party we threw for her birthday (I blogged about it here: http://butterpoached.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/in-ina-we-trust/).
I have so enjoyed your blogging! I only checked you out because you are coming to our library to promote a cookbook you recently finished. Your comments are delightful and feel like you are a dear friend that I share an affinity for cooking. My fifteen year old has enjoyed cooking your recipes with me. We think of each meal like a surprise party in that we are surprised at how wonderful the meal is and that WE made it AND that it wasn’t too hard to do. Thank you again! I hope I will be able to introduce myself when you come. God bless you!
This is currently cooling on my counter daring me to burn my tongue, roof of my mouth and throat but I am resisting! I actually roasted my mushrooms and onions in the oven with olive oil and butter and then let them cool in a bowl. I figured that this was better than an extra pot. I added a few cloves of roasted garlic to the butter in my bechamel sauce. Also, before adding the milk for my bechamel sauce, I added a splash or two (or three) of Scotch and a touch of heavy cream. I then added the milk and continued. This gave such a wonderful flavor. I added provolone cheese for the top as well!
I am so darn excited!!!
just made this and added some red pepper flakes and ground sichuan peppercorns to the mushrooms. awesome recipe. ina garten recipes are always so simple and rich!
To add a note on the no boil thing – I do this with the no-boil noodles, mushrooms and frozen spinach, and I don’t bother to pre-cook the mushrooms at all. Between the extra water in the spinach and what’s released from the mushrooms, the pasta comes out fine. 45 minutes is plenty of time to cook down the mushrooms so they are plenty edible. I might stir a handful or two of quattro formaggio in the sauce. Don’t tell anybody.
I made this recipe tonight for my husband, and we both LOVED it! We absolutely love mushrooms, and the bechamel sauce was the perfect non-tomato based sauce to go with it. We had some sauteed kale with garlic and olive oil as a side as well. I did overlap my lasagna noodles, but that’s because I love the extra noodles in my lasagna. Thanks for another great recipe, Deb!
This recipe works very well made in stages over a couple of days if you’re short on big blocks of time. I’ve cooked the mushrooms and the sauce ahead and stowed them in the fridge. The sauce thickened considerable but still spread just fine over the noodles and baked up no different. When I cook the noodles I drain them and lay them out on my pastry cloth, I think a smooth-woven tea towel would work just as well, and the noodles could be rolled in the towel and refrigerated if needed. The whole thing can be assembled and refrigerated, as Deb mentions above. I took one last night to a potluck that we drive nearly an hour to get to, so I put the hot dish in a cooler on towels and it really didn’t even need reheating once we got there.
This has always been well received, whether I added sweet potato or not. I think this was the fourth or fifth time I’ve made it.
considerably, the sauce thickened considerably, not considerable.
I will be doing a version of this tomorrow for Easter, but including asparagus and leeks. With 540 comments already, maybe I should not tempt fate and do it as is!
Oh my, I just discovered your blog and have already decided that it’s fabulous–without even having tried out one of your recipes!
I have a quick question–I know you indicated that you have frozen the mushroom lasagna, but I wasn’t clear on whether it was before or after it was baked. Which would be better for a white sauce-based lasagna? I’m a little worried that the sauce will change consistency if I freeze it.
Second–if you froze it before you baked it, did you let it thaw in the fridge for a day or so before baking it?
I would like to make this for a party I’m having next weekend (I’ve already made a red sauce-based manicotti and popped it in the freezer unbaked). There will be several vegetarians there and I’m positive it will be a hit!
Thank you so much!!
Linda — I froze it after. I just warmed it directly from the freezer.
WOHA. I made this yesterday and it is ridiculous. Yes, it uses a lot of dishes but YES IT IS WORTH IT. How lovely to have a baked pasta without 10 pounds of cheese!
Unbelievably delicious! So beautiful too, with the crusty top and golden brown color on all sides. It was a big hit at home and I’m so glad because I’m bringing it to a brunch on Saturday. It took several hours to make, like all homemade lasagnas, but this one was worth the effort. The bechamel with hint of garlic is to die for. I, too, didn’t use all of the pasta called for, laying each piece side by side instead of overlapping. It was just enough pasta and made for a yummy crunchy texture.
Made this yesterday for the first time to serve to my book club on Tuesday night. I have yet to taste (or bake) the final product but a few comments/observations:
1.) My bechamel never really thickened. I’ve never had problems with bechamel before but I gave up on this one after about 15 minutes of cooking. It was thicker than just milk of course, but I can tell that it wasn’t as thick as yours–I poured it more than spread it between layers. Perhaps the 4 cups of milk demand more cooking time? I also tasted it (hot) after adding the listed seasonings and found it VERY bland. Given that the recipe is just noodles (which are essentially flavorless) and the mushrooms, I knew the bechamel needed to pack a flavor punch, so I upped the salt and pepper to taste. I recommend at least tasting it before starting to assemble so you can make any adjustments that may be necessary.
2.) As noted, this recipe is light on mushrooms. I took a cheat from my local Safeway which sells pre-washed and pre-sliced (seemed about 1/4″ thick to me) cremini mushrooms in bags, so that saved a ton of time. In the future, I will cook up at least 2 if not 2 1/2 lbs of mushrooms so that I can do 3 liberal layers of shrooms. I may have overly cooked mine, but I too found a lot of juice–I think the 2 TB olive oil + 2 TB butter for each batch was excessive–that created a lot of liquid which is why I cooked them longer (to allow some of it to cook off).
I made this and your broccoli slaw for a party in May, to great success; posted about it here. Thanks for ongoing deliciousness.
After having this recipe in my bookmarks folder for over 2 years, I finally made both it and the lasagna bolognese. Everyone raved about the mushroom lasagna – it is so much lighter and better than the usual gloppy vegetarian lasagnas! My one tweak was adding a splash of white wine to the mushrooms right before taking them out of the pan (I browned them in 3 batches to give them plenty of room to brown). It added such a nice flavor. I think next time I’ll add even more mushrooms!
I made this today and it’s really one of my better lasagnes. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I did mix up the cremini with oyster mushrooms and shii-take, and I added a little gorgonzola, which worked great I must say.
I am lucky that I can buy fresh lasagne noodles at our organic farmers market in Chicago. So no boil necessary and great flavor. And I saved a pot. Tonight, I used fresh egg & thyme lasagne sheets and 2% milk for bechamel and it turned out great. Thanks Deb- love the blog & cookbook!
I made this last night and it was ridiculously easy and delicious. For the pasta, I used the fresh lasagna sheets from Fairway, which I highly recommend. (I boiled them for 2 minutes first.) I didn’t heat the milk beforehand and the bechamel still turned out creamy and smooth. Thank you for this recipe, Deb!
This was amazing, Deb! Thanks. You and Ina Garten are my go to people when I am looking for a good recipe! I am allergic to gluten and so i had to make it with gluten free flour and gluten free noodles. I was thrilled that it still tasted how I remembered!
Deb – this is one of my favorite recipes – but I always run into a question about the mushrooms – I’m about to make it again and I thought I would just ask: before sauteeing the second batch of mushrooms, I always remove the first batch, add butter etc to the pan, and then do the second half. Is removing the first group of mushrooms necessary? Why don’t we do all the mushrooms all at once? Thanks!
Aah, it should be clearer that yes, you’re cooking them in batches. The reason is that it’s theoretically too much for one pan, won’t get good color on it. If you think it will make no difference if you do it in one batch, definitely save yourself the extra step. Neither Ina nor I would know the difference. :)
I made this last night with some changes:
2% milk instead of whole
twice the cheese :)
added a whole bunch of chard to the mushrooms when they were about halfway done
added hot red pepper flakes for a little more kick
substituted curly noodles for lasagna and tossed everything together before baking.
Came out wonderfully!
it must be interesting to release a recipe into the wild and know that we’ll make all kinds of crazy changes to it! I always search through the comments on this site for interesting variations, if I know I have almost the right ingredients on hand but not quite everything, for example, or if I want to make something vegan.
<3 you, Smitten Kitchen.
Still a favorite in our house, usually with thinly sliced sweet potato or butternut squash added to the layering. Cooks in right along with the baking, no need to pre-cook at all. Extra nutrition, I suppose, and the flavor and texture work very well. I think I will try the splash of white wine suggested by chiara, kookie in London, Anett and Kathy above.
I wish I was exaggerating when I say that I have never cooked in my kitchen, and it’s been years since I made anything. However, I’ve been wanting to start, and I’ve kept saying I will for months now, and this recipe induced me to begin. Though it was time consuming (took me about 2 hours) and I almost messed up the bechamel (but saved it by whisking), I was pleasantly surprised by how even a beginner cook like me could pull this off and it tasted great! Thanks for the great recipe.
This is awesome and easy! I doubled it without a problem. When I make the CI Mac and Cheese (not the giant fancy one but the more recent non-baked one), the cheese is added to the bechamel, then combined with the noodles–do you see any reason not to do that with this recipe? It would save a step in the putting together stage.
Regarding freezing, necessity has taught me that just about anything can be frozen, just like just about anything can go through the washing machine. An almost weekly meal in our house is strata made up but not baked, frozen, then pulled and put in the oven on a timer to be ready when we get home. Tamale pie freezes and heats up well with this method too, and I’m going to see about mushroom lasagna!
this recipe is amazing…. used over 2 lbs mushrooms because they cook down but the flavour is amazing :D next recipe to try is your lasagna Bolognese… please don’t delete this one, its a real winner :D
Over bought mushrooms at Costco because I wanted to quadruple your green bean and mushroom recipe. Could not remember how many mushrooms I needed so ended up with an extra 1 1/2 lbs and found this lasagna recipe. I have made the cook’s illustrated one but didn’t love it. I made the Smitten Kitchen recipe tonight and added a package of prosciutto, chopped into 1 inch pieces to the last minute or two of cooking the mushrooms. OMG. What a great recipe. I am sure it would be wonderful without the prosciutto, but adding it made the lasagna sublime…slightly salty and full of flavour.
I made this tonight with the minor modification of adding a couple cups of marsala and cooking it off with the mushrooms. It added just a subtle touch of flavor to the final result, and we loved it.
I tried out this recipe for my lucky, lucky housemates tonight. Rather, I used chard and spinach because those were the veg that really needed using – I imagine it’d be even better with mushrooms because pretty much nothing is more delicious than mushrooms when they are granted the floor all to themselves. Still, it was a totally majestic dish. The bechamel came out perfectly (I did indeed brown the butter first)–I will go to bed smug with the success of it!
My 17 year old daughter made this because she absolutely LOVES LOVES mushrooms, this lasagna was so delicious, she can’t wait to make it again. I love Smitten Kitchen, your recipes are the best.
This looks amazing!!! It looks like the mushrooms shrunk and almost disappeared. I would add more mushrooms, including portobellos since they’re nice meaty. That way the layers of pasta won’t collapse on each other. I can’t wait to try this. Thank you so much!!!
Did I miss it, or did you not tell us how to heat this, if we are doing the freezer thing. Defrost first? Chuck it in the oven frozen? At what temp? How long?
I would move it to the fridge the day before I wanted to eat it so it can defrost slowly. Then you can warm it or bake it right from the fridge. I usually rewarm things at 300 or 350.
Thanks so much. Now it won’t spend all of 2015 in the freezer while I fret about how to serve it.
What if I want to prepare it just one day ahead? Could I just assemble the lasagna and wait to bake it the next day? Or should I bake it the day before, put it in the fridge and then warm the next day? Seems like it’d be fresher if I wait to bake till the day I’m serving it… Thanks!
I served both the mushroom and bologense lasagnas for dinner to a small gathering of friends and family on Sunday. Made the bolognese sauce on Friday night, then followed the rest of the steps and assembled both on Saturday. The only change I made was to use about 2 pounds of mushrooms. I took them out of the fridge on Sunday, let them come to room temp, and – just as you suggested, Deb – we drank cocktails while the lasagna was in the oven. They were both fantastic! Guests raved about them. 11 guests and – sadly – almost no leftovers. The lasagna was just that delicious! The bechamel is such a wonderful, light replacement to the usual mozzarella/ricotta heavy lasagna. I didn’t make my own pasta, but splurged and bought good quality lasagna noodles from our local Italian market. Thank you for these wonderful recipes. You have forever changed the way I will make lasagnas!
<3, Smitten Kitchen
The lasagna turned out delicious!!!:))
This looks delicious and also easier than some lasagna recipes I’ve seen. About how long does it take to make if you do all the steps at one go?
Abbie — I’d say maybe an hour and a half total if you’re efficient.
I used this recipe as a guideline to make a garden-clearing winter greens lasagna using a mix of kale, chard and collards. Swapped the mushrooms for the greens but kept everything else the same. Delicious!!
This recipe is great for lactose-intolerant people and the cooks who love them. Parmesan cheese contains virtually no lactose and Lactaid-type milk works just fine. Butter also has very little lactose, but you can easily swap olive oil for some or all of it. I’ve made this lasagna several times with whatever veggies need to be used up or look good at the market.
MMMmmm …. Deb I love you ! LOL. We (my fellow emergency nurses and doctors) will be enjoying this on Christmas Day as we have all been tasked to work. I wanted something that reheats easily and that was not really heavy. I made a bit extra so I could make a pan just for me and it is so flavourful and delicious. It will be a hit. I don’t think I have had a recipe of yours go sideways on me yet.
Full disclosure – I’m not a fan of bechemel or mushrooms, but this looked perfect to send over to my friends, who are vegetarians and new parents. So I made the bechemel – spouse and I LOVED it. It was at that point that we decided to make another tray for just for us! This is a keeper.
I made this back in 2011 with boil-ahead noodles and it worked well. The bechamel also worked well then. I tried this again on Friday for a crowd with no-boil noodles and it was pretty close to a disaster. For some reason, my bechamel didn’t really work out and it definitely didn’t make enough to cook the no-boil noodles. It was kind of crunchy and not what you’d want on top. :( I was kind of embarrassed because I was cooking for a crowd. I just couldn’t find the boil-ahead noodles in the supermarket.
I’d also agree on adding more mushrooms. I used about 2.2 lbs.
Maria — I think those no-boil noodles might be formulated for wetter, Italian-American-style lasagnas. As you suspected, a bechamel isn’t necessarily enough to cook them.
Thanks, Deb. I appreciate the feedback. I will try to find the boil-ahead noodles in the future. Who would’ve thought they’d be that hard to find in Paris of all places?!
I made this years ago as written and loved it, and just last night made a delicious lazy version! Sauteed some onions, ground turkey and spinach to add in to (pretend to) make it healthier, and just used cooked penne, tossed everything together, sprinkled parmesan on top and baked it like the lasagna.
Another hit. Made this for the second time – both times I only had no-boil noodles. I did what another commenter suggested and soaked them in warm water – great results! I also added some morels from last fall’s mushroom foraging (I’m so PNW sometimes it makes me sick) and it’s fantastic. Worth noting that this is the FIRST recipe where I’d ~successfully~ made a beschamel sauce, so thank you. :)
I love this lasagna and I’ve made a version of it for Easter for the vegetarians’ main dish for three years running now. My main tweak is to grind up to a tablespoon or two of dried mushrooms (whatever kind you can find) and add them to the bechamel. Adds a really wonderful depth of flavor and heartiness.
For those wondering about do ahead, I usually make it in pieces, bechamel 2-3 days before, assemble the night before, throw it in the oven day of. It is glorious.
I had a Sunday afternoon free while my husband is out of town — he doesn’t really love mushrooms — so I went out on a limb and took the time and energy to make this (at almost 6 months pregnant, it was no small feat). SO. WORTH IT.
It’s even better left over the next day. I’m going to be a happy camper all week, and this is definitely going to be my go-to make-for-the-week meal when my husband travels for work!
I found I saved a pot by doing the mushrooms in a deep sautee pan, then the bechamel in the same pan. Got some of the mushroom-y flavor into the sauce, worked like a charm.
Deb – I have now tried twice to make the bechamel – but each time I could just not get it to thicken. It starts off fine but once I add the second half of the milk it just stopped thickening. The second time I tried I added the milk slowly the entire time (rather then dump in the second half all at once) but no luck there either. I know the proportions must be right because they are working fine for everyone else – but it just seems like too much milk. Your recipes are usually home runs for me. What am I doing wrong? Any tips?
Amy — While you are owed a more helpful comment, to be honest, I’d say that 90-95% of the time I make bechamels with this or any similar recipe, it thickens but 5-10% of the time it doesn’t and I think it just happens sometimes. Sometimes it helps to cook it longer. I always erred on the low side (as does this Ina recipe) but was surprised to see that the Silver Spoon and other cookbooks recommend much longer, so there is at least little harm in giving it up to 10 minutes.
I’ve made this lasagna at least 6-7 times and it is AWESOME. One time, added a bit of fresh spinach had on hand (uncooked, just laid the stemless leaves on top of the noodles). Simetimes add extra shrooms. Shallots are nice, too, but one of the beauties of the recipe is simplicity, right? Although I once sprinkled grated mozzarella on top when the top got a bit dry! We always serve it with a bountiful green salad with a tangy lemony dressing because this lasagne has lots of butter, cheese and pasta–but no citric acid from tomatoes! (If the lasagne is the main dish, the salad can have stuff like broccoli, spinach, arugula, red cabbage, sugar snap peas, chickpeas, beans, etc.) An antipasto salad is also great with this. Or for added protein, an appetizer involving hummus or white bean dip with carrots/celery is nice. Oranges in salad or side dish are lovely! THIS LASAGNA is a HIT every time!
I made this for my vegetarian guests at a lasagna party where your bolognese was the (presumed) star. I knew it would be good, but I never expected that the kids would be mad for it too. I had to ban one of them from the kitchen until after assembly so I would have some mushrooms left for the dish. Definitely a keeper!
Hey Deb! LOVE this recipe, but I do have a question that may seem silly…you call for one cup of parmesan cheese, but does that mean ‘one measured cup’ or 8oz. shredded? My cheese always measures differently…I guess ounces would be better for me?
I agree that parmesan ALWAYS measures differently. 1 cup of microplane-d parmesan weighs about what a tissue does. Finely grated would weigh more. Coarsely grated a little less than finely but more than microplaned, etc. 3 1/2 ounces is a more standard weight for grated parmesan; 8 ounces, I’m not even sure how to get that.
Ha! I meant to type 4 ounces, not 8 ounces! Those pre-packaged 8 ounce shredded cheeses say 2 cups, but I always shred my own. Thank you for answering!
Good Lord, this is is delicious. I added spinach to the mushrooms. So good I’m kind of happy no one else in my house ate any and now I have an entire pan to myself.
I made this in an 8×12 pan using whole wheat pasta and 2% milk. It turned out beautifully. I went to have a piece of it and ended up just picking out the sauce covered mushrooms instead of eating the cheese and pasta. It was worth it because mushrooms were on sale, but my kitchen looks like a tornado went through it.
Deb, I am looking for a non meat TG center piece, and I am a huge Ina fan, and have loved this recipe for as long as well, ever, my question is, I am not a fan of anything too buttery…..I see how much butter is in this…..is it very buttery??? Taste wise?? It’s ok if it is subtle, but i dislike and have a hard time eating anything that is too buttery…advice??
Personally, what I taste here is not buttery-ness because it’s used to make a bechamel, the white sauce that fills the noodles. We don’t find it over the top at all, in fact, most people tell me these style lasagnas taste lighter than the red sauce, ricotta and more ones.
Hi Deb,
I would like to make this lasagna, but with the addition of some sausage – either ground turkey or hot italian sausage. Do you think it would work if I sprinkled some cooked sausage in between layers? Thanks much!
Madhavi
I’m sure it would be great.
Thank you very much! I also have to say that I’ve tried so many recipes from your website and not one has flopped. In fact, I’m so confident of your recipes that I have even tried them out for the first time for a big party! Thanks again.
The only lasagna noodles I could find in Australia were instant (and my attempt to pre-soak some turned into a hugely sticky mess) but just wanted to report that it didn’t end up dry at all. It was beautiful, but I wish there had been a bit of tang to it.
If making this 2-3 days in advance, freeze or refrigerate? Thanks!
Same question. I m planning to do this before the 24th dinner so going to make in advance.
Either, but fridge should be fine.
How did this turn out? I’m tempted to make on the 22nd, refrigerate and serve on 12/25. Thanks in advance!!
First of all I love your website so much! I have done so many things from Smitttn kitchen and every recipe works so well! my family think I am a top chef and is all thanks to you! Now the question: I m planning to cook this lasagna 2 days ahead the party. Should assembly and freeze without baking? Or shall bake it , then freeze and then bake again the day of the party?
Thanks
For two days, either assemble it and keep it in the fridge, baking it right before it’s needed (what I usually do) or bake it now and reheat it when needed. Fridge is fine either way. By the time it’s frozen and defrosted again, that’s 2 days right there.
When you brown butter for this, do you also strain it before adding the mushrooms? #lazygourmet
No need to strain the browned butter. Wonderful recipe!
Hi Deb, would it be really bad to freeze this before baking it? Trying to prep meals for 1.5 weeks and would love to be able to avoid the extra steps of baking and cooling… (and honestly, having made this before, I seriously doubt it would make it into the freezer intact if I baked it first. There are several lasagna fiends in my house with sneaky forks, fingers, etc ;)
Thanks!!
No, that’s exactly when I’d freeze it. For pastas like this, everything is already cooked and the oven is really about bringing everything together. No need to do it sooner.
Hey Deb, I’m a little confused … the recipe says to bake the lasagna, let it cool & then freeze. But your comment above seems to say it should be frozen before baking. ?? IF one froze a baked lasagna, then thawed it … what would “reheating” it be? (oven temp/approx time) Many thanks.
This is DELICIOUS. I added some minced fresh thyme to the mushrooms while they were sautéing, and then added a bag of frozen spinach to the mushroom mixture. (I thawed the spinach under warm running water, squeezed out the water, and sautéed it briefly in a little olive oil with the garlic clove from the warm milk, put through the garlic press.) Really, really yummy.
Had to have this asap after seeing the post. I have not made lasagna in ages …. sometimes great and sometimes a flop and always too rich for me. BUT this! It is everything you described … I squashed my typical inclination to add to the ingredients (… black olives? A bit of sautéed spinach? Some goat cheese?) and was so glad I did. Baby portabellas are inexpensive here so that is what I used … there was a lot of juice that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with… I ended up soooning some around the edges of the assembled lasagnas and froze the rest in a cube for soup starter. I divided into 2 8×8 dishes. Was a little unsure of how much bechamel to put on the layers… I had about a cup leftover and in hindsight would have made the portions a tad thicker ( but that will make an easy alfredo this week). I was shocked that the end results looked JUST LIKE yours, Deb! The crunchy top layer is magnificent… and even my meat eating husband was satisfied with this veggie entree. Lunch today was a real treat as it reheats well and I’m not sure how long that dish will last in my freezer… maybe a few more days! This one is going into the SK success stack.
Made this last night for a dinner party. I was worried it wasn’t going to have enough flavor, but it was delicious! Of course I fiddled with it a bit. Added a bit of fresh thyme to the mushrooms and some goat cheese to the bechamel. I made the lasagna noodles with Jamie Oliver’s royal dough recipe. Really impressed with the end result. Thanks again, Deb!
I made it and it’s delicious :)
If I am making this late Wed night to serve on Sat (and traveling with it… 3 hrs in the car) should I freeze or refrigerate?
Probably either works, so it’s up to you.
If there is one thing I learned from Julia Child, it is the great advice, “don’t crowd the mushrooms!” I think of that every time I make something with mushrooms and always remember to do them in batches. This was just a fantastic recipe, and it was the first time I had made a béchamel. My husband was super happy with the lasagna and the recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you for posting! Also, Deb, thank you for giving me some confidence regarding moving into a much smaller kitchen than I previously had. If you can handle all your incredible recipes with such prowess, I’m sure I’ll be able to handle a counter space decrease!
This turned out wonderfully for me!
I used the no-boil lasagna noodles and it worked perfectly. It may have helped that I couldn’t see sautéing the mushrooms w/o some herbs and an onion, I also added a couple ounces of white wine to give them some more flavor to absorb. I figured this extra “juice” probably help give the pasta more to absorb too.
Additionally, in the middle layer I included some crumbled high quality blue cheese.
The dish was heaven!
good recipe!
https://mariobetto.com/
Delicious!!! Was worried it wouldn’t have much flavor (in the same way I too often find Alfredo sauce lacking a punch), but it had fantastic flavor!!
We made with no-boil noodles, and it was no problem.
My math must be off, since I counted out the noodles but had a few left over, resulting in fewer layers! But despite that, this was delicious! I added some chopped up fresh spinach, and next time will add even more (I was a bit short on the mushrooms, so I figured the spinach helped make up some of the filling). I also would have put more sauce on the top. Regardless of these almost faux pas, the family loved it. I did not overlap the lasagna; it was easy to cut into portions. I will definitely make this again, and i hope my counting skills improve!
I would make it with no-boil noodles. Save a pot!
Martha Rose Schulman has a recipe just like this in the nyt. I make it all the time. Recipes for Health! It’s a great recipe. There is never any left for freezing!
Could you swap out the whole milk for almond or soy?
Probably, but I haven’t tested it here.
I’ve made bechamel with almond milk before and it was fine.
Do you think I can use the no boil lasagna noodles? That would cut the number of pots used 😊
Lots of people do here, but I would probably soak them in hot water for a bit first. They need to “drink” something to hydrate and in a saucy, tomato/marinara lasagna, what they were designed for, there’s lots of liquid. Less so here.
I made this last night and it was amazing. I used the full teaspoon of nutmeg, and I also added shallots and Marsala like you mentioned. I used a lot more Parmesan! It turned out just amazing.
Thank you for this!!
(And you left salt off the ingredients list 😆)
Made this plus spinach quiche x2 and two loaves of onion lover’s bread for a party of fifteen and it was just the right amount of food. This was the new recipe of the night and my favorite.
Could I use no-boil lasagna noodles?
Thanks for your great recipes- I’ve gained 15 lbs from finding your website!
Lots of people do here, but I would probably soak them in hot water for a bit first. They need to “drink” something to hydrate and in a saucy, tomato/marinara lasagna, what they were designed for, there’s lots of liquid. Less so here.
I can confirm, it would be better to soak/partially hydrate the noodles first. I used gluten-free “oven ready” lasagna and didn’t soak them first, and they soaked up too much of the bechamel/buckled in the oven. Still delicious, but not as saucy/creamy as I’d hoped — next time!
I made this last night and we loved it. I could really just eat the béchamel with a spoon and almost skip the rest of it. I screwed up on my layers and ran out of sauce (not because I was eating it) so I ended up with a top layer of mushrooms and extra noodles. No worries. I just put cheese on top of the mushrooms and baked it that way. Totally amazing. You’re my hero.
Thanks Deb, My 5 year old approved! “You can make this again.” Which as you know is High Scoring. It was a small labor of love, but since the baby naps in the afternoon, I put on a movie and snuck my way to the kitchen. I also don’t do the dishes ;D . I did your suggestions of Shallots and 2lb of mushrooms. My Casserole pan used less noodles, which were turned into snacks for the kids during the start of the witching hour. Keep up the great work, I’ll just accidentally get stuck here now and again and HAVE to make a few things.
This looks so yummy! I too have never been very fond of lasagna, always preferring white sauced vegetable kinds to the classic tomato and meat. I definitely want to try this sometime.
As a side note, the first instructions are missing a word, probably pot?
Prepare noodles: Bring a large, wide (if you use a wide one, you can save a dish later and saute your mushrooms in the bottom of it) of water to boil
Thanks, now fixed.
I’m making this tonight, for the second time. After the first time, my husband said it was the best lasagna he’d ever tasted. We’re not huge mushrooms fans, so I used half the amount called for, and also added carrots and spinach. Tonight I plan to add some broccoli, too, and will likely 1.5x the sauce, which is heavenly.
This recipe is, simply, DELICIOUS! Made it ahead and froze for a multi-meal family weekend and everyone had seconds (and craved leftovers the next day!). Amazing flavor and most satisfying! Thank you!
I need a do-ahead meal for the night before Thanksgiving and this seems perfect. May I ask, did you freeze it baked or unbaked, and then does it go into the oven still frozen or do you defrost it?
Thanks in advance!
This was amazing! As I was assembling it I thought there was no way it could really taste light, but unsurprisingly, Deb was right. I added shallots to the mushrooms, didn’t use all the béchamel, and didn’t bother to cook the Trader Joe’s lasagna noodles, just dipped them in water before assembling. I wish I’d made two so I didn’t have to sacrifice half of this batch to the freezer; we paired it with baby arugula lightly dressed with lemon juice and a little olive oil, and it was all I wanted to eat all weekend!
I do think the next time I’ll make this (possibly this weekend!) I’ll use at least another 8 ounces of mushroom to improve the vegetable to noodle ratio.
Loved this recipe. Well worth the extra dirty pots.
I made this for my family, and it is absolutely divine! Despite the small amount of cheese, it is very creamy and indulgent.
Deb,
Loved meeting you when you came to Vancouver BC for your book-signing in November 2017.
Would skim or 2% milk work here, as opposed to whole milk?
Thank you!
I’d use 2%, not sure about skim. And hi! Thank you.
In an attempt to eat more vegetarian meals, I made this last night. It took a great deal of strength to not just stand at the kitchen bench savouring small mouthfuls of it after I’d had my share at dinner. 100% DO NOT REGRET MAKING THIS YUM
I use fontina, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses. Sometimes I add prosciutto layered in or diced cooked pancetta. Just adjust the amount of Parmesan and Romano to account for salt content. One of my favorite recipes of Ina’s.
I love red meat, but this is probably the best lasagne I’ve ever made. It was MORE popular than the meat lasagne that I brought to the same event.
I’ve made this with whole (3.25%) milk and skim- both were great, and there was no issue with the lower fat content in the skim milk.
Hello! Can this lasagne be put together during the day and baked that evening?
Thank you!
Love love love all your food🤗
I made this for a dinner party last night. It was delicious in its simplicity. The only variations I made were adding Marsala to the mushrooms at the end of cooking and added an extra cup of milk and a little extra butter and flour. This will absolutely stay in my rotation!
This was fantastic! I made a few changes, I used fresh pasta sheets so I didn’t have to cook them first (saved myself a pan). I added the garlic as suggested and was happy I did. Because I was a tad short on mushrooms, I added some frozen spinach and saluted zucchini. The blend of veggies was great. What an awesome vegetarian dish. Such a winner!
I’m new to freezing foods and trying to get a bunch of freezer meals ready before having a new baby in a few weeks. If I assembled and froze before baking, would I need to thaw in fridge overnight before baking? And would baking time and temperature be the same? Thanks!
Hi Jocelyn,
I made this ahead and froze it unbaked for the large crowd I was expecting the night before Thanksgiving. I put it in the fridge the day before and when it was still quite frozen I actually let it sit out an hour or two before baking. After that, baking time was pretty much as stated in the recipe. It was a huge hit!!
Best wishes to you!!
Hi Deb,
This sounds amazing and I’m planning on making it for my husband while I travel out of town next week. Do you think it would take well to the addition of some greens? I’m thinking broccoli rabe or some spinach.
Thanks!
Absolutely. Not too too much because it’s only moderately saucy, but I definitely like greens here.
Thank you!
I made this for a party a couple weeks ago and everyone loved it. (The only change was that I made my own pasta, which I think makes everything better.) I also made bolognese lasagna and I expected only the vegetarians would eat the mushroom lasagna, but even the carnivores ate it and loved it. I got so many compliments.
How far in advance would you make this and refrigerate before baking off? (Can I make tomorrow 12/22 for Christmas lunch???)
I think it would be fine to make today, but if you are worried, it freezes beautifully!
Probably. Just make sure the pasta is al dente so it doesn’t taste soggy by the time you bake it.
I made it for christmas an it was so good, my daughter ordered the recipe (that says a lot)!
To test it before desaster on christmas, I precooked a few lasagna noodels before, but they all sticked together and at the premiere I just took the no-cooked-lasagna-noodles. It was perfect (because there is a lot of bechamel 😊) I put the wine into the bechamel, because it would be to much liquid for the mushrooms, but perfect for my (a little bit too) thick sauce. Thank you so much for this perfect family receipe ❤ and greetings from munich, Barbara
This was absolutely delicious. I used a mix of wild mushrooms that I had in the cupboard and button mushrooms to make up the difference. I also added some frozen spinach to one of the mushroom layers. Really really good. And now I have lunches for days!
Truly a keeper. I make it exactly as the original recipe is written with no adjustments. I originally made it for my vegetarian daughter and her friends, but it’s now in my permanent rotation for everyone.
Added this dish on my menu for my husband’s birthday party.
I prepared it the day before and refrigerated until ready to put in the oven.
Everyone was surprised that it had no meat sauce! Delicious, easy to make & absolutely presentable!!
In reading the assembly section, “arrange a layer of noodles on top*” – I can’t seem to find what the * refers to – ? Please advise. Thanks!
What size pan?!!
8×12 or 9×13 baking dish. I’m using the latter, this one.
Made this for a pot luck dinner tonight and it was devoured!! Also received recipe requests!! Followed the tweaks – adding the shallots and garlic – and should have added more mushrooms. Will definitely make this again!!
This looks wonderful, but I have a question: I know I can get gluten free lasagna noodles, but can I sub in gluten free flour for the regular flour in the béchamel? Would it change taste, texture, or cooking time?
I’d expect a gluten-free baking flour mix to work pretty well here.
Hi – I’d like to make the day before a dinner party with lightly boiled no-boil noodles. Would you bake and reheat or put in fridge assembled and bake the day of? Was thinking I’d bake and reheat but have heard there can be issues with separation with cream sauce. Also heard it’s better baked the day before and reheated. Not sure what is best for taste, no sogginess, no separation! Would appreciate your input. Thank you!
I’ve made two days before, using regular noodles. I boiled water in a tea kettle and poured into a large, flat pan. I added a touch of olive oil and the regular noodles. Let them sit for 5 minutes and then assembled. Baked day-of. Worked perfectly on two separate occasions!
Thank you, Allie!
Deb, Do you bake this before freezing? If so, what’s the heating process for a full pan after you remove from freezer?
I do not bake before freezing because it’s really already cooked, just needs melting/merging/etc. Once it’s defrosted, bake as you would if you’d just assembled it, plus maybe 5 to 10 minutes as it will need to warm up from the fridge.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I look forward to making it with your suggestions. Trader Joes had a wonderful mushroom lasagna that they discontinued and I now need to learn how to make it. I think it would be over-the-moon wonderful with homemade pasta!
Nooooo! It would have been amazing but I didn’t cover it and it was a little too dried out. I feel like it needs to cook covered for 35 and uncovered for everything to brown for 10.
I followed the directions and ended up with a cup of liquid from the mushrooms. I wasn’t sure if I should add this to the pan or discard it. I also used no boil lasagne noodles. It is sitting in the fridge awaiting baking for later. Please advise. Thanks!
I’m not sure I follow — from the pan? You poured it off?
After sautéing the mushrooms in two batches, I had like a cup of mushroom liquid leftover. I didn’t know if I should add this to the lasagne layering. Upon looking at a few more recipes I reduced it down to like a 1/4 cup and then drizzled this over the lasagne. It worked fine. Thank you- the recipe was delicious!
I, too, had a good cup of lovely mushroom liquid .. perhaps I should have cooked the mushrooms more? The directions say to sauté until the mushrooms release some of their liquid … so perhaps I cooked them too long? Anyways .. the mushroom liquid found its way into my current pot of turkey soup, & was not wasted. I haven’t made this in a couple of years, but the one I just put in the oven looks amazing. I know it will taste as good as I remember it.
Hi,
Any advice on making this with fresh lasagna sheets? Thinking of making this for Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend :-)
For fresh pasta, I usually precook it for a minute or two. It seems like you shouldn’t need to, but I find the texture doesn’t set up well otherwise.
Thank you, Deb! This worked really well. My first time making a lasagna :-)
Also, I used almond milk for the bechamel as some of us can’t have milk. That also worked well. It’s a bit grey when you re-heat leftovers the next day, but could not taste the difference.
I know you posted this almost 10 years ago, but I make it all the time, And we love it. Sometimes we sub in spinach, or add meat, but it’s just amazing. We make it for weeknights, weekends, and guests. So good!!
Hi! What do you think of adding chopped fresh spinach to the cooked bechamel?
Long time fan, first time commenter. Just made this tonight and it is divine. I bought no-boil lasagna sheets without realizing it at Trader Joe’s, and skimmed the comments about what others did with their no-boil lasagna – do I soak it in hot water or not? I opted for to not soak, but only because I added spinach to the mushrooms, and someone previously commented that the extra juices from the spinach/mushroom mixture would provide enough moisture to soften the pasta. It did not disappoint. Husband loved the lasagna, we have leftovers for this week, and a few portions went into the freezer which will provide ultimate satisfaction during the post partum recovery coming up soon! Thank you SK for another fantastic recipe!
Made this for the first time today & it was delicious! I think next time I would add more mushrooms or another vegetable, as it felt a little scant in the final dish, especially as I’m usually too lazy to make a side salad. Excellent recipe, excited to make again!
I have a big pan, so I increase by 1/3 and use the whole box of pasta. I find that no-boil pasta works very well in this, you just need to leave the bechamel on the loose side, cover while baking, and then brown under the broiler. Delicious! This recipe is definitely on repeat at my house.
quick question on freezing – why the foil pan? what will happen if you use glass or a metal roasting pan? thank you! and to confirm – freeze before you bake?
I’ve frozen in foil before – did 2 weeks before Christmas and put in fridge the day before to start to thaw. Baked Christmas Day. Worked great!
I made this on Sunday, and it’s fabulous. I used DOUBLE the amount of mushrooms (3 pounds, mixed types). Next time I will triple the amount! I also used Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles and and added about 1/4 c of water around the edge of the pan after assembly, cooked it for 30 min covered in foil and 15 min uncovered. Perfection – can’t wait to make it again!
I have made this wonderful lasagna many times but today I have finally remembered to ask these two questions. I have been using a slotted spoon to take the mushrooms out of their pot and put them into the layers. Do you want me to use the moisture that is produced with the mushrooms? I have never done that before but if you think it’s necessary I will. Second question, when it goes into the oven, do I cover it with foil? Everybody loves this recipeAnd I’d like to write those two answers into my copy. I love your blog and books and tell people about you all the time. Thank you for all your hard work
I’d leave it behind, if it doesn’t cook off once released. I don’t usually cover this lasagna when baking, but you can if it’s getting too brown for you. In some baked pasta recipes, I do about 15 to 20 with foil on the and the rest (or second half of the time) without.
Hi! Quick question. Would it still be good if I added some shredded chicken for more protein?
I don’t personally care for it here so I can’t answer whether it will be good but I do think it will work just fine. :)
I too was a boil only lasagna noodle girl but they really do work. You can break them on a table’s edge to fit the pan to size. For those worried about the amount of moisture – don’t overcook your mushrooms as the juices will add extra moisture. You can also cook the lasagna covered – again it helps retain the moisture. Just brown last 10 minutes.
i make this regularly, too. recently i increased everything by 1/3. the result tasted fine, but was impossible to cut into neat squares. i used a le creuset baker and everything fit (it’s approximately 9 x 13, but taller than metal pans of this size). not a deal breaker, just saying….and i also add shallots and a good splash of marsala wine.
Do you think this recipe would convert a non mushroom lover? I love them, my husband doesn’t.
Made this for dinner tonite and it was wonderful. I was concerned hubby would miss meat, but he loved it too! This is the time of the year that I roast vegetables nearly every night. I think next time I make this, I will roast the mushrooms. It should give them even more depth of flavor. Thanks for the recipe! Love your website, newsletter and cookbooks!
What a great idea!
Oh my god! This tasted so good!! I know i’ll regularly be cooking this from now on. I ended up using only half the white sauce to try and make it not so naughty and it was totally fine :)
Could this be made with fresh pasta?
Absolutely. You could use my recipe and “patchwork” approach in the lasagna bolognese.
I just made this with fresh homemade lasagna noodles. My god, it was good! I can see how you could use recipe with whatever veggies you’d like. I love making pasta so when the garden is going this will be a staple. Browning the butter and adding more fresh nutmeg than I usually use added so much to it.
Hi Deb,
I’d like to make a spinach mushroom lasagna. What do you think of reducing the mushrooms by about half, then adding 10 oz. chopped fresh spinach to the bechamel?
You’d want to add more than 10 ounces, probably, to compensate for the mushrooms but this is otherwise how I’d approach it.
I’ve made it for years. Let’s face it. Add anything you want. It’s all about the béchamel sauce!!!!
Quick question: Does this use 4 layers of noodles?
Yes
Thank you for this recipe! I made it for my friend and her husband right after she had a baby! They were so happy and delighted. I am grateful I was able to help them in this way because of you!
Most of the comments I have read here come from folks who have not cooked the recipe. That’s why I read recipe comments.
Has anyone made this recipe?
There is a tab in at the top of the comments section that say “I MADE THIS” — click on it and it will show you comments from people who have reported making it.
Delicious! I used oven-ready lasagna noodles, and they were perfect. I also added sherry to the mushrooms and a little more to the rue, so there was a little extra juice in the mushroom mixture, which probably helped with the noodles. The end result was still very saucy.
Any issue with using pecorino here? I have a block of it that I would love to use for this.
None at all
Hi! I love this recipe and it’s absolutely delicious right out of the oven. While it’s still great re-heated, I find that the bechamel don’t stay as creamy or keep the lasagna as moist. Any tips?
I think it’s just, unfortunately, a bechamel thing. Or the cheese against the bechamel. You could make a little extra bechamel for serving; it might be nice spread in a little puddle on the plate under the reheated slice.
Would someone please tell me the best way to bake an uncooked lasagna when pulled from the freezer? Should I thaw. My suspicion is that I should bake it frozen. Someone help me please.
Can you use the lasagna noodles that you don’t need to cook first? I don’t have a pot wide enough to cook the noodle. Last time I made this, the noodles either broke or stuck together. (It still tasted wonderful!)
It should work — or you can soak your noodles in hot water for 10 minutes, as we do here — but I do worry about the lasagna being overall more dry.
Working from home means that the 45 minutes you spend on public transport can be spent in the kitchen, making this!
Let me quote all the internet cats:
Omnomnom ! 😂
The only tiny thing I did, was to put the garlic and a sprinkle of thyme with the mushrooms. As fresh lasagne noodles aren’t available here, I parboiled 9 sheets of dried ones.
This recipe looks like it is worth trying!!! but how much spinach do we use if we have fresh spinach and not frozen???
Made this as a vegetarian main for Covid Thanksgiving. If I understand the directions correctly, I think I was short a layer? In any case, I used two pounds of mushrooms, which were mixed mushrooms from the farmer’s market, about a cup of shallots and thyme; I used a mix of parm, fontina, and gruyere. I browned the butter for the bechemel, but I couldn’t tell the difference if I’m honest. I offered mixed chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme) to top, which was really nice. I think next time, I would bump up the mushrooms to three pounds, and maybe add some spinach; the mushrooms felt a little lost. Overall, a super excellent dish. Shines when paired with a salad of bitter greens with vinegary dressing. Give yourself ample time to prepare. It’s not hard, but it is time consuming to complete all the steps. Worth it!
Looks delicious! Thinking about making this for Christmas – does it hold up if you prepare it the day before or even just hours before you have to put it in the oven?
Wondered if you ended up making it the day before, and if so, how it turned out?
I saw your question about how it holds. I always make this the day before I have dinner guests and just store it uncovered in the fridge. I take it out to warm up on the counter and then bake as usual. It seems to work out fine for me and it really is a delicious casserole…in fact, I think I will make some now.
Have you ever made this with no boil lasagna noodles?
I haven’t used them here but several other commenters have and advise:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722387
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722393
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722417
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722444
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722511
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722582
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722585
https://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/mushroom-lasagna/#comment-722700
FWIW, I’m thinking about making this for dinner tonight (lol, I should decide soon). I haven’t yet used this method here — where you soak regular noodles in hot water for 10 instead of using no-boil — but I will. I can report back.
yes, I’ve done the soak too – I think it works quite well
As promised, I did this last night and I regret to say that while the lasagna was delicious, I did not like it as much. It might be because I have the original to compare it to, but I just found it less creamy. I soaked the dried lasagna noodles (not no-boil) for 15 minutes in hot water, and baked the assembled lasagna with foil on for 45 minutes (this is how long it took them to soften), then ran it under the broiler for a few minutes, to get it brown on top. It was delicious, but like I said, less creamy to me. I felt the sauce had dried a bit too much compare to the usual perfection of this lasagna.
I usually soak for 25 minutes with the noodles in a sheet pan. I use it for lasagna roll ups so maybe that makes a difference as the sauce is more liquid.
deb, this exceeded all expectations. so filling but not heavy at all, and the mushrooms sang. threw in some frozen spinach and sauteed alongside, and put the pepper in with the mushrooms instead of in the bechamel. saving this one!
Have you tried this with almond milk and vegan cheese? Want to make it but we are vegan!
This recipe is…incredible. I’m not a devout mushroom lover, but I wanted to try something out of my comfort. I’m spending my first Christmas alone this year (like many of us are because, Covid), and have been having trouble finding comfort. This lasagna was just what I didn’t know I needed. Tastes like a big, warm hug from home. Thanks, Deb. ❤️
My mushrooms released a LOT of liquid, so I drained most of it out so it wouldn’t ruin the texture. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to do that, but it worked wonderfully.
10+ years after you posted this recipe, it was the star of our weird, COVID Christmas. It was rich enough to feel special, easier to make for a small group (with leftovers!) than a traditional meal with all the sides, and easy enough to shop for in this lockdown reality. I even used lactose free milk (on accident) and it worked great for the sauce. The whole thing was also fun to make, which is saying something after several months of way more cooking at home than I normally do. Thank you, and best wishes for 2021!
NYE wasn’t as expected this year with COVID but still wanted to make it special so chose this lasagna! I think we used every dish in my tiny NYC apartment but after tasting it we agreed it was worth it! Was hesitant about a tomato-sauceless lasagna but I learned to trust you long ago, Deb! :)
We made this for New Years Eve last night with lobster tails as the appetizer. It was delicious!
Love this recipe! About to make it for the second time. Deb, note that there’s a typo in the noodles measurement – in case anyone else from a metric country needs this, ¾ lb. is 340 g, not 240 g.
It was perfect on a drizzly and dreary winter day. Mixed many mushroom varieties with great results. Added garlic to the bechamel at your suggestion, and we loved it.
This is a favorite in our house. I often add a small sweet potato also, peeled and sliced very thinly with a mandoline. A layer of sweet potato under each layer of mushrooms adds another delicious flavor note, and gets perfectly cooked.
Oh, and I whisk the mushroom liquid in to the béchamel before building the lasagna.
This is an amazing recipe!! A big hit. I added the suggestions of shallots and dry marsala wine to the mushroom mixture. I made a version not as light as the original recipe. I used 3 lbs of mushrooms – doubled the recipe (combination of Cremini and WILD mushroom assortment from Whole Foods and Costco). I increased beschamel to 1 1/2 times recipe. The best addition was to add a second cheese – smoked mozzarella. It added an amazing flavor.
Ohhhhh this is so good! Even better than red sauce. Sometimes when I run out of lasagna noodles during the quarantine, we just use whatever pasta we have on hand and layer it as usual. We have also on occasion chopped up leftover roasted veggies and added that to the mushroom layer. Such a wonderful recipe!
We’ve been happily eating our way through this for a little over a week. So luxurious, warming and indulgent. Still loving every bite! Thank you.
I made this for dinner on Friday. It was delicious! I sauteed the shallots like you recommended and made everything exactly the same except I used fresh lasagna noodle sheets. Everyone loved it!
I made this in a rush, and did everything badly and it still came out great. I poured the milk into the pot first, then poured it back out to add butter, which I didn’t wait to melt before adding flour. Used a stick blender to fix my sloppy ways, and then was impatient for it to thicken–when I used it in the assembly, it was about the texture of heavy cream. But it came out so well, that even with a salad, my husband and I ate more than half of it. (To be fair, I’m used to cooking dishes that “serve 4″ for just the two of us–he is 6’8” after all.)
I’m famous for my “regular” spinach lasagna, but this makes a nice change. Definitely a keeper!
This was absolutely delicious. I had friends over for dinner and wanted a dish I could just pop in the oven. It was so tasty. Thanks for a wonderful recipe. It was our first post Covid vaccine gathering and a festive dish for it!
I made this by the book last night. I love dairy and I love mushrooms. I usually make the NYT lasagna with spinach and zucchini. Was looking forward to something new.
This was completely inedible. Way too rich. After one piece (could have been cut into 12), my husband got physically ill, and I had a small stomach ache. We’re OK now, but this is the only meal I’ve made where I spent well over 2 hours making something only to throw it away. Again, I love dairy and all things cheese. Never, EVER again.
Also, the directions were… challenging. Why not pour the roux into the hot milk? Pouring the milk in is dangerous and messy.
I see a bazillion positive comments here. Just wondering what went wrong.
OMG! I have had no trouble at all serving this to family and friends including vegetarians and never had a problem. What a shame! It is such a lovely recipe.
You want to add the hot milk slowly and stir so that the roux doesn’t go into clump mode. It’s not dangerous if it you do is slowly so as not to splash and spill.
I love this lasagna and want to make it for a dinner party but one person is gluten free. Can i use gluten free noodles…I know the bechamel calls for flour but I’m hoping that little bit will be OK with her. Please advise on gluten free noodles for this dish.
Please do not make this with gluten free noodles and flour in the sauce, at least without talking to the person first. I am gluten intolerant, not celiac or allergic, and the amount of flour in the bechamel could easily knock me out for 36 hours. Choose another recipe, there are plenty out there!
Could you make this with butternut squash? Either alone or with mushrooms and follow this recipe as is otherwise?Thx
I haven’t but I bet you could — just slice it thin and roast it vs. sauteing.
This is the best lasagna EVER! Forget the old “red” lasagna, this is rich and beautiful and soooo flavorful. I can’t imagine freezing this, but I will give it a try…with the next batch since we finished off this round. Seriously, this is going to replace the old “red” recipe for sure. Definitely have to have the garlic and shallots! So amazing!
This is the best lasagna EVER! I first tried in March 2021 and it made me Forget the old “red” lasagna because this is rich and beautiful and soooo flavorful. I can’t imagine freezing this, but I will give it a try…with the next batch since we finished off this round. I definitely like the addition of garlic and shallots. Lovely recipe.
For anyone wondering, I finally made this in an 8×8. I used 1lb of mushrooms (but next time would probably use the full 1.5 lbs) and only made 75% of the bechamel which was plenty. Came out beautifully, but was definitely a little thicker than when I make it in an 8×12.
can you use the lasagna noodle no boil just soak in warm water for 10 minutes technique with this lasagna?? Thank you!
Can I assemble the day before and cook before company comes? This was my plan, but I’m a little worried about the bechamel.
Absolutely.
I just finished inhaling this. In the interest of full disclosure I also added some frozen spinach, because I need more greens and am too lazy to make a salad. It’s perfection. My hubby was worried it was too rich, but he also loved it. Adding it to the rotation.
My two-year-old son calls mushrooms “muffwoops” and it is the CUTEST THING EVER and is one reason I want to make this. Unfortunately, he “doesn’t wike muffwoops” right now, sigh.
:D
I made this for dinner tonight after seeing the recipe at break today! My husband hates a red sauce so I was excited for a lasagna he would try!
Was as delicious as I hoped it would be. We had breaded chicken on the side (chicken nuggets 😂)
I did add some mozzarella which I did not regret, and I think in the future I would throw some shredded chicken in as well
I have a few thoughts on making this easy and fast for a more regular meal, this took me much longer than I wanted to, and I hate doing dishes.
Buy store made sauce or have some canned. Making sauce is a commitment and a pan I don’t want to deal with most weeknights.
Don’t use a colander to strain, just pop the noodles into a plate and dump your water.
Those two things leave you with one pan instead.
It was absolutely delicious as the recipe suggests but there’s so many fun ways to play with it!
Freezing this dish: is it better to freeze before baking, or bake, cool and freeze? Thanks!
Delicious! This was my Sunday brunch. Your suggestion to use sauteed shallots was a nice tweak as well as a splash of Marsala with each batch of mushrooms as they cooked down. The cremini mushrooms weren’t the best when I shopped yesterday, so I used pre sliced Portobellos… meaty and so flavorful! A 9×13 pan was fine… I poured the mushroom juices on top of the lasagna before putting it in the oven so there was more than enough room for bubbles with that pan size. I agree with your caution and remark about using no boil noodles. Portions are in the freezer and refrigerator for this week. Thank you so much!
This is a good recipe. I did use the full teaspoon of nutmeg and you won’t regret it. I also added a splash of marsala to the mushrooms which added a touch more flavor. Without these, I think this would be boring so was pleased with how the extras put this recipe over the top!
This turned out beautifully! I was worried the bechamel was going to be too thick at first but once it went in the oven, the heat really “melted” it…got rave reviews :) I’m thinking I might add spinach next time….
Made this and it was delicious!!! Added some onions per Deb’s recommendation, as well as some crisped pancetta and a couple sprinkles of feta. Creamy, yummy, and rich with the mushrooms.
Addition of Crispy Pancetta or Prosciutto = Genius !!
Should each noodle layer have sauce directly above and below? Looking forward to making a modified version with frozen chanterelles foraged last month.
I usually go above but both will work!
Hi, little confused about the lasagna noodles. Mine are long (like length of spaghetti). Do you cut them in half after boiling so they fit going widthwise in your pan???
They come in longer and shorter lengths. For longer ones, they work the same, just extend them the long way down the pan instead.
Thank you. Cannot wait to try this weekend!
I made this tonight and it was quite yummy. I’m wondering what brand of noodles you used? I didn’t love mine, they were a tad chewy rather than soft, as you would want your lasagna noodles to be. I sauteed some shallot per your suggestions with the mushrooms.
Thanks!
I think this day was DeCecco, but I tend to use whatever I can get.
I split this into two loaf pans and it turned out amazing! I did the 10-minute hot water soak instead of boiling the noodles, and the loaf pan version was perfectly done after 45 minutes in the oven (I was worried it might be too long in a smaller pan, but nope!). Now I have a second batch in the freezer for an easy and DELICIOUS dinner sometime next week. Thank you!
Do you think I can make this Lasagna on a Thursday, refrigerate, bake and serve on Saturday evening or is it a mistake 2 days in advance?
I think it will be fine!
PSA this was super good with shiitakes too!!
After the resounding success of the veggie lasagna at Christmas, we decided to try this lasagna for our meatless beginning to Lent. I never “browned” butter before so why not “ be Deb”? The lasagna was fabulous. We have leftovers for Friday! Thinking of making it for Christmas.
Notes:
I seemed to have run short of mushrooms for the last layer so I added more. I also ran short of cheese so I shredded another 1/4 c.
I had alot of sauce left for the last layer (I’m not so good at portioning between layers).
I had 1, yes 1 lasagna noodle left 😆!
I will add spinach next time and maybe a pinch of red pepper.
I did not use nutmeg.
Dishes? Hey…it was totally worth getting them all dirty!
This is delicious. I chop up kale and add to mushrooms right at ens of their cooking to barely wilt. I also started making a vegan version with 1/2 soy and oat milk and a cashew cheese substitute for parmigiana . Olive oil for butter due to my daughters dairy intolerance. This was one of her favorite meals prior and it really is delicious with the began version.
So delicious. I used instant lasagne sheets and made it the day before. My tiny 5 year old niece could not eat it fast enough and announced it was her favourite food. She had three helpings. A definite winner.
I wanted to add a layer of asparagus and peas in between the two layers of the mushroom, bechamel, and parm, for a primavera style lasagna. It was delicious! So I added two cups of diagonally sliced asparagus and 3/4 c. Baby peas. I blanched the asparagus and put the peas in frozen. I just spread the bechamel amount out to another layer, so used 15 of the lasagna noodles. Rave reviews from a 6 person dinner party with just three pieces left over. It will be in my spring rotation again soon. Felt like spring. Any veg you like would work!! Thanks Deb.
Looks delicious… Gotta try it now.
Would either chanterelles or oyster mushrooms be good in this recipe? I have a lb from my CSA to use ASAP and this recipe looks delicious!
Absolutely. Use any kind you have.
Delicious! I was looking for a recipe to use the mushrooms in my fridge. I didn’t have enough (a little more than half) but I decided to try the recipe anyways. It was very good and I know having more mushrooms in it will be even better!
The only changes: I oven roasted the mushrooms instead of sauteeing them, and I did what I always do with lasagna noodles, I have a wide pot with some hot hot water, throw in the noodles for a layer at a time, take them out a couple minutes later and put in the pan. Put the pot back on the burner when water starts to cool. It’s easy and noodles are always just right.
I just made this for dinner and it is excellent. I followed the recipe exactly (except… I halved it and baked in a 8×8 and used Barilla oven ready lasagna). I really had to resist adding more mushrooms. It’s light but rich tasting at the same time. My vegetarian husband loved it.
I loved this recipe! I was so delicious and it froze/reheated very well. Now that I can’t eat tomatoes or tomato-based foods, this is my new go to recipe. Thank you!
This was amazing. I managed to make it with even *more* dishes! I made the mushroom version for me, but my family can’t do without meat/won’t eat mushrooms, so I made them a version with Italian sausage & spinach. It was a hit, and I’m looking forward to leftovers!
Does anyone have wisdom on how to cook from frozen?
Can you freeze this uncooked and bake as normal once defrosted? I want to make this for Christmas Eve.
Should each noodle layer have sauce directly above and below?
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Bring the milk and garlic to simmer in a saucepan
Could you make the béchamel and saute the mushrooms a day or 2 ahead of time?
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How do you prepare the mushroom recipe
Since I live alone and cannot bear to eat anything more than 2 times in a row, i prepare everything in disposable loaf pans. Meat loaf goes in the tiny ones – enough for a meal and a sandwich the next day. Lasagna or pastitsio can be prepared in loaf pans. One is good for three meals and the remaining pan is a treat treat to discover in the bottom of the freezer under all those halves of bagels.
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Years ago, when I made a comment & a question, I ticked off that I would like to be notified of follow-up comments. This worked well, but I would like to rescind that request. How can I stop the email notifications of new comments that I receive for this recipe? Thanks Deb. This is one of my favourite recipes.
Oh man! This was so delicious! My dinner guests ate 4 pieces each! I paired it with Brocolli Slaw and… Zero regrets!
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I made this exactly as written with the addition of the shallots, using a 9×13 metal pan. Everything came together nicely. Nice flavor, but it was too much pasta per forkful. Not enough filling to the quantity of noodles. So I’ll use the filling ingredients again in a pasta casserole with perhaps shells, not lasagna noodles.
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Sounds delish. Have you ever used the no boil lasagna noodles? If so. How did they work.
I made this for Valentines Day dinner and it was phenomenal! A new family favorite to add to the rotation. Thank you!
I’m getting ready for weekend guests and want to serve this yummy mushroom lasagne on Sunday night. I like to do as much as possible ahead of time, so how far in advance can I make this dish and refrigerate it before baking it? Thanks!
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This is a delicious dish. I added shallots and kale to the mushrooms and it was absolutely divine. I used no-boil noodles and did not run into any issues. Thank you Deb!
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for quite some time, made it to serve this past Friday for a Lenten, no-meat dinner with some mushroom lovers. I put it together Thursday as I could tell it was going to take time and attention to details. It was spectacular! Several comments:
1. I used 2 pounds cremini mushrooms and was careful to cut them 1/4”, I’m usually not that fussy but I wanted that layer to lie smoothly. I cooked them them the ATK method which cuts down on the amount of fat, no less yummy but potentially less greasy. I would recommend finding it on line, you start with a little water, reduce the ‘srooms, before adding any fat. I did add shallots and Marsala, after initial cooking.
2. The lasagna noodles I used were DeCecco brand. They had two directions for cooking. First recommendation was the non-cook method. Since Deb specifically suggests not doing that, I went with the second which was to cook the noodles for four minutes, drain, chill in cold water, then lay out on baking sheet until use; they were very easy to work with. I used Deb’s weight measurement but found I only needed three noodles per layer. I see Deb overlaps hers, maybe I should have but the three fit perfectly in a layer.
3. I was worried the béchamel was going to be too thick; it wasn’t. Used full amount of nutmeg. It was from a jar, so didn’t have the potency of fresh grated.
4. Lastly, since I made it the day before, refrigerated it wrapped in plastic. I removed it 1-1/2 hours before heating it. While it was heated through, the middle could have been hotter and more bubbly. Next time, I’ll have it sit out closer to 2 hours. Of course, that wouldn’t be an issue if it I had been baking it right after I’d put it together as it would have been warm at the start.
Sorry I’ve been so long winded; this recipe is worth every single minute you put into it. There were four of us; I have enough leftovers for three later this week. We all had very generous sizes, so this will feed a lot of very happy people!
This has become a holiday staple for my family; thank you!!!!!!
Hi Deb,
Can the no boil lasagna noodles be used in this mushroom lasagna?
If you add slightly more liquid and bake slightly longer, could you skip pre-cooking the noodles? I’ve been doing a vegetarian spinach/artichoke/tomato sauce lasagne that way for years; I up the liquid by about 5%, cover it really tightly to keep in the steam, and add about 15 minutes to the baking time, and it works fantastically.
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This is a gorgeous recipe. This is also absolutely a weekend dish, because even simplifying it by using no-boil lasagne noodles this still takes me a solid two hours (including baking time). I have been able to streamline it to use a single pot and aforementioned no-boil noodles but cooking and assembly takes me more than an hour.
So yum. Worth the effort, though I am inclined to do the recipe increase because I love a high-effort recipe that will then feed into a for multiple days (like Martha Stewart’s macaroni and cheese, for instance).
Could fresh spinach be added to this?
I’ve been making Ina’s portobello mushroom lasagna for years- and it’s always a huge hit! I also increase the amount of ingredients- especially the mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. It’s absolutely delicious and gets rave reviews every.single.time! Bon appetit!
Looks so good! We just made your ragu lasagna (again) for Christmas Eve.
Can this be made with the same fresh pasta sheets? If so, cook time changes ?
Has anyone used no bake lasagna in this recipe? Success? Any revisions for no bake success?
Just did tonight! See my comment below – worked out beautifully.
If I freeze this, and I’m assuming I’m freezing it after I bake it, what are the instructions to reheat it?
Wondering if you can use dried mushrooms for this?
This was amazing! And came together fairly quickly. Big hit with the entire family, even one kid who usually is mushroom adverse. This is definitely a keeper.
Love this, Deb! Used no-boil pasta – totally fine. Maybe had extra moisture from shallot-add and splash of white wine on mushrooms, plus layered in a mess of spinach once mushrooms were nearly cooked down. Bechamel took way longer than 5 min to thicken but I’m sure my rental cabin’s mini electric oven had something to do with it. DEEEElicious end result. And I am psyched to have learned about the loaf pan hack….I made this in a loaf pan and a square brownie pan. I feel like I won tonight’s rental cabin kitchen-mcgyvering sweepstakes! Many thanks.
Made this yummy lasagna last night. I agree with Deb that it’s surprisingly light. I did add shallots to the mushrooms and deglazed with white wine. I think some fresh thyme or parsley would be good with the mushrooms—will try next time. Delicious!
Made this last night and it was delicious! I will say, I’m not sure that the lasagna form factor added that much, and it made assembly much fiddlier. Next time I make this I think I’ll replace the lasagna noodles with ziti, mix everything together, and then add some extra parmesan cheese on top…