# How long can a lasagna be prepared before baking it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968 "2010-03-27T00:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/1 "2010-03-27T00:10:06Z")
I’m having some friends over tomorrow, and I’m making lasagna. I thought about assembling it tonight and baking it tomorrow. Is that a bad idea? If so, why? My recipe does use egg. Would I be better off making & baking then reheating? The final option of course is to make, bake and serve. What do you super experienced cooks say? ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/2 "2010-03-27T00:13:30Z")
Lasagne is one of those things that always tastes better the second day. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d make, just UNDER bake, and then reheat tomorrow. When I do this, I always have extra grated cheese, and a little extra sauce on the stove to serve over the top of (or under) each serving of lasagne. The noodles will absorb a lot of the sauce after it sits overnight, making it a lot more tight or dry. Some people like more sauce than others. Also, remember this little tip: if you like the top of the lasagne soft and cheesy, cover it with aluminum foil when baking. If you like it brown and crispy, forgo the foil. ---
**Author:** ![SylverOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SylverOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SylverOne)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/3 "2010-03-27T00:13:42Z")
As long as it’s refrigerated, you’re fine. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/4 "2010-03-27T00:41:18Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#): > > Lasagne is one of those things that always tastes better the second day. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d make, just UNDER bake, and then reheat tomorrow. When I do this, I always have extra grated cheese, and a little extra sauce on the stove to serve over the top of (or under) each serving of lasagne. The noodles will absorb a lot of the sauce after it sits overnight, making it a lot more tight or dry. Some people like more sauce than others. > > Also, remember this little tip: if you like the top of the lasagne soft and cheesy, cover it with aluminum foil when baking. If you like it brown and crispy, forgo the foil. We do this all the time. The prep for the lasagna is pretty time consuming, and it DOES taste better after a day, when all the flavors have a chance to mingle. So we’ll make the sauce one day, and make more than we need. Use a little of the sauce to make some spaghetti or something when we’re done, assemble lasagna and store in fridge with the rest of the extra sauce until the next day. Never have put egg in it (ewww, WHY do people do this?), shouldn’t make a difference though. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/5 "2010-03-27T00:59:40Z")
I like it the day after too, but that was only a day after it had been cooked. I didn’t know if that applied to uncooked too. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/6 "2010-03-27T01:36:28Z")
Egg in the ricotta makes it firmer and less likely to run out from between the layers. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/7 "2010-03-27T01:36:39Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > Never have put egg in it (ewww, WHY do people do this?) Matter of taste. I whip egg into the ricotta for taste and texture. It’s great. Makes it creamier. ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/8 "2010-03-27T02:41:37Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Matter of taste. I whip egg into the ricotta for taste and texture. It’s great. Makes it creamier. Oh ok. When some of my relatives make it, they use boiled eggs, sliced and placed in layers on or near the bottom. Never understood or liked the eggs there, they seem horribly out of place. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/9 "2010-03-27T03:01:28Z")
Well it’s done. When I went to the grocery store, one of the packages of lasagna answered the very question I asked, and its recipe was very similar to mine. Up to 24 hours in the fridge, up to 2 months in the freezer! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/10 "2010-03-27T04:27:30Z")
Since this is about food, it’s better suited for CS than GQ. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/11 "2010-03-27T10:54:12Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > Oh ok. When some of my relatives make it, they use boiled eggs, sliced and placed in layers on or near the bottom. Never understood or liked the eggs there, they seem horribly out of place. Oh. In that case, ick. ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/12 "2010-03-27T15:40:44Z")
Now I have the urge to make a lasagna! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/13 "2010-03-27T15:56:29Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I like it the day after too, but that was only a day after it had been cooked. I didn’t know if that applied to uncooked too. In my experience, it tastes better cooked, then reheat the second day than assemble, cook the next day. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-a-lasagna-be-prepared-before-baking-it/533968/14 "2010-03-27T20:54:11Z")
I do put egg in mine, with Parmesan and cottage cheese. Sliced green olives in the meat sauce add something to it, trust me.