We’re huge fans of frozen lasagna here at Freezer Meal Frenzy, so of course we’ll be happy about any opportunity to review the stuff. Stouffer’s has quite an assortment of lasagna, which they’re now offering in multiple sizes. We’ve reviewed the single-serve version of the Lasagna Italiano before, which we found to be quite a bit better than the Lasagna with Meat & Sauce. Today we’re checking out the big brother of the Stouffer’s lasagna family, the Stouffer’s Family Size Lasagna Italiano.
One of the major differences between the smaller version of this meal and the family-sized version is the cook time. While the single-serve version can definitely be heated in the oven and this family-sized offering can be cooked in the microwave, we really feel like the smaller one was designed for microwave cooking while the one we’re reviewing today is all about the oven. If you follow our lead and use the oven for this, it will take you more than an hour to cook this. We hope you’re patient! (You can read the full cooking instructions by checking out our package scans at the bottom of this article.)
One thing to look out for is that the pasta around the edge of the dish gets a little bit crispy if it’s not submerged in sauce. While the first 60 minutes of cook time should be done with the film left on the tray, you’ll remove the film for the last ten minutes. We suggest doing this a few minutes early and checking on the noodles so you can cover up any edges before the last section of cook time. Unless you don’t really mind the crispy noodle edges, that is.
As long as you let this cool for five to ten minutes before cutting into it, you’ll find the sauce to be nice and thick. A runny sauce can really ruin a good lasagna, and this sauce is not runny at all. It’s also nice and sweet. While a sweeter tomato sauce isn’t great for every application, it’s a killer choice for a lasagna. We think this particular sauce deserves a high five.
We also love how the bottom layers of this lasagna are piled thick with ricotta cheese. This cheese is like a yummy, gooey buried treasure. It’s wonderful.
The meat blend here is improved by spending 70 minutes cooking in the super-sweet sauce. Even the meat takes on a little bit of the sauces sweeter tones, which elevates the flavor above your regular ground beef (this is actually a blend of beef and pork, so it’s already a cut above regular ground beef).
According to the box, there are five servings in a tray. While that seems a bit small to us, we also have to admit that a pan is more than two servings for sure. This is a huge tray of lasagna. If you double that serving size to 2/5 of a pan (like we did for the picture below), you’ll end up with a pretty huge piece of lasagna.
Since we’re doubling the portion size here, we’re going to have to do a little bit of math. Stouffer’s recommended serving size contains 240 calories (70 from fat) and 600 mg of sodium. That means our recommended serving size has 480 calories (140 from fat) and 1,200 mg of sodium. You might want to err on the side of caution with this meal.
Stouffer’s Family Size Lasagna Italiano is an increible, flavor-packed lasagna that really satisfies that lasagna craving. The family-sized version certainly benefits from cooking in the oven, which makes it an even better option than its single-serve little brother. But call up your friends to help you eat this, because this is no small amount of food!
To learn more about the cooking instructions, ingredients, or nutrition content for this family-sized frozen lasagna, check out our package scans below.
Dreadful lasagna!!!! It says “double meat” which is a huge JOKE! My portion tonight had almost no tomato sauce. Five layers of pasta with no sauce except for the crust on top and very little meat. Certainly not enough meat to claim “double.” Stouffers was good years ago but today it’s a waste of time and money. I am incredibly disappointed. Don’t buy it unless you hate yourself and the people you’re serving.
Used to be good, now its too spicy, sucks!
Too salty!!! It’s just not a healthy meal. I recently retired and wanted to find a good “go to” dinner when arthritis gets in my way of cooking a homemade lasagna. Gave this a couple of chances to develop a taste for it. But, now when I see it in the frozen section I pass it right by.