Recipe help - Lasagna

mjd

mjd

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Hi all,

I prepared lasagna casserole today but won't bake it until tomorrow. I've always baked it right after assembly so I'm not sure what to do.

Do I bring it to room temperature before putting in preheated oven?
Do I put it in oven while it's heating up to temperature?

Thanks in advance,
MJ
 
I don't think it matters that much, you just may need to adjust the baking time a bit.

What I usually do is take it out of the fridge as soon as I turn the oven on, and that gives it 10-15 minutes to get the chill off. I've even popped it straight in the cold oven and preheated it along with the oven.
 
Well I guess lasagna is baked.:peekaboo: I'd put it in while the oven comes to temperature. You can check it with an instant read thermometer or with a knife for doneness.
 
48764

I'm baking it in THIS pan. Sweated the veggies, browning the meat now.
 
mjd-lovescooking said:
I took it out while the oven preheated. It took about 15-20 minutes longer than it would had I baked it immediately after assembly.

Everyone loved it, so another success! Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

Bringing it up to room temperature is a waste of time. 10-15 minutes won't get it done -- more like an hour to reach room temperature. I would preheat the oven, pull the lasagna out of the fridge, and bake it. Like you said, it may need to bake a little longer, but it won't hurt the taste one bit. That's all that matters.

It's like the myth perpetuated by chefs that you should let a steak rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before cooking. At best, that raises the temperature of the meat by a few degrees internally. Just the outside surface feels warmer to the fingers. So internally, your steak is 39F instead of 37F after you waste 20-30 minutes waiting to cook it.

That's not my opinion, BTW. Do some research -- it's been tested.

CD
 
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caseydog said:
Bringing it up to room temperature is a waste of time. 10-15 minutes won't get it done -- more like an hour to reach room temperature. I would preheat the oven, pull the lasagna out of the fridge, and bake it. Like you said, it may need to bake a little longer, but it won't hurt the taste one bit. That's all that matters.

It's like the myth perpetuated by chefs that you should let a steak rest for 20-30 minutes at room temperature before cooking. At best, that raises the temperature of the meat by a few degrees internally. Just the outside surface feels warmer to the fingers. So internally, your steak is 39F instead of 37F after you waste 20-30 minutes waiting to cook it.

That's not my opinion, BTW. Do some research -- it's been tested.

CD
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. I am learning quite a bit on this forum and appreciate you all. BTW, your last line made me laugh. I believe what you wrote. What possible advantage do you have to steer another cook wrong on a cooking forum? LOL Thanks again!
 
mjd-lovescooking said:
Thanks for the response. I am learning quite a bit on this forum and appreciate you all. BTW, your last line made me laugh. I believe what you wrote. What possible advantage do you have to steer another cook wrong on a cooking forum? LOL Thanks again!
Click to expand...

I didn't want to give the impression that I am a cooking genius who knows all this stuff without doing any homework. I used to believe that steak myth, then I saw some tests done in a scientific manner, and the data showed it to be one of those cooking myths that keeps getting passed on. Sort of like the myth that searing meat locks in the juices. People did real tests on that (including Alton Brown), and found it to be another myth.

CD
 
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