What is the best frozen lasagna you can find at the grocery store and proudly take home to Nonna? Well, picture this: a baking dish layered to the brim with wavy pasta sheets, fresh out of the oven and crisped at the edges, bubbling with cheese and coated in a velvety tomato sauce. The sauce smells like it’s been simmering for hours in garlic, onions, and a medley of fresh herbs—except, wait a minute. You just threw this in the oven from the freezer 45 minutes ago! How is that possible?
It may feel like a fantasy, but trust me, the best frozen lasagna can achieve everything that makes homemade lasagna both a culinary masterpiece and beloved comfort food—we have proof! Over the course of two separate taste tests, the Sporked team sat down with a specific goal in mind: find the best frozen lasagna brands. We mean it when we say we were looking for frozen lasagna that’s worthy of Nonna’s approval. From the most mouthwatering meat lasagna to the best frozen vegetable lasagna to the best gluten free lasagna, welcome to our tiered list of everyone’s favorite tiered dish.
Be warned: Not every lasagna on this list should be served to your Italian grandma. We saved the best for last. Do not insult Nonna—she has 10/10 sporked standards, okay?
- Beecher’s Cheese Curd Lasagna
We’re big Beecher’s fans here at Sporked. The Seattle-based artisan cheesemaker makes a mean frozen mac and cheese and a block of Flagship cheddar that’s an excellent addition to any cheese board. Naturally, we had high hopes for their cheese curd lasagna. And while it does have a lot going for it—thick noodles, a zesty tomato sauce, and three different cheeses, including their Flagship cheese—there was one divisive issue: the crumbly, semi-melted cheese curds sprinkled on top. The curds are sharp, acidic, and rather pungent. They’re cheese curds that make you go, “Hmm. That’s…unique.” We all wanted to love it, and you know what, some of us really did. Others couldn’t handle more than two or three bites. It may have divided the group, but the adventurous, complex flavor profile here will definitely please cheese snobs everywhere (myself included). For that bravery alone, Beecher’s deserves a spot among the best frozen lasagna we tried. (Nonna will think it’s a travesty, though—don’t show Nonna.) —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Great Value Five Cheese Lasagna
Look, I’m an Italian food snob, but there is absolutely a place for something like Great Value Five Cheese Lasagna. It reminds me of Lean Cuisine but jbetter. The sauce is sweet and speckled with dry herbs, which I usually hate, but the lasagna sheets are thick enough to stand up to it. It’s got tang, too! Walmart out here balancing flavors—who knew? I’m sure this is definitely an abomination by the standards of a lot of Italian-Americans, but I get the appeal of a Great Value Five Cheese lasagna. The cheese isn’t high quality or anything, but it has that deliciously processed quality to it. There’s something super stonerish about this that I enjoy with my whole heart and I wasn’t alone. Plus, $2.48 for a solo-size lasagna? That’s huge. It’s the best frozen lasagna if you’re looking for a cheap, filling lunch. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Amy’s Kitchen Vegetable Lasagna
Amy’s Kitchen Vegetable Lasagna was a contender for the best frozen vegetable lasagna on this list, but…well, it’s very lacking in the cheese department. Lasagna needs cheese, Amy. Yes, your sweet basil marinara sauce is very yummy—it’s the saving grace of this lasagna, in fact—but the Sporked team could not look past this critical misstep. I’m a sauce queen myself, and I will bravely go on the record calling this one of the best frozen lasagna brands, but it would definitely rank higher with some tweaks to the recipe. Like doubling the amount of cheese. Possibly tripling. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Amy’s Kitchen Gluten Free Dairy Free Vegetable Lasagna
Coming into this updated ranking, we broadened our search for the best frozen lasagna to include the best gluten free lasagna, and Amy’s Kitchen Gluten Free Vegetable Lasagna is our current frontrunner. Made with organic rice flour, it’s difficult to tell the rice noodles themselves apart from the other wheat pastas on this list. The noodles hold up well even after they’ve been nuked to oblivion (a blunder on my part). Considering this frozen lasagna it’s also dairy-free—something I would not have guessed by flavor alone, mostly because this Amy’s lasagna also lacked cheese—Amy’s Kitchen certainly gets high marks in the sensitive tummy department. The basil-forward, slightly sweet tomato sauce is the best part of this dish, even if the lasagna itself comes out too soupy. Less soup, more fake cheese please! —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs
- Rao’s Meat Lasagna
Rao’s frozen lasagna has a few issues, but the main thing we love about it? The sauce, of course. Rao’s makes a mean marinara and that makes up for some of the lasagna’s shortcomings. We also like that they use great ricotta cheese, as well as romano for some extra bite. The lasagna itself is soft, slightly sweet, and creamy in both texture and taste. The top of the lasagna gets nice and browned in the oven, and the sheets of pasta get crispy around the edges. If you think it lacks flavor, some crushed red pepper and a drizzle of olive oil on top should do the trick. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
- On-Cor Lasagna with Meat Sauce
This frozen lasagna is one of the few that feels like it was made with bechamel (even though it isn’t), that’s how creamy it is. It’s on the sloppier side, so it’s important to let it rest a bit after cooking. The sauce is almost like a vodka sauce. You’ll notice the pink color—it’s from the cheese and red sauce melding together to form one homogenous river of flavor. Seriously, it’s very saucy. It lost some Sporks because it lacks in the meat department and the flavor is a tad bland. My colleague Justine Sterling suggested adding some dried pepper flakes to spice it up. And, again, I would consider a drizzle of olive oil as well. It should also be said that Sporked writer Jordan Myrick went to bat for On-Cor. They go hard in the paint for a lot of sauce, so if you do, too, you’ll love this. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Instacart
- Sprouts Organic Spinach and Kale Lasagna
Maybe it’s strange to count Sprouts Spinach and Kale Lasagna among the best frozen lasagna brands, since, well, it tastes exactly like pizza. But here’s the thing: I love pizza. So does the rest of the Sporked team, which is why we devoured this thing in under seven minutes. Unlike Amy’s Kitchen, Sprouts knows what the people want: a highly addictive, gooey, greasy cheese presence that’s impossible to walk away from. But look, don’t go around showing this to your nonna—she will look at you stupidly, ask if you don’t know the difference between pizza sauce and pasta sauce, and possibly revoke your privileges to her secret lasagna recipe. Proceed with caution. (Seriously, though, for an individual microwaved lasagna, it’s some of the best frozen lasagna you can buy.) —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Stouffer’s Veggie Lovers Lasagna
I ran into Mythical Kitchen madman Josh Scherer while I was baking this Stouffer’s vegetable lasagna in the oven and he lit up about it. “That s**** slaps,” he said. “It’s all one flavor. You get a piece of cauliflower and it tastes like pasta, you get a piece of pasta and it tastes like cheese. You have to let it sit. It needs to congeal.” He’s right. Stouffer’s Veggie Lovers Lasagna is all one beautiful homogenous mixture. It’s undeniably creamy and delicious. A lot of veggie lasagnas use breadcrumbs, which can dry them out, but Stouffer’s manages to strike the perfect balance. The alfredo is creamy, the cheese is stretchy, and the breadcrumbs provide a nice texture. It’s cozy, substantial, tasty, cheesy, textured, and creamy. Stouffer’s Veggie Lovers rules. It’s easily the best frozen vegetable lasagna we tried. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Kroger Meat Lasagna Party Size
It’s crazy, but this meat lasagna is actually the best cheesy lasagna. Kroger frozen meat lasagna is made with a very generous helping of low moisture mozzarella. It has a good, hefty cheese pull. The noodles are a bit too thick and there’s not a whole lot of meat to be seen, but the flavor made this some of the best frozen lasagna we tasted. A lot of lasagna suffers from blandness, but not Kroger. It has a deep, sharp tomato flavor and there’s plenty of herbs speckled throughout. The sauce tastes a little more homey—like somebody actually made it. Plus, this tray of frozen lasagna is gigantic. I’ve actually never heard of “party size” lasagna before. Are people bringing lasagna to parties? I mean, you do you. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Kroger
- Marie Callender’s Italiano Lasagna
This frozen lasagna has the most layers of any lasagna on this list. The meat sauce is on point and it features a trio of beef, pork, and Italian sausage, giving its flavor a lot of dimension. It’s incredibly creamy, too. They also use a blend of parmesan and romano cheese so you get a salty bite throughout. This one is meaty, cheesy, and warm. “It makes me think of the Midwest,” Justine said. This is, indeed, on the heavier side, but that’s what we want from the best frozen lasagna. Marie Callender’s is a bit more like a casserole, and that’s not a bad thing. This portions out perfectly for two people. Pair it with a salad and call it a day. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Family Style Meat Lasagna
Okay, okay, bring out Nonnafor this one. Trader Joe’s Family-Style Meat Lasagna would trick any pasta-proud Italian into believing this was homemade. (I’m not saying you should try to sneak one past your grandma—don’t do that. I’m just saying you could if you for some reason you needed to, alright?) The savory beef and pork blend cooks evenly and tastes fresh, like meat from a butcher shop. There’s a lovely layer of ricotta cheese in the middle and a generous amount of marinara sauce, pleasing cheese fiends and sauce queens alike. Since the recipe doesn’t skimp on ingredients, every spoonful has a balanced, layered taste. It’s not trying to be fancy, with seven unique cheeses and a sauce that randomly favors one divisive ingredient. It’s simply trying to be lasagna. Comforting. Filling. And one of the best frozen lasagnas we’ve ever tried. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s
- Giovanni Rana Meat Lasagna
Giovanni Rana understands the art of lasagna. Theirs is tasty, rich, meaty, and cheesy. It looks like homemade lasagna. The mozzarella comes already browned on top, so you get those desirable little pockets of crispy cheese. They also use ricotta (a lot of store-bought lasagna uses cottage cheese), mascarpone, fontina, and cheese sauce. There’s a creamy layer of bechamel here that the others lack. The edges of this lasagna curl up, too, giving it that homemade look and nice crispy edges. The sauce is flavorful, and there’s a good coating of meat ragu. All in all, it’s perfectly layered and cooks perfectly after just 20 minutes in the oven (the shortest time by far on this list). This is everything frozen lasagna should be. Giovanni Rana is the best frozen lasagna brand. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
Best for Cheese Snobs
Best Value
Best for Sauce Queens
Best Gluten-Free
Best for Rao’s Lovers
Best Creamy
Best for Pizza Freaks
Best Veggie
Best Cheesy
Best Lasagna for Two
Best Meat Lasagna
Best of the Best
Other products we tried: Lean Cuisine Favorites Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Michael Angelo’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Signature Select Frozen Lasagna, First Street Vegetable Lasagna, Michael Angelo’s Vegetable Lasagna, Signature Select Frozen Six Veggie Lasagna, Beecher’s Handmade Cheese Gluten Free Cheese Curd Lasagna, Udi’s Gluten Free Italian Sausage Lasagna Frozen Meal, Cedarlane Simply Plant Powered Vegan Lasagna, Sprouts Organic Lasagna With Meat Sauce, Sprouts Organic Four Cheese Lasagna Gluten Free
Genuinely surprised to see Rana on top here. I know it’s not the fairest comparison, but my son and I made Chef John’s Christmas Lasagna over Christmas. It was, of course, amazing, an intense, savory bomb of delicious and developed flavors.
We tried Rana when Sam’s Club had it a few weeks later and were appalled at the flavor. It had that “WOF” taste pre-prepared food can have, usually covered over with copious amounts of salt. Super disappointing.
in what universe do you include a frozen lasagna and not include Simek’s. Maybe it’s just an upper midwest product, but it is far away the best. Most of decent to great in general, but shockingly the worst frozen lasagna I’ve ever had was Kirkland’s. It is is crazy bland. Good flavor everywhere but just insanely bland. No flavor at all in the beef.
Had Rana–not great–pretty bland. Best ever is Kirklands from Costco, I buy a membership just for it!!! Also excellent is the veggie lasagna from Great Value–no joke– I don’t even like veggie stuff but this is amazing!!
I’m telling you man, I cannot find a bad review about that Kirland Lasagna. I love Kirkland products. I love the price. It is.l.. SHOCKINGLY bland. Please tell me I somehow just got the worst batch ever where they completely forgot to season the beef at all because I tell you — They did not season that beef.. and how can people like unseasoned beef?
My favorite is Stouffer’s Lasagna Italiano. Rich with ricotta cheese, and with a more “adult” taste than Stouffer’s regular lasagna, which is bland and more to a child’s taste.
Since you’ve posted this the Giovanni Rana Meat Lasagna has gone up $1 :-/ that was fast
Just bought the Marie Callender’s lasagna tonight and although I’ve loved Michael Angelo’s frozen alasagna over most for a long time and found Stouffers not terrible in the past but this is significantly better! We have even had both of those in the past few weeks so this review is for very recent experiences.
I almost bought the RAO’s due to their reputation but decided on the MC instead. SO glad I did! This is honestly probably the best frozen lasagna I’ve had in a very, very long time.
Stouffer’s Meat Lover’s is the best. Spicy and meaty. When cooked in the oven per directions you end up with deeply caramelized sauce around the edges. I know Rhett and Link did not like Stouffer’s, but somehow the sample they tried was under-noodled. They should do a rematch.
Anything from Michelangelos is beloved as well. The ingredients are simple and tasty, perfect.
Rana Lasagna isn’t frozen but is the best! It is in the refrigerated case. Yum.
Michelangelos is the best frozen lasagna i’ve ever had, where does it rank here? Or was it not tested?
I agree that Michael Angelo’s is the best-frozen lasagna. My favorite for frozen! I have a large size one in my freezer calling my name.
I agree completely, Michael Angelo’s frozen meals rock. I rate frozen Lasagna at 1) Michael Angelo’s, 2) Stouffer’s Family Size Meat Lovers, 3) Marie Callender’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce – in that order.
PS…You must cook all of these in the regular oven to get the full flavor.