Sweet Potato, Kale, Artichoke & Mushroom Lasagna

Doesn’t everyone love a good lasagna? You can freeze it or reheat it and the leftovers will keep you smiling for days.

You probably have a go-to lasagna recipe, but we guarantee this will become one of your favorites.

Going meatless doesn’t mean giving up flavor. Kale, artichokes, mushrooms, sweet potato puree, tomato sauce and lots of cheeze put this hearty vegetable lasagna on top.

Check out 7 helpful suggestions for freezing lasagna, baked or unbaked.

This past week we got a question from a reader asking if you can freeze lasagna. We thought it was a great question and since we’re making lasagna, why not share the information.

Tidbits and Techniques

• When freezing baked lasagna or the leftovers, make sure it has cooled 100%. If not, the texture will be compromised. We chill ours in the fridge for several hours before freezing.
• If you decide to freeze the lasagna before baking, assemble according to recipe instructions without baking. For example, if you were freezing this lasagna, you would make the sweet potato puree, steam the kale and cook the mushrooms. If you were using ground meat, you would cook meat according to recipe instructions.
• When freezing a lasagna made with ground meat, we would not suggest using a ground meat that has previously been frozen. Instead, use fresh ground meat. For food safety purposes, it’s best not to freeze and thaw twice as the risk of food borne illness increases.
• Cover the lasagna with several layers of freezer-safe plastic wrap, removing as much air as possible. The excess air condenses and forms ice crystals. We have also found that covering lasagna directly with aluminum foil and freezing has a slight effect on the taste of the lasagna.
• To freeze individual portions, double wrap the cooled lasagna in plastic wrap and place in a freezer storage bag.
• Label, date and freeze up to 3 months.
• To reheat, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Place a piece of parchment paper over the lasagna and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through and slightly bubbling.

Mise en Place

The ingredients in this recipe can be prepped a day in advance, with the exception of cooking the noodles. When you’re ready to bake the lasagna, just boil the noodles, assemble and bake. It’s that easy.

Fresh or Canned

When we developed this recipe, we used fresh sweet potatoes, which we baked and pureed with coconut milk. This is the most time consuming step in the recipe. We tried another batch using canned sweet potato, and guess what? Side by side, no one could tell the difference. The recipe gives instructions for making both ways.

 

Boiling and Draining the Noodles

Lightly coat a large baking sheet with olive oil. Set aside.

While the noodles are constantly boiling, gently stir often to prevent sticking.

When ready, drain noodles in a colander and rinse under cold water.

Immediately lay out the cooked noodles on baking sheet, gently flipping them over so they are lightly covered with olive oil. This eliminates the frustration of having the noodles stick together and tear while you are assembling.

 

Enjoy this scrumptious lasagna!

And as always, please comment if you have any questions.