National Lasagna Day

My Family Answers the age old question. 

Which is Better?

Store Bought or Homemade

The Perfect Comfort Food 

Around our house, lasagna is a serious comfort food. It has pasta, lots of cheese, and some melt-in-your-mouth meat and tomato sauce. If it’s done right, it makes everyone happy. So what better day to finally decide which is better, store bought or homemade,  than on National Lasagna Day – which is coming up this Wednesday (July 29).

Store Bought

There are several options out there and each one is quite enjoyable in it’s own right. Here are my go-to freezer aisle lasagnas when I am in a hurry. 

1. Stouffer’s Signature Lasagna with Meat and Sauce This is, more often than not, the lasagna I grab when I am having a craving. When consistency is key, Stouffer’s gives the customer what they are looking for. And I have found it is one of the easiest to locate in a grocery store. 
2. Michael Angelo’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce.  Another fairly easy to locate lasagna, Michael Angelo’s delivers in the cheese department where Stouffer’s delivers in the meat department. So if you are a fan of a gooey lasagna, this is definitely a great choice.  
3. Omaha Steaks Meat Lover’s Frozen Lasagna if you are someone that likes to meal plan ahead of time, this is perfect for you. But good news for those that might not plan so far in advance, Omaha Steaks can typically have your lasagna to your doorstep in 2-3 days.
4. Amy’s Garden Vegetable Lasagna This is the perfect choice for anyone wanting to stay away from meat and gluten. The flavors always hit the spot when I am looking for a light meal. Amy’s even has an alternative to this lasagna that is dairy free for anyone eating a strictly plant based diet.

Homemade 

I have tried my hand at homemade lasagna several times over the years. I have yet to be disappointed with any of the recipes I have tried. There is one recipe that stands out when I decide to make lasagna from scratch. It was an automatic winner with the husband as it touts an enormous amount of both meat and cheese. The part I love is that it is super simple to put together and the original blogger actually suggested “no-boil” lasagna noodles. 

If our family had to pick, homemade is going to win hands down every time. Although it takes longer to put together, both cook times end up being about the same. And there is no denying the flavors are top notch when making it from scratch. 

So what do you do if you are in the mood for the flavors of lasagna, but aren’t quite feeling the “casserole” mentality? I have two recipes that I just absolutely love since they taste just like lasagna, but with their own personal twist. The first choice has to be the Lasagna Soup from Carlsbad Cravings. All it took was one bite and I have been hooked ever since. 

And the other go-to when I’m in a pinch for time, but want that “smack you in the mouth” flavor of lasagna is the Almost Lasagna from Free Time Frolics. It gives you the flavors and the casserole feel, but in a fraction of the time as traditional lasagna. 

As I stated first thing, lasagna is truly a comfort food. But I do have one rule of thumb that I try to stick with when serving it. That rule is simple, make sure to serve it with a variety of veggies to balance out the meal. 

I know the decision of homemade was not scientific and it was the decision of one imperfect Kentucky family, but darn it, that’s the family that means the world to me. So their opinion is the one that matters most to me. I would love to know which side of the argument your family falls on. 

Have you ever made homemade lasagna? Did you find that it was worth the trouble? Is there a secret ingredient that you think is key to a perfect lasagna? Drop your thoughts and suggestions in the comments down below.