Lasagna is a popular Italian American dish and can be very filling. If you're cooking lasagna for a dinner party or holiday event, you want to make sure you prepare enough for everyone. Lasagna can also be bought at the store or a restaurant. The quality, cost, and size of serving vary between sources. This post will break down the costs associated with lasagna and how quality and sourcing factor into the price.
The cost to make a pan of lasagna is between $10 and $90. The cost per serving of non-organic lasagna with store-bought ingredients is around $1.50 to $2.50. The cost of making a pan of lasagna depends on the size and depth of the pan. The quality of ingredients and the source will also change the price. Traditional Italian lasagna and American Italian lasagna contain flat noodles, meat and tomato sauce, and various cheeses, including ricotta and mozzarella.
Meat and cheese are the most expensive ingredients when you are preparing your own lasagna. You may also want to consider the time it takes to prepare and cook the lasagna. The whole preparation and cooking time can take an hour and a half to complete the dish. There are benefits to making your own lasagna, but maybe you want an easier or cheaper option. This post will discuss whether it is cheaper to make your own lasagna, whether you should make your own pasta, and how many lasagna servings are in a typical 9x13 pan.
What Are The Ingredients?
Let's take a look at this recipe to see the typical ingredients in a lasagna dish. This recipe contains one pound of meat, which is split between ground beef and sausage. The average cost of a pound of ground beef is between $4 and $4.50. The recipe contains two cups of ricotta cheese, four cups of mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of parmesan. The ricotta cheese costs around $3.50, while the mozzarella cheese costs about $4.50. The total cost so far is $12-$13. Add another $2 for pasta sauce and another $2 for other small pantry items you should already have in stock. That comes to a total of $16 to make this lasagna recipe. If you use organic ingredients, you can expect to pay more.
Is It Cheaper To Make Or Buy Lasagna?
It is cheaper to make your own lasagna, especially if you do not consider the time and planning phase. Cooking a pan of lasagna will yield 10 to 24 servings. You can freeze leftovers for three to six months to save money on your lasagna bill. You can choose the quality of the ingredients, which should yield you a more delicious product. If you choose to make organic, the cost will be even greater. The cost of organic lasagna bought in a store or restaurant will also be more expensive than conventional lasagna.
Restaurants can get a discount on buying bulk ingredients, but they also up-charge to pay for their overhead costs and labor. If you enjoy the process of making your own lasagna, then the extra time you spend is not a deciding factor. If you feel pressed for time and would rather be doing something else, then you should incorporate a dollar value for your time to compare cost.
Freezer lasagna is more cost-effective for fewer people. When you make your own lasagna, it is best to consume it within days if you store it in the fridge. You may store it in the freezer for up to six months, but the quality does degrade with time. When you buy freezer lasagna from the store, you can buy them in smaller portion sizes. They are also made to be stored in the freezer for a longer period of time, so the quality will not degrade as much over time.
HMR Lasagna With Meat Sauce 8 Oz (6 pack)
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What Is The Cost Of Organic Lasagna?
Buying organic ingredients always costs more money than non-organic. There is a costly process that goes into certifying food organic, and that cost is passed onto the consumer. There is also a higher willingness to pay a premium for organic products. Organic beef costs as much as $8 per pound. Organic mozzarella costs about $10 for the recipe listed in the beginning of this post. That's $18 plus $5 for the cost of the pasta sauce and $2.50 for the noodles. This brings the total cost of $25.50 for a recipe that costs $16 using non-organic ingredients.
What Is The Cost Of Vegetable Lasagna?
If you are inviting a vegetarian to your dinner party, then vegetable lasagna is a possible alternative. This would not suit people with a vegan diet because the recipe still contains cheese and possibly eggs. In vegetable lasagna, the beef is replaced primarily with mushrooms and some other vegetables. These ingredients are about 25 percent cheaper than beef, so the cost of vegetable lasagna will be slightly lower than traditional lasagna.
Should You Make Your Own Pasta?
Making your own pasta has benefits over using dried noodles from the store. Freshly made pasta will absorb the flavors from the dish more than dried noodles will. You can expect to spend 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to make your own pasta noodles. You can only store them in the fridge for one or two days before using them to make lasagna or another pasta dish. You may freeze homemade noodles for up to one month before using them in a dish. The quality and flavor of homemade pasta far exceed the alternative of store-bought dry noodles.
Your available time, desire, and energy is the deciding factor. Dried noodles from the store are very inexpensive, so you should not be making your own noodles to save money. Plan out your cooking schedule to ensure you will use all of your homemade noodles before they go bad in the refrigerator. Making pasta noodles that go to waste will end up costing you money and time. If you have enough cooking time in your schedule, making your own pasta noodles is a good choice. It will produce a superior meal that you and your guests will enjoy. Check out this post for more info on whether making pasta is cheaper than buying.
How Many Servings Of Lasagna Are In A 9x13 Pan?
A 9x13 pan will produce eight medium servings. You can cut the lasagna into six larger portions or 10 smaller portions to accommodate you and your guests' appetite. Lasagna should be made at a depth of three inches, which is to the top of a typical 9x13 pan. This pan allows the layers of the lasagna to expand without spilling over into your oven. For cooking lasagna, glass or ceramic pan is the best option. Metal pans heat up more quickly and do not cook the lasagna as evenly. For more information about baking cookware, check out this post about the 25 types of baking dishes you need in your kitchen.
casaWare Ceramic Coated Lasagna Pan (13x10x3)
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In Closing
The average cost of a pan of lasagna depends on the size of the pan. The recommended pan is 9x13x3 and is made of glass or ceramic. When making lasagna in this dish, you can expect to have enough servings to feed six to ten people. The average cost of a serving size is $1.50 to $2.50 per serving for conventional lasagna. That number raises with larger pans, higher quality ingredients, or organic ingredients. That cost will decrease slightly for a vegetarian version of lasagna using mushrooms instead of ground beef.
Cooking your own lasagna can be rewarding, delicious, and save you money on dinner. Buying lasagna from a restaurant is more costly, but you save your time and eat tasty lasagna made by a professional. Otherwise, you can purchase freezer lasagna from your local supermarket for a convenient stay at home option. You will sacrifice some flavor and quality to have a higher amount of convenience. If you have the time, start cooking and invite your friends for a lasagna dinner party.
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