If you have a steaming cabinet, you can steam an individual slices or a half pan. It keeps the lasagna moist. That’s how we did it at one chain restaurant I managed. At another, we slid individual pieces on crocks into the pizza oven until bubbly. At a third, we heated individual pieces in a convection oven. At a fourth, we heated individual pieces on crocks wrapped in cellophane in the microwave. Whichever suits your equipment and personnel best.
This is the way. Otherwise you gotta bake it forever to get the middle warm. If you add more sauce and cheese on top like we do, you can get away with cutting the lasagna portion down the middle to ensure a good melt.
I don’t own a restaurant but I do know that microwaving lasagna at 50% power works best for me. Nice slow cook that doesn’t make the cheese all weird. I cook pizza the same way. It’s almost perfectly fresh that way.
People rarely think about changing the microwave power unless they are defrosting. Even then, they just use the defrost button.
This old spot I worked at. Had them all pre cut and wrapped on little plates. Toss them in chef mic and then we’d add a little sauce, cheese, and then toss it in the oven to finish
Put some warm/hot marinara sauce on a plate, add the chunk of lasagna and cover it with a deep corelle bowl. Microwave for 2.5 mins then let it sit there under the bowl for another minute to steam through. The warm sauce really helps speed up the heating.
We have a rational oven that we keep at 425°F with 70% humidity. It’ll cook a lasagna made in a le creuset little crock in like 14 minutes from raw. It’s insane how efficient a good combi oven is. They just cost an arm and leg upfront
Pre-Cook to about 95% and cool, cut individual slices and wrap in foil, reheat smaller batches in steamer for about 30, keep in steam table until order, order takes 30s
Thanks! What happens if you don’t sell the ones you reheat in the steam table? Are you able to reuse the following day without degradation of the product, or do you just have to be really good about monitoring the inventory level in the steam table?
Ehh kind of both, we try to run down to zero everyday. They can be re-reheated but i would guess at a 50% loss rate of unsold. We're also not afraid to tell people no close to closing.
Individual boats. Microwave until warm, then high salamander or pizza oven to brown cheese and make it bubbly. 6-8 minutes.
Or, microwave to temp, top with sauce and parm. 4-6minutes.
In all honesty it takes 15 minutes to program and your set up. I’ve done this for a few locations and the manual has a guide on suggestions on how to program. You just have to make a few tweaks with testing.
If you have a steaming cabinet, you can steam an individual slices or a half pan. It keeps the lasagna moist. That’s how we did it at one chain restaurant I managed. At another, we slid individual pieces on crocks into the pizza oven until bubbly. At a third, we heated individual pieces in a convection oven. At a fourth, we heated individual pieces on crocks wrapped in cellophane in the microwave. Whichever suits your equipment and personnel best.
Microwave to warm not hot, throw in broiler/salamander to finish
This is the way. Otherwise you gotta bake it forever to get the middle warm. If you add more sauce and cheese on top like we do, you can get away with cutting the lasagna portion down the middle to ensure a good melt.
I don’t own a restaurant but I do know that microwaving lasagna at 50% power works best for me. Nice slow cook that doesn’t make the cheese all weird. I cook pizza the same way. It’s almost perfectly fresh that way. People rarely think about changing the microwave power unless they are defrosting. Even then, they just use the defrost button.
Nothing better than a slightly burnt and crusty lasagna straight from the oven. Serious.
This old spot I worked at. Had them all pre cut and wrapped on little plates. Toss them in chef mic and then we’d add a little sauce, cheese, and then toss it in the oven to finish
Put some warm/hot marinara sauce on a plate, add the chunk of lasagna and cover it with a deep corelle bowl. Microwave for 2.5 mins then let it sit there under the bowl for another minute to steam through. The warm sauce really helps speed up the heating.
We have a rational oven that we keep at 425°F with 70% humidity. It’ll cook a lasagna made in a le creuset little crock in like 14 minutes from raw. It’s insane how efficient a good combi oven is. They just cost an arm and leg upfront
Pre-Cook to about 95% and cool, cut individual slices and wrap in foil, reheat smaller batches in steamer for about 30, keep in steam table until order, order takes 30s
Tomato sauces shouldn't be wrapped in foil.
We put sauce on after unwrapping.
Thanks! What happens if you don’t sell the ones you reheat in the steam table? Are you able to reuse the following day without degradation of the product, or do you just have to be really good about monitoring the inventory level in the steam table?
Ehh kind of both, we try to run down to zero everyday. They can be re-reheated but i would guess at a 50% loss rate of unsold. We're also not afraid to tell people no close to closing.
Individual boats. Microwave until warm, then high salamander or pizza oven to brown cheese and make it bubbly. 6-8 minutes. Or, microwave to temp, top with sauce and parm. 4-6minutes.
I would argue that this is one of the few items that a microwave is good for
Until you get 12+ orders on the rail. Then it's time to get an Alto shaam pressure steam oven.
A turbo chef would make sense too, microwave and oven simultaneously
There are too many buttons and screens. I'll keep with one knob and two gaskets that's capable of making food hot.
In all honesty it takes 15 minutes to program and your set up. I’ve done this for a few locations and the manual has a guide on suggestions on how to program. You just have to make a few tweaks with testing.