Trader Joe’s: Trader Giotto’s Family Style Meat Lasagna

Last Updated on August 9, 2021

One of my favorite places to browse at Trader Joe’s in the freezer section. There’s always something interesting to try, from gnocchi to fish nuggets to Indian food, and even desserts like macarons. During my most recent trip to Aldi’s cousin, I decided to try a classic frozen meat-based lasagna.

Trader Giotto’s Family Style Meat Lasagna cost $5.99 for a 32-ounce box at the time of publication. With four servings per package, that comes out to about $1.50 per serving.

This lasagna is sold frozen and is a product of Canada.

It has a lengthy ingredients list, with most items being pretty easily recognizable — pasta, various cheeses, beef, pork, tomatoes, onions, etc.

If you’re avoiding allergens, this contains wheat, egg, milk, and soy.

Trader Giotto’s Family Style Meat Lasagna nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

A 1-cup serving (227 grams) nets you 350 calories, 15 grams of total fat (23% DV), 7 grams of saturated fat (35% DV), 65 mg of cholesterol (22% DV), 920 mg of sodium (38% DV), 29 grams of total carbohydrates (10% DV), 3 grams of dietary fiber (12% DV), 4 grams of sugars, and 25 grams of protein.

This lasagna can be heated in a conventional oven or in a microwave.

To bake in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the tray from the box and pull back two corners or the film slightly to vent. Place the container on a baking sheet and place in the oven on the center rack. Cook for 60-70 minutes. Carefully remove the film entirely and cook for an additional 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

To microwave, remove the tray from the box and pierce the film with a fork to vent. Place the tray in the microwave and cook on high power for 6 minutes. Let the tray rest in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. Cook on high power for 6 minutes. Let the tray rest in the microwave for another 3-4 minutes. Cook on high power for 3-4 minutes. Carefully remove the tray from the microwave and remove the plastic film. Let tray stand for 3 minutes before serving.

The finished lasagna, with my hand for perspective. It’s not a large lasagna.

I heated our lasagna in the oven. When I initially tried to peel back the film, it didn’t go easily and tended to shred, but I made it work. When it was time to remove the film entirely after the lasagna had spent an hour baking, it was more cooperative and came off in one piece.

Often I find that frozen lasagnas take longer to bake than the instructions say. They’re just such big frozen blocks that it takes a lot of patience to thoroughly heat them. However, this lasagna was 170-189 degrees in the middle after 60 minutes in the oven, so at least for me with my specific oven, the time given in the directions (60-70 minutes, then take off the film and bake another 10 minutes to brown the cheese) is spot on.

This is not a large lasagna. It advertises four servings, and that’s exactly how much it is. One serving was enough to fill up everyone in my family, but no one gets seconds, and there are no leftovers for the next day. If you’re a one- or two-person household, it’s just the right size.

As far as how it tastes, it’s definitely loaded with lots of meat. It has plenty of finely minced ground beef mixed throughout, so if you like your lasagna to cater to carnivores, this fits the bill. It also has plenty of tender pasta, flavorful sauce, and cheese. I’m probably still partial to Stouffer’s or to the giant trays of lasagna Aldi sometimes sells, but this is a solid option as well.

The Verdict:

Trader Giotto’s Family Style Meat Lasagna is loaded with meat and flavorful sauce and cheese layered between tender noodles. It’s not the largest frozen lasagna tray we’ve ever seen, but it’s enough for a family of four or fewer people.