Lasagna Recipes: 12 Cheesy Dinners for Oven, Stovetop, or Slow Cooker

Most people who search lasagna recipes already have one they trust, and they’re not looking to replace it. They want backup, something for the Tuesday when there’s no three hours to spare, or the week someone at the table can’t eat meat. This list holds 12 lasagna recipes, grouped by how much time and stove attention each one takes: four classic baked versions first, then four that trade the oven for a skillet, a slow cooker, or a soup pot, then four that borrow flavors from outside red sauce and beef. Every one fails the same way when it goes wrong. Ricotta, spinach, squash, shrimp and zucchini all carry water with nowhere to go once trapped between pasta sheets, and a pan that looked fine going in comes out swimming. That single problem, and how each recipe here handles it, runs through every entry. Make the classic first. Everything after it is backup for the nights that one doesn’t fit.

Why These Lasagna Recipes Made the List

• No two entries share a sauce base. Four run on tomato and meat, three on a white sauce, one on salsa, one on broth, and two skip a sauce for squash puree or grilled vegetables.
• The time range runs from 40 minutes to just over four hours, and the four hour version needs only 20 minutes of actual work. Slow Cooker Lasagna just sits there once loaded.
• Every entry marked easy suits a beginner’s first attempt. Spinach Ricotta, No-Boil Skillet, Lasagna Soup, Mexican, and Cottage Cheese skip the steps that trip people up, no meat sauce reduction, no roux to break.
• Three freeze flat and reheat from frozen without turning to mush: Roll Ups, Mexican Lasagna, and Classic Beef, the three with the driest fillings.
• Two near-final entries were cut for repeating a dish already here. A pesto version and a second beef variation lost their spot once White Chicken and Mexican Lasagna covered that ground differently.

Lasagna Recipes at a Glance

Classic Baked Lasagna Recipes

1. Classic Beef Lasagna

Prep: 30 min · Total: 1 hr 40 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Medium · Calories: 420 per serving

Ground beef and crushed tomatoes simmer a full 35 minutes here, longer than most versions bother with, since a short simmer is the fastest way to a watery pan. The extra ricotta layer, one more than most recipes stack, is why this version holds its shape when cut.

Key ingredients: 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 24 oz (680g) crushed tomatoes, 15 oz (425g) ricotta, drained, 3 cups (340g) shredded mozzarella, 9 no-boil sheets.

How it comes together: Simmer the sauce uncovered the last 10 minutes so it reduces. Layer it hot over dry sheets, since that heat cooks them through. Bake at 375°F (190°C), 45 minutes covered and 10 uncovered, until deep gold. Rest a full 15 minutes before cutting.

Best for: a Sunday with the oven already on. A sharp, vinegary salad cuts the richness.

Chef’s Note: The sauce used to look done at 20 minutes, and the pan came out a little loose. Uncovered simmering fixed it, not a thicker can of tomatoes.

Allergens: Contains milk (ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan) and wheat (pasta). Nut free.

2. White Chicken Lasagna

Prep: 25 min · Total: 1 hr 20 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Medium · Calories: 460 per serving

Shredded rotisserie chicken replaces the ground beef, and a garlic Alfredo sauce replaces the tomato base. The sauce needs to reach a nappe consistency, thick enough to coat a spoon, before it meets the pasta, or the layers slide.

Key ingredients: 3 cups (420g) shredded rotisserie chicken, 4 tbsp (55g) butter and 1/4 cup (30g) flour for the roux, 3 cups (720ml) whole milk, 1 cup (100g) parmesan.

How it comes together: Cook the roux, the butter and flour paste, 2 minutes before the milk goes in, or it tastes like raw flour. Whisk until it coats a spoon, about 8 minutes. Bake at 350°F (175°C), 35 minutes covered and 10 uncovered, until spotted gold.

Best for: anyone tired of red sauce. Roasted asparagus adds a bitter edge the sauce lacks on its own.

Chef’s Note: Skip pre-shredded parmesan, it carries a starch coating that keeps the sauce from going fully smooth.

Allergens: Contains milk (butter, milk, parmesan) and wheat (flour, pasta). Nut free.

3. Spinach Ricotta Lasagna

Prep: 30 min · Total: 1 hr 35 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Easy · Calories: 380 per serving

Frozen spinach carries more water than almost anything else in this pan, and it decides whether the entry works. Wring it out in a towel until your arms are tired, then wring it again, or that water pools under the noodles.

Key ingredients: 10 oz (280g) frozen spinach, thawed and wrung completely dry, 15 oz (425g) ricotta, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 2 cups (225g) shredded mozzarella, 8 lasagna sheets.

How it comes together: Mix the wrung spinach into the ricotta with an egg and the nutmeg. Bake at 375°F (190°C), 40 minutes covered and 10 uncovered, until spotty gold. The center should hold its shape under a fork.

Best for: a first lasagna attempt, no sauce to reduce, no roux to break. Garlic bread covers the rest of the meal.

Chef’s Note: If the spinach still feels heavy after wringing, spread it on a paper towel for five minutes. That last bit of water turns a clean slice into a wet one.

Allergens: Contains milk (ricotta, mozzarella), egg, and wheat (pasta). Vegetarian. Nut free.

4. Butternut Squash Lasagna

Prep: 35 min · Total: 1 hr 45 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Medium · Calories: 410 per serving

No tomato and no meat here. Roasted butternut squash mashed with brown butter and sage stands in for both, layered against a plain bechamel, milk thickened with butter and flour, instead of ricotta. The squash needs a full 40 minutes at high heat, any less and the puree turns the pan watery.

Key ingredients: 3 lbs (1.4kg) butternut squash, roasted and mashed, 4 tbsp (55g) butter browned until nutty, 8 fresh sage leaves, 2 cups (480ml) bechamel, 8 lasagna sheets.

How it comes together: Roast the squash at 425°F (220°C) for 40 minutes until a fork meets no resistance. Brown the butter until it smells nutty, about 4 minutes. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes, then rest 15.

Best for: a fall dinner that should look different from the rest of the table. Bitter greens balance the brown butter’s richness.

Chef’s Note: The first batch, I roasted the squash only 25 minutes, and the puree seeped through the layers. The extra 15 minutes is what actually dries it out.

Allergens: Contains milk (butter, bechamel) and wheat (flour, pasta). Vegetarian. Nut free.

Quick Lasagna Recipes for Busy Nights

5. No-Boil Skillet Lasagna

Prep: 10 min · Total: 45 min · Serves: 6 · Difficulty: Easy · Calories: 390 per serving

One pan, no oven, and the noodles cook directly in the sauce instead of a separate pot of boiling water. Extra liquid goes into the sauce on purpose here, since the dry noodles need something to absorb as they soften.

Key ingredients: 8 oz (225g) no-boil sheets, broken into pieces, 24 oz (680g) marinara, 1 cup (240ml) extra water, 1 1/2 cups (170g) shredded mozzarella.

How it comes together: Break the sheets into pieces and nestle them into the sauce so each one touches liquid. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, checking at 15, until a piece bends without cracking. Scatter mozzarella on top and cover until melted, about 3 minutes.

Best for: a weeknight with one pan to wash. Serve straight from the skillet with a green salad.

Chef’s Note: Barilla’s oven-ready sheets work best here, made to hydrate fast. A thicker, traditional noodle needs longer than this pan gives it.

Allergens: Contains milk (mozzarella) and wheat (pasta). Nut free.

6. Slow Cooker Lasagna

Prep: 20 min · Total: 4 hr 20 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Easy · Calories: 400 per serving

Twenty minutes of layering, then the slow cooker takes over for four hours, no checking in required. The lid traps steam the whole time, so more water ends up here than in any oven version, and the sauce is built thicker to account for it.

Key ingredients: 1 lb (450g) ground beef, browned and drained well, 24 oz (680g) thick marinara, 15 oz (425g) ricotta, drained, 2 cups (225g) shredded mozzarella, 9 no-boil sheets.

How it comes together: Layer everything cold in the crock, no need to precook the noodles. Cook on low 4 hours, resisting the urge to lift the lid, since every check adds cooling time. It’s done when a knife slides through with no resistance.

Best for: a weekday when the oven isn’t free until dinner’s needed. It travels well to a potluck straight in the insert.

Chef’s Note: My first attempt ran 6 hours on low and came out closer to soup. Four hours is the ceiling here, not a floor.

Allergens: Contains milk (ricotta, mozzarella) and wheat (pasta). Nut free.

7. Lasagna Soup

Prep: 15 min · Total: 40 min · Serves: 6 · Difficulty: Easy · Calories: 340 per serving

Every flavor from the baked version, none of the layering. This is the one entry where extra liquid is the point, not the thing to fight, since broth carries the dish.

Key ingredients: 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 6 cups (1.4L) beef broth, 14 oz (400g) diced tomatoes, 8 oz (225g) broken noodles, ricotta for topping.

How it comes together: Brown the beef about 6 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, boil, then drop in the noodles and simmer 12 minutes until tender. Dollop ricotta over each bowl.

Best for: the fastest night among these lasagna recipes. Crusty bread is all it needs.

Chef’s Note: Add noodles at the very end, or they soak up enough liquid to turn soup into stew.

Allergens: Contains milk (ricotta) and wheat (noodles). Nut free.

RECIPE LINK: Lasagna Soup

8. Lasagna Roll Ups

Prep: 25 min · Total: 1 hr 10 min · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Medium · Calories: 350 per serving

Eight individual rolls instead of one stacked pan, so portions are decided before the pan goes in the oven, not sliced afterward and hoped even. Each noodle gets its own scoop of filling, spread thin enough to roll without cracking.

Key ingredients: 8 lasagna sheets, boiled and cooled flat, 15 oz (425g) ricotta, drained, 1 egg to bind, 2 cups (225g) shredded mozzarella, 2 cups (480ml) marinara.

How it comes together: Spread filling edge to edge, then roll from the short end so it stays centered. Nestle rolls seam side down in sauce and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges.

Best for: freezing two at a time for a solo dinner later. A crisp cucumber salad cuts the richness.

Chef’s Note: Drain the ricotta in a strainer at least 10 minutes first. A wet filling won’t stay put once rolled, and it unravels in the pan.

Allergens: Contains milk (ricotta, mozzarella), egg, and wheat (pasta). Nut free.

When Lasagna Goes Global

9. Mexican Lasagna

Prep: 20 min · Total: 1 hr 5 min · Serves: 6 · Difficulty: Easy · Calories: 430 per serving

Corn tortillas stand in for pasta sheets, and taco seasoning replaces the Italian herbs. Tortillas soak up liquid faster than pasta, so the salsa needs to be thick enough that it doesn’t turn the middle layer to mush.

Key ingredients: 12 corn tortillas, lightly toasted first, 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 2 tbsp taco seasoning, 16 oz (450g) thick salsa, 2 cups (225g) shredded Mexican cheese blend.

How it comes together: Toast the tortillas in a dry skillet 30 seconds a side before layering, just enough to firm them up. Bake at 375°F (190°C), 25 minutes covered and 10 uncovered, until the cheese browns at the edges.

Best for: taco night regulars who want the same flavors in a different shape. Pickled jalapenos add the acid the dish is otherwise missing.

Chef’s Note: The first version skipped toasting the tortillas, and the middle layers turned to paste. Thirty seconds a side in a dry pan fixes that.

Allergens: Contains milk (cheese). Corn based, not wheat. Nut free.

10. Shrimp Lasagna

Prep: 30 min · Total: 1 hr 35 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Medium · Calories: 440 per serving

Shrimp release a surprising amount of liquid as they cook, enough to thin a cream sauce that looked thick minutes earlier, so they get a quick sear alone before touching the sauce. That step decides whether the pan holds together or separates under the cheese.

Key ingredients: 1 lb (450g) shrimp, peeled and patted fully dry, 2 cups (480ml) heavy cream, 1 cup (100g) grated parmesan, a pinch of Old Bay, 8 lasagna sheets.

How it comes together: Sear the shrimp 90 seconds a side until pink, then move to a plate so their liquid doesn’t dilute the sauce. Reduce the cream by a third, about 8 minutes. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes, until the shrimp turn fully opaque.

Best for: a dinner party where the entree should look considered. Sparkling grape juice with lemon matches the richness.

Chef’s Note: This one doesn’t hold up to a second bake. Reheat gently on the stovetop, or the shrimp turn rubbery.

Allergens: Contains shellfish (shrimp), milk (cream, parmesan), and wheat (pasta). Nut free.

11. Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

Prep: 40 min · Total: 1 hr 50 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Hard · Calories: 360 per serving

Zucchini and eggplant hold more water than any other vegetable here, and grilling them first solves it, not a trick with salt or paper towels. The char drives out most of that water before the vegetables meet the cheese, and adds a smoky edge nothing else among these lasagna recipes has.

Key ingredients: 2 zucchini and 1 eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch (6mm) thick, 15 oz (425g) ricotta, 2 cups (225g) shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, 8 lasagna sheets.

How it comes together: Grill the slices 4 minutes a side over medium high heat, until real char marks show and the flesh has gone tender, not just marked. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35 minutes, then rest a full 15, longer than most entries, since the vegetables keep releasing steam after the pan comes out.

Best for: a summer weekend with the grill already lit for something else. Serve slightly warm, the layers hold their shape better that way.

Chef’s Note: The first batch, I grilled only 2 minutes a side, and the pan was swimming when it came out. A full 4 minutes drives the water out.

Allergens: Contains milk (ricotta, mozzarella) and wheat (pasta). Vegetarian. Nut free.

12. Cottage Cheese Lasagna

Prep: 20 min · Total: 1 hr 15 min · Serves: 8 · Difficulty: Easy · Calories: 350 per serving

Cottage cheese carries noticeably more liquid than ricotta, enough whey that pouring it straight from the tub into the layers is the fastest way to a soupy pan. Blending it smooth first, then draining briefly, gets the same creamy texture with a fraction of the water and more protein per serving.

Key ingredients: 16 oz (450g) full fat cottage cheese, blended smooth, 1 egg, 2 cups (225g) shredded mozzarella, 24 oz (680g) marinara, 9 no-boil sheets.

How it comes together: Blend the cottage cheese until no curds remain, about 30 seconds, then strain it 10 minutes. Bake at 375°F (190°C), 35 minutes covered and 10 uncovered, until fully melted and just starting to brown.

Best for: a weeknight that still needs real protein on the plate. Steamed broccoli keeps the meal light.

Chef’s Note: Skip small curd cottage cheese if the label says it’s thickened with gums. It leaves a slightly grainy layer instead of a creamy one.

Allergens: Contains milk (cottage cheese, mozzarella) and egg. Wheat, as written, from the pasta sheets. Nut free.

Allergen and Dietary Guide

Milk shows up in every entry, whether as ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, or a cream sauce base, since cheese is what makes a lasagna a lasagna. Wheat appears wherever pasta sheets or a flour roux are used, entries 1 through 8 and 10 through 12. Egg appears only in the ricotta or cottage cheese binders, entries 3, 8, and 12. Gluten free as written: none, though 5, 7, and 9 convert easily with gluten free noodles or the corn tortillas already built in. Vegetarian: entries 3, 4, 11, and 12. The hidden risk here is jarred marinara, which sometimes carries soy or wheat as a thickener the label doesn’t call out clearly.

Pantry Staples for These Lasagna Recipes

• Ricotta. Entries 1, 3, 6, 8, and 11. Buy whole milk, not part skim, the lower fat version carries more water and needs longer draining. 15 oz (425g) per entry.
• No-boil sheets. The backbone of eight entries. One 8 to 9 ounce (225 to 255g) box covers a pan. Boil-first noodles substitute fine, add 10 minutes.
• Mozzarella, shredded from a block. It melts smoother than the bagged kind, which carries an anti-caking coating.
• Crushed tomatoes or thick marinara. Entries 1, 5, 6, 8, and 9 lean on it. Buy the thickest jarred option, or simmer a thinner one 10 minutes longer.
• Parmesan, block not pre-grated. Entries 1, 2, 3, 4, and 10 use it inside a filling, and pre-grated won’t melt the same way.

Buy whole milk ricotta for every entry that calls for it. Part-skim carries more water per ounce, which means more draining time before it’s ready for the pan.

Equipment Needed

• 9×13 inch baking dish. Entries 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 12 need this size, or layers spill over near the end.
• 12 inch skillet with a tight lid. Entry 5 needs it to hold enough sauce to submerge the noodles, or too much steam escapes.
• 6 quart slow cooker. Entry 6 needs headroom above the layers, a smaller insert traps more condensation.
• Fine mesh strainer. Entries 3, 8, and 12 rely on it to pull water out of spinach, ricotta, or cottage cheese.
• Instant read thermometer. Entries 1, 6, and 9 are safe at 160°F (71°C), and color alone won’t tell you when a batch has crossed that line.
• Outdoor grill or grill pan. Entry 11 depends on real char, not grill lines, or the vegetables steam instead.

Prep Once, Cook More

A basic marinara works across entries 1, 5, 6, 8, and 9, so doubling that batch on a weekend covers close to half these lasagna recipes without cooking sauce five separate times. Rotisserie chicken for entry 2 could stretch into entry 10’s cream base on a week when seafood isn’t on the menu.

Entries 1, 6, and 9 use ground beef in similar amounts, so browning two pounds at once covers two dinners off one pan and one cleanup.

Ricotta needs draining ahead for entries 3, 8, and 11, at least 10 minutes in a strainer, and ground beef should come to room temperature before it hits a hot pan, or the center stays pink longer than the browned outside suggests.

Expert Tips for These Lasagna Recipes

The biggest mistake across these lasagna recipes is skipping the rest. Every baked entry needs at least 10 minutes out of the oven before cutting, layers that look set at minute 2 are still sliding at minute 5.

Make ahead: assemble entries 1, 4, 6, 8, or 12 a day early, cover, and refrigerate unbaked. Add 10 minutes to the bake time for starting cold.

Storage: leftovers hold well in the fridge four days, longer for drier entries like Mexican Lasagna and Roll Ups, shorter for the cream based versions.

Technique: drain every wet ingredient before it nears the pan, ricotta, spinach, cottage cheese, squash, even canned tomatoes.

Texture: let cheese reach room temperature first, or cold mozzarella melts unevenly and leaves pale patches.

Time saving: pre-sliced deli mozzarella gives a smooth top layer for entries 1 and 6 without any shredding.

Common Mistakes With Lasagna Recipes

The swimming pan is the failure that shows up most across these lasagna recipes, and it starts the same way every time. Something wet goes in only half drained, the oven’s heat pulls that water out during baking, and it has nowhere to go but down, pooling under the bottom noodle by the time the pan comes out. The fix isn’t a thicker sauce or more cheese on top. It’s draining the culprit ingredient beforehand and giving the pan its full rest, which lets the layers reabsorb what’s left instead of losing it to the board.

A pan that looks perfect going into the oven can still turn watery by the time it comes out. The moisture was always there, just waiting for heat to pull it loose.

Storage Instructions for Lasagna Recipes

Refrigerator

Covered leftovers from any baked entry hold 4 days in the fridge. Entries 9 and 8 stay firmest on day two, less surface area exposed to moisture. Entry 10 goes soft fastest, since the cream sauce keeps releasing liquid.

Freezer

Entries 1, 6, 8, 9, and 12 freeze well up to 3 months, wrapped tightly or portioned into a freezer safe container. Entries 4 and 11 don’t freeze cleanly, squash and grilled vegetables both go grainy thawed. Entry 7 freezes fine as a soup, up to 2 months.

Reheating

Cover with foil and reheat baked entries at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes from cold, 30 from frozen. A microwave works for one portion but leaves the top soft. Reheat Shrimp Lasagna on the stovetop instead, since a second bake turns it rubbery.

Variations and Substitutions for Lasagna Recipes

• Spicy: add a diced jalapeno or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to entries 1, 6, or 9. It suits the beef entries well, but overwhelms the delicate sauce in White Chicken Lasagna.
• Mild or kid friendly: cut the garlic by half and leave out red pepper in entries 2 and 10. The trade off is a flatter sauce, so lean harder on parmesan.
• Vegetarian: swap the beef in entries 1, 6, and 9 for mushrooms and lentils. It works in 1 and 6, but thins the flavor in Mexican Lasagna, where the beef does more of the work.
• Gluten free: rice or corn based no-boil sheets substitute directly in most entries. They’re more fragile than wheat sheets, handle them cold, straight from the fridge.
• One more swap: mascarpone instead of ricotta, richer, though it costs some of ricotta’s lightness.

What to Serve With These Lasagna Recipes

• A sharp green salad with vinegar dressing cuts the richness of any cheese heavy entry, especially 1, 4, and 11.
• Garlic bread rounds out the lighter entries, 3, 5, and 7, where a salad alone isn’t a full meal.
• Roasted or steamed greens, asparagus or broccoli, pair with the cream based entries, 2 and 10, since their bitterness balances a sauce with no acid of its own.
• A crowd dinner on one table: Classic Beef Lasagna (1) alongside Spinach Ricotta (3) covers meat eaters and vegetarians, both bake at 375°F (190°C).
• A cold cucumber and herb salad suits Grilled Vegetable Lasagna (11), where the smoky char wants something crisp beside it.

Nutrition Comparison for These Lasagna Recipes

Cottage Cheese Lasagna carries the most protein at 30 grams, mostly from the cheese rather than the meat. White Chicken and Shrimp Lasagna run highest in fat, both built on cream instead of tomato. Mexican Lasagna and Lasagna Soup push sodium highest, largely from salsa and broth. Values are estimates that vary with brands, measuring, and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I assemble these lasagna recipes the night before?

Most of them, yes. Entries 1, 4, 6, 8, and 12 all hold well assembled and refrigerated unbaked for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the covered bake time since the pan starts cold instead of room temperature. The two exceptions are Lasagna Soup, built fresh in one session, and No-Boil Skillet Lasagna, where the noodles need to hit the sauce raw to cook properly.

Why does my lasagna turn out watery?

Something in the layers released water during baking with nowhere to go, usually ricotta, spinach, squash, or shrimp that wasn’t drained first. Entries 3, 4, 10, and 11 among these lasagna recipes are the most likely to have this problem if a step gets skipped. Draining or roasting that ingredient ahead of time, then resting the finished pan a full 15 minutes before cutting, solves it almost every time.

What can I use instead of ricotta?

Cottage cheese works directly, and entry 12 among these lasagna recipes is built around exactly that swap, blended smooth first to avoid a grainy texture. Mascarpone is a richer option for entries 1, 3, 6, and 8, though it costs some of the lightness ricotta brings. Cream cheese thinned with a splash of milk also works in a pinch, though the flavor turns noticeably tangier than either option above.

How do I know when lasagna is fully cooked?

The center should reach at least 165°F (74°C) on an instant read thermometer for any entry with meat, and the cheese on top should be spotted gold rather than solid brown, since a fully browned top usually means the center is still catching up. A knife inserted at the middle should slide through with no resistance. Entries 6 and 11 take longer to hit that mark than the rest of these lasagna recipes, closer to the top of their time range.

Which of these lasagna recipes should I actually make first?

Classic Beef Lasagna, if only because it’s the version most people picture when they think of lasagna at all, and it’s the fairest comparison point for the other 11 entries. From there, pick based on the night: Lasagna Soup or No-Boil Skillet Lasagna for anything under 45 minutes, Slow Cooker Lasagna for a day with no free stovetop time, and Grilled Vegetable Lasagna once the grill is already lit for something else.

Conclusion

What decides whether a lasagna works isn’t the recipe on the page, it’s whether whatever’s wettest in the pan got dealt with before it ever went in. That’s true whether it’s ricotta on a Tuesday or grilled zucchini on a Saturday with people coming over. Once that part is handled, the rest of the differences between these 12 lasagna recipes are just about what night you’re cooking for: forty minutes at the stove, four hours with the slow cooker doing the work, or a full Sunday with the oven on. I’ve made every version on this list more than once, and the water problem is the one thing that shows up again and again no matter which direction the flavors go. Pin this list so the right version is easy to find later, whichever night it ends up being.