Comments

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  Sandra S.

  I don't know about that specific casserole (though it sounds good :) ) - I've had great luck freezing casseroles before I bake them & then it's like new on leftover night.

  One thing I'm doing new, though, is to get the serving size plastic containers and freeze a lunch-size portion (already cooked :) )for someone to take to work. This works great and saves money.

  over 2 years ago
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  Abby

  A trick to freezing and reheating casseroles is to par-bake the casserole. If the recipe calls for a 45 minute bake, bake it for 25-30 mins, and freeze it. When you re-heat it won't be overcooked and mushy, but rather perfectly cooked. My favorites to freeze are generally pasta sauces, soups, casseroles, and cooked meats (roasts, pulled pork, baked chicken, etc). As Sandra said -the single portions work really well, and if frozen in the morning they are generally thawed by lunch...no fridge or ice packed cooler required!

  over 2 years ago
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  Kat

  Thanks for the par-bake tip. I also just learned that when making lasagna for the freezer, you don't have to cook the noodles first, and you can just use the regular lasagna noodles. The noodles will cook with the moisture in the dish. Just add a quarter cup water or an extra can of diced tomatoes. I'll be trying this dish next week.

  over 2 years ago
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  Brenda

  If you don't want to par-bake your casseroles, you can just plan to add some extra time (usually 20-30 min). to the bake time and you are good to go. I never par-bake. :-) My favorite things to freeze are marinated meats...throw the meat in a ziptop bag, add the marinade mixture, seal, label and put in the freezer. When it thaws before you grill or bake, it will marinate as it thaws. Easy!

  over 2 years ago
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  Taren

  When I freeze a meal I line the casserole dish with foil so when it is frozen I can pop it out and keep it in the freezer while still being able to use my dish for other things. When I'm ready to cook it I just put it back in the casserole dish. It also makes for easy clean up. For soup I always freeze it in large muffin tins and then toss them in a freezer bag. It makes great single serving sizes that thaw and reheat easier.

  over 2 years ago
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  ashton

  Sandra makes a great point about portioning out the casserole. When I was younger, my mum would do this throughout the week. On a really busy night (usually Wednesdays when we would go to church after school and have almost no time on hand), she would pull them out and reheat them, and then us kids (I am one of seven) would get some of everything, kind of like a buffet : ) It might not be something you do all the time, but it can be handy when really needed.

  over 2 years ago
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  Donna (Food on the Table)

  I always love portioning out dinners one-pot dinners and casseroles for freezing, too. I usually use the bowls Ikea sells for little kids because they hold a pretty decent-sized portion (especially if it's for an entree that you'll thaw and serve over rice or noodles). I freeze them, then pop them out and store in a freezer bag so everyone can grab what they want...

  about 1 year ago
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  Chef Heather (Food on the Table)

  Check out some of my freezer tips as well as a recipe for stuffed shells, over on the Food on the Table blog: http://www.foodonthetable.com/blog/2011/03/stuffed-shells-recipe/

  about 1 year ago