Freezing make ahead meals?

[Sashie]

As my due date (baby) gets closer I want to make some meals in advance. Not necessarily ALL low carb, but a good variation of things. I have only really frozen enchiladas lol and honestly I do not even remember if I defrosted them before throwing them into the oven before cooking.

My questions are these....

* Am I better off to prepare food and freeze it before baking? Like for lasagna and such?
* Do I need to defrost it before putting it into the oven?
* Do I need to alter cooking temperatures if frozen so that it cooks evenly? I understand that the cooking time of course will be longer. I am also guessing to keep it covered with foil.
* Is there anything I really should not freeze? I have read that milk and cream separate but does it effect flavor and texture? Potatoes I am guessing will not freeze well seeing as they could become mushy.
Thanks in advance, I have been trying to do research but there are mixed things posted.. cook in advance, don't cook in advance. Freeze this, don't freeze this lol.

[julirama723]

Re: Freezing make ahead meals?

Lasagna is super easy to prep and freeze. Prepare everything as you normally would, and then make individual servings or smaller servings by layering ingredients in mini-loaf pans or loaf pans (the aluminum ones that you can throw away.) Cover with tinfoil and freeze. When you're ready to eat them, put them in the oven still frozen for about 1.5 hours at 350. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to brown the cheese. They do take a while to cook, but once they're prepped, all you have to do is put them in the oven. They're worth the wait!

[not2late]

Re: Freezing make ahead meals?

As my due date (baby) gets closer I want to make some meals in advance. Not necessarily ALL low carb, but a good variation of things. I have only really frozen enchiladas lol and honestly I do not even remember if I defrosted them before throwing them into the oven before cooking.

My questions are these....

* Am I better off to prepare food and freeze it before baking? Like for lasagna and such?
* Do I need to defrost it before putting it into the oven?
* Do I need to alter cooking temperatures if frozen so that it cooks evenly? I understand that the cooking time of course will be longer. I am also guessing to keep it covered with foil.
* Is there anything I really should not freeze? I have read that milk and cream separate but does it effect flavor and texture? Potatoes I am guessing will not freeze well seeing as they could become mushy.
Thanks in advance, I have been trying to do research but there are mixed things posted.. cook in advance, don't cook in advance. Freeze this, don't freeze this lol.

It really depends on the dish. Some recipe authors give directions about freezing and re-heating. Others don't.

As for don't freeze: potatoes don't freeze well, especially if they are boiled or mashed.