Hearty in a Hurry

In order to be successful at Once-A-Month Cooking, you need to have a variety of foods on hand to curb those day-to-day cravings.  Some evenings, after a hectic day at the office or chasing around kids, you would like to settle in and eat a hearty, homemade meal, but these usually take an hour or more to make.  Did you know that you can actually freeze casseroles, pasta dishes, and other main courses?  Sometimes you have to take a little extra precaution, but in general, you can use the same basic principles that I mentioned a couple of days ago about freezing sauces, stews, and soups.

Freezing Casseroles and Pasta Dishes

To freeze a casserole or pasta dish, prepare it as normal (bearing in mind that salt, pepper, and garlic flavors diminish when frozen).  If it is a dish you would normally bake in the oven, you can either freeze it prior to baking it or (to save more time later) go ahead and bake it right away and then freeze it.  If you choose to bake it right away, I recommend under-cooking it slightly.  This way, it will not burn or dry out in the reheating process.  Also, be sure to cool it as quickly as possible as to not allow bacteria to form before frozen.  The best way to do this is to fill a large sink with ice cold water and submerge the bottom of the pan in the water.  Once mostly cooled, chill in in the refrigerator for a couple hours before transferring it to the freezer.

Unless you have unlimited casserole pans, I recommend purchasing some aluminum pans or reusable freezer-safe casserole containers in which to store your meals.  Be sure to select a container that is the closest size to the amount of food you wish to store.  When you freeze a dish, air trapped in the container becomes the food's worst enemy.  By limiting the amount of air space in the container, it will prolong the freezer life.  If it is difficult to find the right sized container, I recommend preparing the casserole in a regular pan lined with aluminum foil.  Once baked, carefully lift the casserole out of the pan along with the aluminum foil and transfer it into the freezer-safe container.  Then wrap the foil over the top of the dish to ensure extra protection against the trapped air.

Freezing Proteins

You can also precook proteins like chicken, pork, and meatloaf.  Be sure to never freeze bone-in meats.  Always remove the meat from the bone first.  Otherwise, you can cook the meats as normal, wrap them in aluminum foil or use correct sized freezer containers and store.  I like to freeze pork chops individually for an easy meal that my husband can pop in the microwave when I am not home.
 
Reheating Frozen Dishes

In order to reheat the dishes, preheat the oven to the original baking temperature and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until completely thawed.  You can also reheat them in a toaster oven or the microwave for faster reheating time.  Note:  Never put aluminum in the microwave!

How long can you freeze a dish?

With few exceptions, you can be sure that your casseroles, meatloaf, and other proteins will last up to six months if properly stored.  Lasagna and other pasta dishes usually last two to three months.

Different Rules

Bear in mind that most items that usually cannot be frozen because of separation or change in consistency will actually hold up fine once mixed with other ingredients.  Examples of this are mayonnaise, cottage and ricotta cheeses, cooked vegetables, and most creamy sauces.

Personal Favorites

Some of my favorite dishes to make and freeze are tuna casserole, beef stroganoff, lasagna, meatloaf, pork chops, boneless chicken, chili and Depression Casserole.

More from the Once-A-Month Cooking series:
Planning Leads to Success
Freezing Sauces, Soups, and Stews
Freezing Piecemeal