Freezer containers (merged threads)

Tibbie's_mum

I have a number of silicone baking 'tins', I use the two 9 inch square ones to make lasagnes in. I part bake them in the oven to soften the pasta and then after they are cooled they go straight in freezer until frozen, I can then slip them out of the silicone trays and wrap them in cling film and foil, this leaves me a nice square block for stacking in the freezer. And when it comes to cooking them, they go back in the silicones trays and I cook them from frozen.

I also do this with shepherd's pie but that goes in a round 'tin' instead, I don't know why I insist on doing this as it's not so good for stacking, I think I'll do a square one in future.

twinkle_star_2

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

We rarely get takeaway and when we do it tends to be in those american-chinese cardboard boxes so no luck there. If we get any foil or plastic containers in the future I shall defnitely have to reuse them.

Nobody in the house drinks milk but that's such a genius idea about using the bottom bit! When I did drink milk I used to use the tops for plant protectors and the bottom for seed trays!

Margerine tubs is good but depends how quickly I can use up a tub! Maybe I could reuse those plastic tubs that you get mushrooms and things in. Or do they have holes in? Hmmm. Shall explore my fridge.

Penelope_Penguin

Lots of great ideas :T I'll add this to the existing thread to give you more

blue_monkey_2

Hi all, I was wondering if I could have some advice on how you store your foods please.

My husband hates mashed potato which means I am missing out on things like shepherds pie and fish pie - I do not see the point of cooking for one. The kids have a school meal and have a sandwhich in the evening - and, to be honest I am getting a tad bored with meals. There are only so many boiled potatoes one can eat.

I was wondering if I could 'batch cook' some fish pie and shepherds pie and then stick them in the freezer. If so, what could I use to store them in the freezer in? Ideally something that would go straight into the oven and that would be the perfect size for one.

Is it possible that I could buy those plastic trays that ready meals come in - or will it be cheaper to buy some ready meals (5 for £4) and reuse the plastic containers and then I'll get food as well. I can put some foil on top. Or those foil containers that chinese foods come in?

Also some advice about cooking from frozen - I can do this is I buy from the shop so can I do it from home or are they frozen in a special way.

Thanks for any help.

BitterAndTwisted

I'd pop round to your nearest Pound Shop and invest in those foil containers with lids. I think you can get them in half-dozens.

You can cook them straight from frozen but will take longer to get piping hot. I suppose it's just a matter of trial and error to get it right. Or, alternatively, you could take something out of the freezer in the morning and leave it out to defrost.

sarahsarah

I do exactly this, I get foil trays from the pound shop, I think you get 9 in a pack. I've also seen them in Asda.. I take them out the fridge in the morning to put in the oven at tea time, or if I forget I peel the foil off to defrost in the micro.

rozmister

You can buy foil dishes like you can put in the oven and the takeaway ones in large supermarkets but it's pretty random which ones and sometimes they're with long life proper tupperware and sometimes they're with foil/clingfilm/etc. Personally I just wash them up after takeaways which worked pretty well. You can also get pouring bags which are freestanding freezer bags that you pour the liquidy food into (so chilli, spag bol, soup, etc) and you pour it in and leave it freeze. Because they're a bag they are only as big as the food you put in so they take up less space. But they're quite expensive and single use so not very O/S. My mum bought me them from Tesco.

As previously mentioned spag bol, soup, chilli can all be frozen. My mum also used to make and freeze a lasange with slices of potato instead of lasange sheets and you can freeze normal lasange (I can't spell it!!). You could also make a fish pie with rosti top I did that for my boyfriend the other day because I'm not big on mash. It was a normal fish pie but with grated potato which had a tiny bit of melted butter on top. Really lush!

RAS

Or freeze the mashed potato bit. Make mince for two and then serve him boiled potatoes and pop yours in the oven with the mash on top (perhaps microwave for a minute first to warm it up).

Does he like dauphanaise (SP?)potatoes? Tortilla? Baked potatoes? Chips?

[Deleted User]

I have a stash of those brown ceramic eathenware type bowls that are 'pie-shaped' that I have collected over the years from boot sales usually around 20-30p each They are great for freezing single portions in, and can be used straight from the freezer and into the oven. I always make extra when I am cooking then once cold they can be frozen straight awa.Instant dinner when I don't feel like cooking ,only have to boil up some green veg to go with it I do that in the microwave.

ChocClare

If you invest in a couple of those single portion earthenware/porcelain dishes that they have had MILLIONS of in Poundland recently, you can line them with clingfilm, put your food in, freeze until firm, then take the frozen contents OUT of the dish and wrap in a bit more clingfilm or foil again. When you're ready to cook your meal, you have a pie-dish-shaped frozen dinner which can go back into the dish to go in the oven to cook (don't forget to take the clingfilm off first, LOL). This way, you don't need to have quite so many dishes lingering in the freezer and can therefore effectively freeze more. This would also work with the foil containers tbh, so that you wouldn't be just throwing those away each time if you didn't want to.

Shepherds pie/fish pie etc are also very nice if you par-boil sliced potatoes and put those on the top instead of mash. Brush with a bit of melted butter or put some cheese on. My DS isn't keen on mash (tough! the rest of us are!) but he likes things with sliced potatoes on...