Freezing dishes for lunch?

Lilith1980

Hi all,

Just a quick question, might sound daft

My OH had become fed up of sandwiches for lunch, and we wanted to cut down on the bread we ate as well.

I've been making some 'mini meals' and putting them into plastic containers. One meal was pasta, chicken, veg, mixed with pesto and the other one was chicken and veg but with rice instead of pasta and with a chinese sauce. I am trying to think of new ideas too lol.

It's going to get a bit much to do this every night after work so I wondered could I freeze them? I just wasn't sure if pasta and rice freeze ok?

Thanks

Linda32

Pasta freezes okay, and pesto mixed in will coat the defrosted pasta. Its does sound very nice I must say.

You didn't say, or I didn't read properly, but I would freeze without adding the pesto. That way you can 'freshen up' the pasta with the pesto.
Frozen pasta tends to suck up any sauce. If I freeze it I always add some grated cheese again before I re-heat it. But then thats with cheese sauce and pasta type meals.

You can batch cook these meals. You could roast a whole chicken and use this to portion up into meal sizes with chicken as your base as well. You could cook up some sweetcorn and make a mix with mayo to go over a jacket spud - Assuming you have access to a microwave at work.

Hope you don't mind but I'm avoiding answering about the rice part. Frozen rice is a bit of a mine field and not something to do if your not super confident. I'm happy meat but rice is another matter.

If you like it, you can also freeze mince type meals as well.

Lilith1980

Thanks Linda

Yes, you reminded me with your rice comment that I'd heard somewhere that you weren't meant to reheat rice? I could be wrong. I am happy to avoid rice if it's a no-go lol.

I had been adding the pesto when making the 'meals' - so should I add it after reheating the frozen meal in the microwave?

Mincemeat is a good idea as we could have some spag bol for lunch too, and chilli, thanks

Yes we both have access to microwaves at work so this would be fine. I had taken potatoes in before and had a jacket potato so could start doing that again too.

Thanks for your help.

Owl

I tend to cook extra the night before (or tell mr owl that there is no seconds!!) and box that up...........

Cous cous is quick with boiling water and makes a good rice substitute

Owl x

Lilith1980

Thanks Owl, hadn't even thought of cous cous!

Think I will have to fib about the seconds as well

dbt3mummy

If I make sheperd's pie or such like I always make extra. If I don't freeze it lasts a couple of days in the fridge so ideal for taking to work if you have a microwave to warm it up.

I often do mixed veg like courgette, aubergine, onion, peppers, mushrooms etc in chopped tomatoes and bung it in the slow cooker all day. Then I split it up into veg lasagnes, put it with jacket potatoes etc. I get a good 6 meals at least out of it and it's great mixed with pasta and cheese.

I've tried to freeze rice but ended up chucking it out. Goes dry and it can be dangerous

joedenise

I often freeze the leftovers for lunches for DH. I'm at home so can always find something in the fridge or cupboards.

Denise

Lilith1980

Thanks dbt3mummy - good idea about using that mix for different meals. We tend to do quite a few mince meat meals with veg and tomatoes (spag bol I guess). So could put some with pasta, other with a jacket potato to add variety.

ciderwithrosie_2

I've been freezing/chilling and reheating homemade meals with rice for years and never been ill - curries, chillies, kedgeree etc. I haven't poisoned any family members yet either.

Linda32

Lilith1980 wrote: »

I had been adding the pesto when making the 'meals' - so should I add it after reheating the frozen meal in the microwave?

I think I would, personally, but thats only from a texture point of view. I would re-heat from defrosted as well. Again only texture.

I think it would make the hot pasta nice and soft again.

valk_scot

It's fine to freeze rice if you cool it down immediately after cooking (run it under the cold tap in a sieve) drain and put straight in the freezer. As to defrosting the rice will be fine if kept chilled so if you can take it out of the freezer in the morning, take it to work and place it in the fridge it will be fine. Then reheat properly. The danger lies when rice is left lying around at room temperature or tepid for ages.

I make a lot of ready meals for OH, I just cook a bit extra of whatever we're having and freeze that in microwavable containers, reused from when we get a takeaway. Curry and rice, pasta dishes, mince and potatoes, chinese food with noodles, chilli etc. He'll eat anything, his staff canteen is expensive and not very good so he's perfectly happy to have something quick and easy to pop in the microwave in the tea room. Saves a fortune too.