What can I freeze...and then cook from frozen?

lizzie_b

I don't normally post in old style but I've had some good ideas from here in the past so I'm hoping you will allow me to pick your brains a little.

We are really struggling with wasting food and money at the moment and I am trying to think of ways to reduce this so I'm wondering if you can tell me if you think I'm ok freezing some things I make and if they can then be cooked from frozen.

The first is a tomato soup I make for OH lunches, it makes well over a litre but unfortunately doesnt appear to keep long enough in the fridge for him to get through it. It is not cooked at all when being made and all that goes in is 2x tins chopped tomatoes, 1x tin of baked beans, 1x tin of carrots, 1 stock cube and half a pint of water. Its all just whizzed up in the blender, so do you experienced people think it would be ok frozen into portions then each portion defrosted overnight in the fridge for his lunch the next day??

I'm a bit of a dunce when it comes to what I can and cannot freeze.

Was also thinking of making up a batch of these http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/english_muffins_56640
but I was wondering, would the be ok frozen, then cooked from frozen, or would i have to cook, freeze, then defrost before toasting and eating??

Thanks in advance

Lizzie xxxx

meames_2

I woul cook it, freeze it and just reheat on the day. I no and there is no problems. I am still alive!

savingqueen

Hi I freeze virtually everything even if it says it can't be frozen. Some examples of things I have successfully frozen:


homemade meals eg shep pie, chili, pasta sauces, casseroles etc
cooked meats (find pre-packed ham freezes but not so well as say home cooked gammon)
bread and other baked goods and cakes etc - both homemade and shop bought
left over pasta, rice, cooked vegs etc (be careful to cool rice down v quickly, defrost carefully and re-heat til piping hot)
shop bought pasta sauce
milk, cheese, butter, marg, cream, yoghurt and juice
baked beans
home made stuff like omelette, yorkies, batter mix and cheese sauce
fresh veg/fruit/meat
left over passata/chopped toms

Other people love to freeze jacket pots, roasties etc but mine never seem to be nice. I only find frozen mash seems to be ok for me.

probably tons more, will add if I think of any. you can experiment and see how you go... you will be amazed at what you can freeze and how much money you will save!

joedenise

The tomato soup will be fine frozen as all the tinned stuff will already be cooked. I would just make it up, freeze in individual portions and get out of the freezer when needed. I assume your OH microwaves it?

Denise

kboss2010

Anything you can buy from the supermarket in the freezer section can be frozen and cooked from frozen! Here's my list (and I'm ok so far, touch wood lol):

Sausages
Bacon
Fish
All types of veg
Mince
Beef steak
Rice*
HM Lasagna
HM spag Bol

The only thing I'd be wary of not defrosting first is chicken.

The most important thing is that whatever you reheat is piping hot all the way through otherwise you risk poisoning yourself with nasties like E. coli, salmonella and botulism!

*Rice is the most common source of food poisoning after raw meat so reheat thoroughly!

theoretica

kboss2010 wrote: »

*Rice is the most common source of food poisoning after raw meat so reheat thoroughly!

More important than reheating (which doesn't get rid of toxins already produced by bacteria) is to cool the rice reasonably fast - don't leave it sitting around luke warm for ages with the pan lid on, and only reheat once.

kerri_gt

To freeze roast potatoes, I get them to the par boiled stage, then freeze in portions. To cook I just cook them as you would non frozen roast potatoes. They actually seem to cook quicker and I have found that they actually tend to be crispier on the outside and fluffier in the middle than ones not frozen.

meritaten

you can freeze almost anything that's cooked! that's why the supermarket freezer department is so large! and my freezer so stuffed!
Soups freeze beautifully - freeze them in portions (you can use thick plastic freezer bags) and defrost them overnight and heat up gently to boiling point. or ding them in microwave to defrost and heat up.
almost any meal can be frozen. just think what may dry out on reheating and ensure its covered in gravy or sauce.

babyshoes

Two things I assemble, freeze then cook from frozen are apple (and other fruit) crumble and lasagne. Obviously elements of the lasagne are cooked, but it can go into the oven from frozen - it just takes longer and you have to watch that the top isn't getting overly brown. A bit of foil solves that problem though!

I generally freeze such things in foil trays - the type of night when I want such meals, I CBA to cook, which rather implies that I CBA with washing up either!