freezing meals?

Okay, I have gotton pretty good at cooking healthy meals and taking my leftovers for lunch the next day, but here is the thing.  I have a huge phobia of freezing extra portions for later.  I think its a great idea b/c I get sick of stuff after 1-2 eats and usually end up chucking perfectly good food.

1. How do I package it?  Like it a tupperware container?

2. How long does it last (w/out getting freezer burn or losing flavor?)

3. How do I re-heat?

Any tips appreciated, I would love to start doing this!

Casseroles, soups and saucy stuff freeze best.  Chili, spaghetti, etc.  Any potatoes or noodles tend to disintegrate.  And anything with milk products doesn't do too well either. 

I freeze it in a plastic container with a lid.  You want it to be full to the top, or it gets ice crystals on it, or you can put some plastic wrap on the top - you want as little air as possible.

I'd say, depending on the temperature of your freezer, most things last2-3 months, though I've kept stew for much longer.

The best way to reheat is to let it sit in the fridge for a couple of days.  You can also put the package in warm water until it slides out of the container and heat it on low heat until it is throughly heated.

Just a few tips:

1. For soups and stews, beans, or any kind of more liquid dish I use Ziplock freezer bags, pint or quart sized, and use a sharpie to record the name and date of putting in the freezer. Make sure you squeeze out all the air when sealing.

2. I can flatten out the freezer bags so they stack well.

3. Last night I made a Shepherd's Pie. After dinner, I took out 2 more servings for leftovers today and packaged the remaining in Glad ware boxes with plastic wrap smushed on top of the food to keep it free of ice or freezer burn. Again, just label the date you put it up.

4. I have found it much easier to reheat the foods in bags by placing them in a large microwave safe bowl and just heat til its hot. About halfway through, I remove the bag and finish heating.

5. And finally, I keep a 1 gallon container (zip bag or large bowl with tight lid) in my freezer. Anything that is leftover that would contribute to the complexities of a warm pot of soup gets dropped into that container. And when it's full, I saute meat, onions, celery, and potatoes, add the defrosted bag of soup stuff, and a can of stewed tomatoes. Adjust the seasonings, let it simmer. Soup's on!

Thanks so much hillnanc!  I love your idea about the soup!  I will have to try that.  Do you continually add things, or just at once kinda clean out the fridge?  I am so into that idea!

Hi D!  I actually bought a vacuum sealer and use it to freeze leftovers.  I do meat ALL the time.  My  hubby will grill me up a ton of chicken before he heads out of town and I cut it up in pieces and freeze them in single serve portions.  I thaw them overnight in the fridge and either toss them in the oven with veggies or pan saute them with veggies or something to heat them.  I also freeze casseroles (particularly chicken enchilada with corn tortilla's) and then to reheat thaw overnight, add some enchilada sauce to a baking dish, toss the casserole on top and heat in the oven.  I find they keep fine in the freezer for 3-4 months.  I also freeze leftover brisket and sausage when we have bbq and then do the same with it as I do the chicken.  I love it....keeps me from cooking so much when I am home alone.

I bought a pyrex set with lids which I like for freezing...somehow I feel that the glass isn't going to be subject to wearing out.

Hi dplatzer,

I continually add things to the soup bag...but I make sure to use it within a couple of months. Sometimes I have so much in the bag it's enough, but other times, I have to "clean out the fridge" to make it be enough for a pot. Just depends. I do have a regular soup recipe that I got from one of the cafeteria employees at a school I once taught at...I call it "School Soup" and it's my standby. But the left over soup is a treat because it's always a little different. Maybe I'm a bit odd, but I really enjoy seeing it all come together in the pot on a lazy Saturday...reminds me of my mama and how the house always smelled of such good foods, hence my affection for food and my life long battle with the extra weight.

Hi okiewoman,

I've always wanted one of those sealers! trying not to be jealous here...I just go thru a ton of plastic wrap, foil, and ziplock bags.

FOr grilled chicken you can leave it in a tupperware container inside the fridge.

During an illness earlier this year, my daughter and son in law (he's a chef) fixed me freezer meals.  We found that if all the elements of the meal would heat at the same rate, a divided, covered dish worked.  For combinations where one thing would cook faster, then small containers placed in a labeled plastic bag worked best.  Easiest were one dish meals, like chili and soups.  They also packaged things using their food saver vacuum packer.  This worked best for individual servings of meat and fish. 

Having everything ready to microwave really helped me get better. 

Here are some tips:

Get as much air out of the package as you can.  If you are putting food into tupperware containers, fill them almost to the top.  If you leave too much air space, ice crystals will form and food will get freezer burned.

Cook a large batch of brown rice or other grain.  When it's cooled off, measure 1/2 or 1 cup portions into small resealable bags.  Flatten out the bags and place them on a baking sheet to freeze.  Once the packets are frozen solid, place them inside a labeled freezer bag.  Frozen flat they take up less room in the freezer and also thaw faster.

Bake a whole pan of chicken and divide it into servings to freeze.  Be careful not to over cook it, and do thaw it out before heating to prevent drying out. 

The new steamer packages of vegetables can be a good buy if you look for sales.  The quality is excellent. 

Hope this helps.