Help with Freezing Food !!!

[MelissaAHM]

I am tired of cooking everynight and need help with how to freeze food. I know this sounds silly but I just don't know what freezes well and what doesn't.
I would like to freeze foods like spaghetti, chili, lasagna, stuffed peppers. What kinds of food do you all freeze and heats up well?? What kinds of foods don't freeze well?? Any desserts that freeze OK, Like brownies or granola bars?? What about items like Hummus?
Also what kinds of storage containers do you use for the freezer? I was thinking freezer bags for spaghetti and chili, and glass casserole dish for items like lasagna. Any precautions I should take for using glass in the freezer?

Again, any advice would be appreciated!

[Honey693]

I regularly freeze pancakes and chili. The chili we either put in Tupperware or freezer bags. The pancakes I let cool off then layer them between paper towels (parchment paper should work too0 and put them in freezer bags. I've frozen enchiladas, pizza casserole and stroganoff (without noodles) too.

[MelissaAHM]

Thanks

I love the pancakes idea! It never dawned on me you could freeze pancakes. Thanks so much for the ideas!

[AllysonB]

I regularly freeze the following:

muffins
pancakes
granola bars
bread
pb and j sandwiches
meat sauce
meatloaf muffins
chili
pre cooked meat; ground beef, beef strips, chicken, (to add to a quickie meal)

I know there's more just can't think of them.

[EdnaMarie]

Rice does not freeze exceptionally well. Any grain in soup (including pasta) might lose its firmness when freezing, in my experience, but otherwise soups usually freeze well.

I also freeze waffles and then re-heat in the toaster- they are SO GOOD.

Chickpeas freeze well but in my experience, anything with water and oil (like hummus, the natural moisture of the chickpeas being the water) will require some re-mixing and may lose consistency. Mayonnaise does not freeze well so chicken and tuna salad will be totally different upon defrosting.

I used to freeze my own pizzas with just the cheese and sauce on the crust, so I could top with fresh ingredients later.

I find defrosting is trickier than freezing- if you freeze anything you want to get out in pieces, separate beforehand. NEVER freeze ANYTHING in a container with a smaller top than bottom (e.g. mason jars). It is really hard to get out to defrost! If you freeze something like bread in Ziplock freezer bags, double bag it if you intend to freeze for more than a couple of weeks. Don't forget to defrost in the refrigerator except for breads and no or minimal-dairy items, even if the meat is cooked.

As another poster in the TF forum posted recently- peel bananas BEFORE you freeze them. Same with peaches, unless you're going to use them with the peel. Wash berries and other fruits before freezing because if you wash them before defrosting, they can lose a lot of sugar and flavor when rinsing.

If you have a lemon peel or a lemon you can't use, you can juice it and freeze the juice in Tupperware and then grate the zest and freeze that, too!

Don't forget to label. Pyrex is, in my opinion, the best because you can use it to freeze, re-heat in the oven or the microwave, and serve. It goes on sale at Costco and it's totally worth it.

Good luck! The freezer is your friend!