Freezing cooked ground beef?

[bananiem]

I want to pre-cook ground beef so I can just pull a pound out of the freezer to ad to lasagna or whatever to cut down on the time it takes to actually put the meal together.
If you do this do you put it in freezer ziploc baggies or something else?

 

[LoriKay]

I do this and use Tupperware or Rubbermaid containers.

 

[disykat]

I just use regular baggies, freezer baggies if I think it will be longer before I use it. I use it up pretty quickly.

 

[piratesmate]

I do this all the time. Even though I buy the leanest ground meat available, I find that it works best to put it into a colander to drain for a couple minutes before putting into the bags. (Hot fat can melt the bags.) And if you freeze it with the fat still in there, it makes it harder to break apart when you forget to defrost ahead of time. BTDT

I use regular quart baggies most of the time. I always seem to be out of the freezer bags. If I have a gallon freezer bag, though, I'll put the smaller bags in that - so they're double bagged.

 

[PrincessNancy96]

I use the rubbermaid containers or baggies depends on the day.. But I like to pre cook as much as possible with the kids' activities.. saves a bundle from eating out meals...

 

[PeterPansMum]

I use the gallon size bags and TRY to remember to go in and separate the beef after it's started to freeze. If you don't fill it too much you can just freeze it kinda flat and it'll break off if you forget to defrost

 

[bananiem]

Thanks everybody. I used quart size freezer bags. I cooked 3 pounds yesterday and we'll see how it goes!

 

[mickeyfan2]

I put it into sandwich bags and then put al the sandwich bags into the largest freezer bag that will hold them all. I also do this for the raw meat too.

 

[justjulie]

I use the square Gladware containers (with the blue lids) they fit about a pound of cooked ground beef perfectly.

 

[bubbasmom99]

I use quart size freezer bags and press all the air out of them, and lay them flat in the freezer.

 

[MazdaUK]

I cook up 2-3lb of mince at a time in a recipe that will do for bolognaise (tinned tomatoes etc.), shepherds pie, lasagne etc. I then portion it out - 2 ladles (Pampered Chef ones) is about one portion, so as our boys don't like lasagne, but the elder does like the mince with mash I freeze some as 2 portions, some singles etc. I also freeze some as lasagnes etc for quick meals when we're both at work.

 

[bianca]

I do this with about 8 pounds at a time that I buy from Sam's Club. I then drain it, blot it and put it into zip-lock bags portioned for 1# per bag. I even take it one step further, as the main reason I cook that much at a time is because I absolutely hate the smell of hamburger cooking in my house ........ I fire up the side-burner on my grill (the one that most people use for corn on the cob and stuff) and cook it outside. I keeps the smell out of my house and keeps me happy!