Cooking Ideas for Casseroles that freeze well?

[MinnieMom]

Anyone have some good recipes for casseroles that freeze well? I feel like our weeks are just so hectic anymore with running the kids all over the place. It would be so nice to prepare a few meals on the weekend and just heat them up after work.

TIA for any recipes!!

 

[ah1126]

I have done stuffed shells and they seem to work pretty well.

I put a thin layer of sauce on the bottem, then I stuff the shells with a cheese filling (ricotta, mozzarella, parmasan, and egg) and do one layer in the baking dish. Cover with more sauce almost to the top of the shells.

I try to take this out and put in the fridge the night or morning before so it isn't frozen solid.

I put it in the oven covered with foil, then turn it on so it all heats up together.

When it is almost done I uncover and top with a little more mozzarella cheese and bake till melted!

 

[jm106]

I tried chicken enchiladas and they were surprisingly good. I added cheddar on top before I baked them.
Lasagna, ziti or stuffed shells. I make homemade sauce and meatballs and freeze in containers for one meal
Stuffed peppers do ok too. Sausage and beans(with can of diced tomato, and peppers. I serve over rice but make rice fresh). Meatballs for sandwiches or to use in soup with or w/o sauce.

Someone told me to brown ground beef for tacos or sloppy joes and freeze in ziplocks for dinner(I havent dont it though)
Soups
(lentil, chicken no noodles, stuffed pepper soup, sausage and bean soup, Italian wedding )

 

[JackJack08]

I tried chicken enchiladas and they were surprisingly good. I added cheddar on top before I baked them.
Lasagna, ziti or stuffed shells. I make homemade sauce and meatballs and freeze in containers for one meal
Stuffed peppers do ok too. Sausage and beans(with can of diced tomato, and peppers. I serve over rice but make rice fresh). Meatballs for sandwiches or to use in soup with or w/o sauce.

Someone told me to brown ground beef for tacos or sloppy joes and freeze in ziplocks for dinner(I havent dont it though)
Soups
(lentil, chicken no noodles, stuffed pepper soup, sausage and bean soup, Italian wedding )

Just had to second, the browning of the meat in advance. Totally a time saver.

 

[MinnieMom]

Thanks! These are some great ideas . . . keep 'em coming. I never would have thought about browning ground meat and freezing it. I would have been worried that it would have dried out too much, but I think I'll try it now!

 

[FormrCastMbr]

Hi subbing for some ideas.

I have started browning the ground beef and also parboiling chicken breast and those are real time savers...just cover the chicken breast with water bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Cool, shred or chop and then freeze in ziplocks.

 

[cherepikr]

I use the website recipezaar and do searches for OAMC (once a month cooking). There are lots of great recipes and user reviews.
HTH

 

[The Mice Family]

Try www.30daygourmet.com, and click on "recipes" at the top. I love this site. It allows you to sort recipes by food type (salad, meatless entree, meat entree, dessert, etc.) and even by low fat, calories, etc. if you want to.

A group of us have started a freezer cooking group, and I have used this site- it's worked great. The cooking group is terrific. Once a month, I set aside a couple of hours to make several entrees. There are 5 of us in the group, but I generally make 7 of the dish so I have extra. The others in the group do the same, and we all stick them in our freezers. Then we meet for 10 minutes or so, and exchange frozen meals. It's been fun to try different things, and having all those meals in the freezer feels like gold.

It really has changed how I cook, and shop- and it feels like cooking during the week so much easier.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I also cook and freeze hamburg ahead of time. I also add the taco seasoning in and then defrost, heat and that meal's done. For Chili, cook hamburg, onions, green peppers and then freeze it. Also I'll do the same except without all the spices and then thaw that and add to spaghetti sauce. I also check out all those once a month cooking places and google search their recipes. I get tired of the same old recipes.

 

[jm106]

also, I have frozen meatloaf after I sliced it for a quick meal. For the kids I have frozen small amounts of cooked pasta, but I dont like it but Ds doesnt notice. You can freeze bell peppers w/o blanching them so I have done that, chop and freeze. I have blanched large heads of broccoli and frozen in smaller bags for quick prep. If its on sale it works out cheap(I get from farm stand)
Sausage and peppers freezes well too.

 

[janni518]

Great ideas! Slightly OT but related.

My new favorite site:Calorie Count Recipe Analysis

You put your recipes in and it gives you the nutritional value for your food. I can be a real eye opener.

 

[sukaryan]

1 1/2 lbs. of ziti
3 c. mozzarella shredded
1/2 c. parmesean shredded
4T olive oil
4 c. spaghetti sauce
15 oz ricotta
salt, pepper
Italian sausage, ground, fried (optional)

boil water w/salt, cook ziti for 5 min.(al dente)
mix ricotta with 2T olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper (or to taste)
mix moz. and parm in third bowl

drain ziti, reserve 1 1/2 cups of boiling liquid
put ziti back into pot w/liquid
add spaghetti or marinara sauce, 2T olive oil, sausage(if you want it)
mix this stuff up

get a 13X9 pan
put in a nice layer of noodle mix
dab on top with spoonful of ricotta mix ( think lasagna)
cover with remaining noodles
sprinkle moz mix on top

If baked immediately: 400 degree oven for 25 min.(cheese should be browned slightly)
if refrigerated: cover, refrigerate, spray aluminum foil with baking spray, cover ziti, bake covered for 25 min at 400 degrees. uncover, bake additional 20 min. until cheese is browned.
if frozen: defrost in frig for 24 hours before baking, follow refrig. instructions

i always double this, it is sooo easy and always greeted with cheers. Freezes wonderfully!!
recommend: america's test kitchen cookbooks, one if full of recipes that can be frozen. Best recipes ever!

 

[MazdaUK]

Just about anything not too dry will frezze OK (not courgettes/zuccini, they go mushy, and hard-boiled eggs go rubbery, but most other things ) I brown the ground beef now when I get it - apart from time-saving it also takes up less room in the freezer I make a big bolognaise sauce and freeze in portions, then cook the pasta fresh, reheat sauce in mocrowave and its fine - great for DS(15) when he comes in from swimming and everyone else has eaten. jacket potatoes can also be frozen 9unfilled) but are not crispy when reheated