Stew and cabbage rolls

[Marlene2]

I have two questions. I am having company Monday. stew always tastes better the second day, but I would like to do half on Sunday and finish it off the next. I thought if I browned the meat, added the garlic/onion/bay leaf etc. etc., and cooked it slow the first day - then cooled and refrigerated - the next day add the carrots and other veggies and cook it another couple of hours in the oven, it would be much tastier. Has anyone tried this??? Also, I froze some twice baked potatoes and wondered if I should defrost them before heating them up or just put them in the oven frozen. The only thing about the second idea is that I would like to put some more cheese and some onion and bacon on top before heating and that would be difficult with frozen ones. Thank you. Oh, I have some frozen uncooked cabbage rolls also. Are they best putting a sauce on them and cooking them from frozen state or defrosting them first? I guess that is 3 questions!!!

 

[Zhizara]

Since you have plenty of time, take the time to thaw everything that needs thawing. Put them in the refrigerator late Saturday or early Sunday so when you go to prepare them they are completely thawed. Cooking from a frozen state is just asking for trouble, like being done on the outside and raw or even still frozen in the middle. Why take chances.

About the stew. What you suggested sounds fine, even good. Sometimes when a stew is allowed to sit in the refrigerator, the flavors can become so melded that everything tastes the same. By cooking your veggies before serving, they will retain more of their own flavor and will be an excellent accent for your stew.

 

[Marlene2]

Thank you very much for your advice - sounds good to me.

 

[CharlieD]

Yeah, I am also big beliver of defrosting things.
and stew will be perfect the way you discribed

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Marlene check out Serbian Meat Sarma, we started "pickling" the cabbage last week.

 

[Marlene2]

I presume you defrost these items in their freezer wrapping??? I also froze two pies in pyrex plates. I emailed the Pyrex company and they said that I could put the pies in frozen as long as the oven was preheated. Here's hoping they don't crack!!!!

 

[babetoo]

i hope it all works out for you. the only mishap i have ever had with pyrex. was cooking a duck. opened oven , pulled duck out to take a look. the pyrex pan splintered into a dozen pieces. bummer