ISO help/advice freezing foods

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dforgey86

Assistant Cook
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Messages
3
i'm sorry if this is the wrong forum.

i have a "lazy beef lasagna" recipie that i love, but it makes more than my husband and i can eat in one meal and i wont eat left overs. i want to prepare the recipie like normal...brown the beef, add some sauce, assemble the dish...however i want to make it in bread pans so that we can have one now and freeze the other for another time and avoid leftovers. what i'm wondering is...should i actually bake all of it before freezing, or will it be ok to freeze part of it after the assembly?

the recipie is as follows:

you need ground beef, garlic, pasta sauce, cheese ravioli, shredded cheese, and water

step 1: brown the beef and garlic
2: add water and sauce; boil
3:layer ravioli,beef sauce, and cheese
4:bake covered for 15 mins (20 if using froen ravioli) then uncover and continue to bake for 15-20 mins

i usually use frozen ravioli
 
I can't address "lazy" lasagna, but I have frozen my "real" lasagna many times and I have only done it by assembling it completely and then frozen it. When I'm ready to use it, I thaw it completely, let come up to room temp and bake as my recipe directs. Never had a problem in all the years I've been doing it this way.
 
:yum: thanks so much, that seems to be what everyone does so here i go...trying it out
 
I freeze mine before baking. I don't always thaw it before baking. If I use it frozen, I double the cook time. It comes out good that way too. One thing I do is to wrap it in plastic wrap first then foil. The acidity of the tomato sauce tends to break down the foil even in the freezer. The plastic wrap will prevent that. Just be sure to remove the plastic wrap before baking though.
 
I've frozen it both cooked and uncooked. Individual portions are nice, sometimes I just nuke a couple precooked pieces from semi frozen. I agree about wrapping in plastic, have had the foil break down.
 
For that recipe, I think I would bake completely and than freeze. that way all u have to do is heat it up
 
I've frozen it both cooked and uncooked. Individual portions are nice, sometimes I just nuke a couple precooked pieces from semi frozen. I agree about wrapping in plastic, have had the foil break down.


You can eliminate the plastic wrap by using parchment paper instead. This way, if you happen to accidentally forget to remove the plastic wrap, the dish can still be cooked without any mishap.
 
Katie H said:
You can eliminate the plastic wrap by using parchment paper instead. This way, if you happen to accidentally forget to remove the plastic wrap, the dish can still be cooked without any mishap.

Agreed, Katie. And the parchment comes off so much easier than the plastic wrap does. I also do mine in the Seal a Meal.
 
i'm sorry if this is the wrong forum.

i have a "lazy beef lasagna" recipie that i love, but it makes more than my husband and i can eat in one meal and i wont eat left overs. i want to prepare the recipie like normal...brown the beef, add some sauce, assemble the dish...however i want to make it in bread pans so that we can have one now and freeze the other for another time and avoid leftovers. what i'm wondering is...should i actually bake all of it before freezing, or will it be ok to freeze part of it after the assembly?

the recipie is as follows:

you need ground beef, garlic, pasta sauce, cheese ravioli, shredded cheese, and water

step 1: brown the beef and garlic
2: add water and sauce; boil
3:layer ravioli,beef sauce, and cheese
4:bake covered for 15 mins (20 if using froen ravioli) then uncover and continue to bake for 15-20 mins

i usually use frozen ravioli

Since you would prefer to bake it in bread pans, and you don't like left overs.
You can still prepare your recipe and freeze it. This is just a suggestion. I've been using these products for a few projects that I have going at the time. I'm always all over the map doing something. Mostly outside of the box. But it's proven to be reliable, hassle free. It might work for you.

Novacart 4" x 4" Mold, 1-1/4" Deep, Sold as pack of 12, Disposable Baking Pans & Molds

novacart disposable baking mold rectangular loaf optima

I found them in a out of the way shop in S.F. Bought some just to experiment with.
A package of 4 was a $1.50 for a 1Lb loaf. The larger loaf pans were just slightly more $3.00 set of 4. 5lb's I believe. They can certainly take the heat. I don't see why you can't as your preparing the lasagna use these, assemble the lasagna in the loaves and freeze, reheat when you want it. Mark and date it. They don't require you to use a baking sheet underneath them when your reheating. The loaf pans are disposable. Free standing microwave/oven safe.

For what I've been using them for they are reusable.

Hope this helps.

Munky.
 
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