How should I freeze my own frozen dinners?

Question

When I want to freeze left overs for future single-person frozen dinners, what should I use to freeze them in? How long can it stay in the freezer? Can I freeze thoroughly cooked food in the same container, such as sauce, meat, and noodles?

Answer 1

All of the other answers are pretty good, although I would add that if you are planning on freezing your food, it is best to slightly undercook meat, veggies and pasta. Undercooking prevents the warmed-over taste. I just read a great book, called "Frozen Assets" it is meant to be used as a guide for once a month cooking, but there are lots of other great tips as well.

Answer 2

You can use either ziploc-type bags or tupperware containers, although I find the bags save space (make sure you squeeze the extra air out of the bag before sealing!).

You can freeze a variety of things - I've frozen ingredients to be used later (ie. meat, homemade tomato sauce, etc) and full meals.

Keep in mind that some items can't be thawed and then re-frozen, so don't freeze a huge portion in one container if you're sure you won't be able to use it all up once it's thawed. Break it up into smaller portions! My mom likes to buy ground beef, cook it up into meal-size portions and then freeze the portions into ziplocs. Then, whenever she's in a rush, she can just pull out one bag and cook up a dish. This saves a lot of money if you shop at those Costco/Sam's Club type warehouse stores where you get a lot for cheaper. I also love to buy fresh berries in the summer, when they're in season and then freeze them so that I can use them in the winter.

Another tip I use is to take a permanent marker and write down the date that the item was put into the freezer. That way, you can try to use the older items first so they are't in the freezer FOREVER.

I'm not sure about how long items can stay in the freezer, as I think that depends on the food. I generally try to use my frozen items within a few of months, but you may be able to find better sources in a specialty cookbook or on the internet.

Good luck!

Answer 3

it depends on the food(s) that you are freezing as to how well they will freeze and what container to use. I often freeze up soups in air tight containers such as tupperware or glad ware. spaghetti/pastas with the meat and sauce freeze well all in the same container. cooked meats such as roasted chicken in single serve portions freeze well in freezer zip lock bags. these are great to toss in frozen into my lunch bag for work and by the time I'm ready for lunch, they are ready to heat.
another idea is to reuse the divided throwaway dishes that healthy choice meals come in, and tupperware sells a dish that is divided for freezer use which is much more durable and easier to use.

Answer 4

I used ziploc containers and Glad freezer bags. I do this all the time with spaghetti & meat sauce, casseroles, etc. Saves TONS of money and time and that way you have a variety. Some cookbooks will show you freezer life of certain items and whether or not you can do it. There are also freezer cookbooks you can check out of the library. Hope this helps!

Answer 5

I bought a vacuum sealer to store my left-overs. Its simple to use and the food lasts a lot longer in the freezer.

You can freeze fresh items or entire cooked dinners to re-heat.

Answer 6

Put the left over food in a empty container with a cover to cover it. Then put it in the freezer.

Answer 7

you can use a plastic container to keep it.sure you can freeze thouroughly cooked food but you must left the food cold down first then you freeze it.

Answer 8

freeze them in a air vacummed out bag that way no air oxidizes it and gets it turning moldy just make the meal and put in the air tight vacumme bags for fresh food when ever u want last for months