Q: I am pregnant and beginning to think about what sorts of meals I might like to have stashed in the freezer for when the baby is born. Is there any good way to figure out whether or not a meal will freeze well? Are there ingredients that will do poorly if frozen?
Sent by Jessica
Editor: Jessica, congratulations on your pregnancy! Here are some guidelines for freezing and a list of foods that shouldn't be frozen:
→ The Do-Not-Freeze-These-Foods List
Readers, do you have any tips for figuring out what types of meals will freeze well?
Related: Choosing the Right Freezer Containers
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Congratulations--I'm due in Dec with #3, so I'm thinking along the same lines these days. Meatballs! You can make an enormous batch (I simmer mine in tomato sauce and freeze them in the sauce) and break them up into smaller batches. Throw them on pasta, polenta, sandwiches, slice them up to make a quick pizza, or even toss a couple in a bowl soup sauce and all.
As for things that don't freeze well, I think mashed potatoes and chickpeas get a little weird in the freezer in terms of texture, though I know people who freeze both.
Soups freeze well pretty consistently. Even if they contain some of the veggies on the no-no list, soups do a good job masking anything that might have changed texturally a bit, or even making soggy vegetables taste perfect! I always make big batches of the Moosewood cookbook's carrot soup, for instance (http://www.slashfood.com/2007/08/21/the-original-moosewood-carrot-soup-recipe/), and then freeze it in several containers so I can defrost it little by little. Often I'll get a rotisserie chicken for dinner one night, and then add the leftover pieces of chicken to some defrosted soup the next night. I'm always satisfied with it.
A couple/few years ago, the Washington Post printed a freezer guide, which did a really good job explaining freezing, which foods are the best, and worse, candidates, and why. One of its major lessons is that ANYTHING can be frozen, and indefinitely. It's just that some things are more likely to have unappealing changes to taste, texture, and color than others. Here's a link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/foodanddining/graphics/the-big-chill/index.html.
I froze a jambalaya (with the rice stirred in) when I was 36 weeks pregnant and it was an EPIC mistake. Not only did the rice mushify, but I was NOT digging anything spicy-peppery after the baby came. And so my poor husband soldiered through 12 servings on his own. I made a mild white chicken chili that did well (posole and beans for bulk).
Remember your lunches-snacks too. Freeze some (baked! Don't fool with freezing dough here) cookies and muffins. You don't even need to reheat or thaw them, good for when you must sit down to nurse but you need a quick energy burst before you do.
I freeze eggplant parm, lasagna, stuffed shells, soups and stews, sauces, chili. You have alot of options!
Potatoes in soups and stews don't freeze well AT ALL.