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i make lots of stews and one-meal/one-dish casseroles.

general rules:

don't freeze well: potatoes, tofu
do freeze well: tomato sauces, baked pasta dishes,
rice dishes

lasagne freezes really well, as does soups, chilis...things that are liquidy.

lasagna is usually what i do here. you can make a full panful and freeze it and it lasts for months. I tend to freeze it in microwavable plasticwear. the good thing about lasagna... is you can make it 1000 different ways, replacing layers of noodles with layers of spinache and broccoli, the main thing to watch is your water/noodle balance in cooking. I don't ever precook my noodles when making lasagna, because i use vegetables which release water when cooking.

I ususally keep a stack of bean burritos on hand. I wrap them separately and store them in the freezer. They reheat in about 5 minutes and are perfect for a quick meal. I normally use beans, rice, red and green peppers, tomatoes, onions, cheese and whatever else I feel like throwing in at the time.

I want to know this one too. The takeouts from Pakistani Teahouse freeze well. I don't like their plastic deli container so if I have any handy, I like to store them in Pyrex storageware's round bowls which are perfect for steaming the curries or baking them. The fast way is dumping them in the post and bringing to a boil but depending on the ingredients, that may not work. O yeah, the bowls are microwave safe.

Bean soups--pick up some crusty bread and you're all set. Also, uncooked Chinese dumplings (pork and leek, etc.)--all you need to do is boil them in water.

Nanana, "safe" is relative, no? Conventional (npi) wisdom dictates that we probably shouldn't microwave whatsoever, and if we do microwave, it should never, ever be in plastic. Plastic=bad.

That said, I actually prefer the toothy texture of frozen tofu, and tend to buy extra just for the freezer.

If I had more room in the freezer, I'd be making a ton of fresh tomato sauce with basil and vegetables -- summer squash or eggplant.

If I had a ton of time and a huge freezer, there would be an afternoon of eggplant parm making in my schedule. That stuff tastes sooooo good in the middle of winter.
It's fresh basil that puts it over the top into the divine . . .

Stuffed peppers freeze very well.
I like cubanellos, which are mild, light green and relatively thin skinned, filled with rice and meat, or rice and cheese and veg
covered with a little tomato sauce and baked til they collapse and have some black spots

Pakistani staff's default behavior is to spoon the mix into the plastic deli container and microwave before packing it into a bag! I just looked in my freezer and it turns out I have dumplings by the ten in ziploc bags. I ground up a pork loin in the food processor and mixed in a bunch of flavorings including a chili pepper until the raw mix smelled good then I folded them up in the cheapo wonton/dumpling wrappers from the store. Pinched the ends like British commonwealth beef pie thing. When you are ready, boil em - changing the water three times to keep the dumplings from ballooning. I'm not that into them but they are good to keep around. I'd rather have dinner meals already frozen and ready to go. I have coconut cookie dough in the freezer but no one is very excited about them :(

Every winter unitl about a year ago, we were buying a lot of this particular local brand of Chinese pork dumplings in different flavors until one of them was rank as all get out. That is why we are making our own dumplings and one of the reasons we got a food processer. What a terrible experience. Oh, and boycott Omaha Steaks, their burgers are no good. I thought I was stocking up but I got ripped off instead.

Coincidentally, I was just browsing at a book titled:
"Don't Panic Dinners in the Freezer: Great-Tasting Meals You Can Make Ahead" (click my name for link)

The reviews look pretty good and I like the idea of prepared-ahead instead of cooked-ahead. Has anyone had any experience with this book?

I make gyoza dumplings and freeze them - just need a little pan fry and steam while still frozen.

I've been dreaming of getting one of those vacuum packing gizmos so I can make/freeze my own boil-in-the-bag type foods - curries, sauces, etc. for hectic weeknights.

I second the above- lasagne and chili are my standard freezer fare.
I have 2 requirements for frozen food (beyond that it needs to be as good coming out of the freezer as when it goes in):
1. Flexible Ingredients: Neither chili or lasagne is a science... throw in whatever you like(meat, veggies, cheese, beans), or leave out whatever you want. I once replaced lasagne noodles with thinly sliced eggplant & it came out great.
2. Individual Portions: I don't see the point in defrosting a whole lasagne for 1 meal. I'd rather re-heat individual portions, even if there are a few of us that night. Chili can be frozen in any plastic container (I don't like to microwave, so I put it in the fridge overnight to defrost, and then dump it into a saucepan to heat up). For lasagne, get those small, almost take-out size disposable aluminum pans & make individual freezer portions.

For side dishes, you can't beat Trader Joes frozen veggies. When the farmers market is closed in winter, their Haricots Verts are my go-to green: just heat up a handful & sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Cooking in a pressure cooker helps to cook food fast and flavourful at the same time.

Add wheat bulgur or lentils or vegetables - nutritious and in 15 minutes the dinner is ready.

Whole wheat wraps can be freezed and roasted. ( it depends from where you buy them)

grilled chicken, canned beans are all easy to cook on the day dinner meals. Keep different spices in your spice box and flavour the tomato sauce that can be added to the above.

pressure cooker has been my all time favourite since student days - saves gas, energy, electricity and it is one pot cooking - good for stews and for anything that needs boiling. though

there is a section in the Real simple meals book on recipes that freeze well. Click my name.

Every once in a while I pretend to get organized, make a whole pile of thai curry, or beef stew, freeze it, then forget about it for six months or a year in the oddly boring chaos that is my daily life. Then I have to throw it out. I find cooked garlic goes fusty in the freezer after a while.

I do love to cook, though. One of the absolute best investments I've ever ever made is a braun hand-held blender. I make tons of different thick soups with a variety of bases (tomato, fish, lentil, you name it). I throw everything in the pot, then go drink some wine, or rock back and forth in the corner thinking about all the mistakes I've made in my life....and then whip out my handy blender, and voila, chunky, chowdery or veloute. Bread, or some fried smoky pancetta thrown in at the end. Broccoli and blue cheese soup with crumbled walnuts....red lentil, tomato, potato and chipotle peppers with kale added after whizzing and a whole head of crushed garlic..love that blender!

In the latest issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, there is a recipe for chicken breasts that are stuffed with roasted red peppers, kalmata olives, scallions, and feta. They get frozen and then can be cooked off straight from the freezer. I believe they suggest pouring a simple tomato sauce over the breasts before putting them in the oven.

I made some and they are currently in my freezer. I have not yet baked them. I will report back, when I do.

I freeze chili, for rainy days, single portion lasagna is good too as mentioned. When I make soup, I'll freeze at least 2 portions for later. My mom roasts (& peels) huge quantities of red peppers this time of year and freezes them in 'snack' size zip bags - they're terrific in the middle of winter & the taste is as good as fresh, sprinkled with olive oil, & minced garlic if desired.
I have this book (click on my name) which has some pretty good ideas.

i've heard great things about the mega menu mailer from www.savingdinner.com it's about 20 make a head meals, all using fresh ingredients with a lot of variety of different menus

I'm also a fan of making a huge mess o' chili--half goes in the fridge for meals during the week and the other half gets frozen in portion-sized containers. (We all love chili, but more than a week of it and my taste buds fuse together.) Lentil soup or dal freezes fantastically as well.

I've also had a lot of success with freezing calzones. This was inspired by Amy's Pockets avail at most grocery stores--after buying them for months, I thought "Heck! I could MAKE these!" I make the dough myself, but you can probably use a pre-made dough like pizza dough. Assemble and bake the calzones as usual and then freeze them as soon as they've cooled.

This is a bit more intense, but I've also been experimenting with making home-made pita breads, stuffing them with raw veggies, herbs, and a bit of cheese, and freezing them (wrapped in a double layer of saran wrap and then in a zip-lock bag). This has had good success, but my pita-bread making skills are spotty. The veggies steam as you microwave the pocket and the cheese melts to make it all gooey and wonderful. P.S. If you want to put meat in the pitas (or calzones), cook the meat before freezing.

I (heart) tabbymook

EmmaC, just a note on your calzones I too have made them up and then tossed them in the freezer, you don't have to cook them at that time though. I have always just put the whole lot on a cookie sheet put it in the freezer for a bit and then taken them out and put them into individual containers. Then when I want one just let it thaw and pop it in the oven. As I recall I have never put cooked meat into them so maybe it is a bit different but even then I would think all you would have to do is let them cool completely before putting it into the freezer.

what great suggestions! i especially love the idea of the small foil pans, i never thought of that.

my father just gave me some lovely eggplants this weekend from his garden and you've inspired me to make some eggplant parm to enjoy later this winter. : )

I've made it a habit to cook frozen meals as gifts for friends who have babies. Big hits so far have included:

- meatloaf and twice-baked potatoes (freeze and thaw separately)
- spaghetti sauce (with dried pasta)
- stuffed pasta shells
- cassoulet
- chicken in mole
- mac & cheese
- chili
- enchiladas or tamale pie
- stews like beef carbonnade
- pozole
- thai curries
- hearty soups (no dairy or potatoes, though)

Buy little aluminum containers at restaurant supply stores and you can freeze one or two portions. All you have to do is remember to take one out the night before you have to use it, or move it to a microwave-safe container to thaw more quickly.

All great suggestions... I usually only freeze beef stew, soups, and pasta dishes. Definitely keep the portions small so you just eat what you need. I buy the disposable tupperwares to freeze in and if you don't remember to pull them out the night before, you just sit the container in a pot of luke warm water (not hot) and it thaws super quick. Then I warm the stew in a pot over the stove.

Oh and of course, there's always frozen pizza... our favorite.

I second dumplings. We'll go on a tear and make about 100 dumplings (usually pork with ginger and some sort of veggie). We freeze them on a cookie sheet for a few hours then pick them off and bag them (this prevents sticking, we make our own wrappers).

Other good freezables are the soups listed. I also like to buy PISMOs from Fairway and slice them up into fillet mignon. Individually wrapped and frozen these can be defrosted quickly in running water. Two of those plus a baked (boiled if you're in a rush) sweet potato and some sort of veggie makes for a luxurious quick meal.

second dumplings. watercress, pork, and tofu are my favorite. add some ginger, an egg or two, soy sauce, sesame oil. If I have them, I add some cellophane noodles. For vegetarians, I don't add pork, double the tofu and add a little oatmeal. Protein, veggie and starch. delish!

I'm big on pattying out hamburgers and freezing separately. I use the weird Glad Press-n-seal to seal each patty individually. I also freeze hamburger buns so that I have the whole kit! These patties can also be used for gyros if you freeze pita bread instead. Meatballs and individual meatloaves also work well.

Also, marinara, pesto and mole' are favorites. I first freeze in ice cube trays and then in larger ziplock bags. This allows for later portioning and faster defrosting.

Home-made chicken pot pies are also delicious.

The one recipe I've put in the freezer and actually made twice because I liked it, was Make Ahead Lunch Wraps. It is a bean and rice wrap and it is just spicy enough.

I also really like this Italian Sausage Soup recipe, but I never get to freeze it because it is just so good I'm willing to eat it as leftovers. If I ever think to double the recipe, I'll freeze half of it, but I'll it probably won't stay in the freezer very long.

Shoot! The URLs didn't work in my post.

Make Ahead Lunch Wraps http://maindish.allrecipes.com/az/MkhdLnchWrps.asp

Italian Sausage Soup http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=682961

We like those make-ahead lunch wraps Katie posted about also! My kids all love them.

I have to try the sausage soup, now, though!

I always make these chimichangas and freeze half. Also I will often double lasagna and enchiladas and put one pan in the freezer for later. I double jerk chicken. And if I'm making fajitas, I double everything. Freeze the veggies (or buy fajita veggies frozen) and the meat separate.

Chimichangas -->
http://www.seejaneblog.com/?p=279

I'm a big fan of pizza made ahead - just pop it in the oven (frozen!) and bake when you want it. Also like Calzones, Chicken courdon bleu, and Enchiladas. I find that soups take FOREVER to thaw... I like the idea of the ice cube trays.

Now that I have a baby I'm starting to make and freeze my own baby food, too.

I like to make Cornish pastys. I just bake them as usual, maybe a little shy of completely done, and then freeze in aluminum foil & plastic bags. Just take out a foil wrapped pasty and bake it at 350°F until it's hot throughout, then remove the foil and bake a little longer to crisp the crust.

When I freeze liquids, like stock, soup, etc, I freeze them in sip top bags flat on a cookie sheet. Then they are easy to stack or to store upright, next to each other like books on a shelf.

I make pesto & freeze it in ice cube trays, then pair it with fresh pasta from the supermarket(which can also be frozen). Add a side salad, and you've got dinner in less than 10 minutes. I get about 8-10 servings of pesto out of a big bunch of basil plus a couple tablespoons garlic, couple teaspoons of olive oil, about 1/4 cup grated romano or parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds. I use sunflower seeds instead of pinenuts because of food allergies, and also because they are cheaper.

I cook several pounds of chopped meat, put into containers and cover with stewed tomatoes (leaving a bit of headroom) and freeze. Each one can then be seasoned to taste...chili, Italian meat sauce, Greek, Asian, etc. A variety of meals with the same amount of work.

I make the make-ahead lunch wraps that Katie and everybody else likes.

I also make a 9x13 pan of lasagna which we eat for dinner and then since the remainder is too much food for two people, I package up half of the leftovers and freeze. Then we try valiently to eat lasagna for the remainder of a week.

I also make and freeze chili, and

stuffed pepper soup (haven't defrosted this to see how it will be)
http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/StuffedGreenPepperSoup.asp

black bean soup
http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/SpicyCrockpotBlckBnSp.asp

baked potato soup
http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/SlwCkrCrmyPttSp.asp

bean & ham soup
http://soup.allrecipes.com/az/BscHmndBnSp.asp

beef tips & noodles (without the noodles)
http://beef.allrecipes.com/az/BfTipsndNdls.asp

I like soup!

I saw the following method on an episode of Top Chef:

Prepare each ingredient (pasta, veggies, meat/sauce, etc) separately and freeze individual ingredient portions in muffin pans. When frozen, put one of each ingredient in a ziplock bag and return to freezer until ready to heat in skillet.

Since the ingredients are individually prepared and individually frozen (instead of prepared and frozen in one big blob), the meal will prepare more quickly. The pasta and veggies will also have a better texture and taste since they don't "meet" until they all hit the skillet.

Take a look at the frozen skillet meals you can buy in the market such as Voila or Bolobi. The meat/sauce is frozen in a small block and the pasta or veggies are frozen separately.