To ask for help - cooking batches of food & freezing

[Chuckitinthefuckitbucket]

So I always cool way too much food for dinner. Risottos, cottage pies, Spag bowls etc always have loads left.
If I defrosyed the meat to use & cook can I freeze the meal? I know you shouldn't decfrost & re-freeze uncooked meat but what about if you cook it in between?
How many days can the meal be in the fridge after cooking before t needs freezing?
How long p

Sorry! Dd got hold of phone!
*how long after defrosting the meal do you have to eat it?
Very confused !

Yes to defrosting raw meat, cooking then re-freezing.if possible i would freeze as soon as cool, but a day in the fridge then freeze it should be ok.we normally freeze in portions and eat defrosted on the day it is defrosted.

I batch cook. You can refreeze meat and fish if it's then been cooked. I don't think it lasts long once defrosted, I just take the frozen batch out the night before and use it up straight away.

It's such a time-saver, just a little more chopping when you cook and you've got a meal ready for another day! Can't believe it took me so long to think of doing it.

Batch cooking definitely a good idea if you have the freezer space. Why cook Bolognese sauce for just one meal with it's such little extra effort to cook lots more.

Have now perfected my meat sauce by finishing it off in the oven for a couple of hours to ensure the meat is exceptionally tender. I wouldn't be doing this if it was for just the one meal.

Definitely do it, although some things freeze (or rather defrost) better than others - tomato-based sauces are more resilient than cream sauces.

Once defrosted, reheat and consume the same day (you can defrost in the fridge overnight); and don't refreeze - so if you're making enough to freeze four meals, divide into portions before freezing, otherwise you'll need a hammer and chisel to break it up.

Don't leave it in the fridge between cooking and freezing (especially rice dishes) - freeze it as soon as possible.

There are different schools of thought about putting hot things in the freezer - some say this will partially defrost things near it (not a problem if your freezer has plenty of space); others say this is good for minimising bacterial growth (not a problem if you put it in the freezer within two hours of cooking). A happy medium might be to get leftovers into the freezer shortly after you've eaten dinner, when it's had a chance to cool a bit, but not yet developed significant bacterial growth.

I hate cooking rice so tend to do a lot, rinse thoroughly in cold water then freeze as soon as. Handy to throw in to bulk meals out.

I batch cook quite frequently. Easiest meals are things like chilli, curry, lasagne. I also make cottage pie and freeze the filling in a box and the mashed potato in a Ziploc bag to save on space.

If you defrost meat you need to cook it before refreezing. If you don't want to freeze or don't have the room in your freezer most meals will last in the fridge in an air tight container for 3-4 days. If I run out of freezer space I will often make 3/4 meals on a Sunday and put in the fridge to eat each evening, my husband then takes any leftovers to work for lunch the next day :)

Yes, you can cook previously frozen meat and freeze it again.

Freezing cooked rice is really dangerous, though. Once cooked, bacteria can release toxins, as it cools, and no amount of re-heating will destroy those.

Sorcha's cold rinse method is the best way to quickly cool rice, but obviously, you can't do that with risotto.

I love doing this. Filling the freezer with lots of those tin foil type trays makes me feel so virtous and housewifey. Unfortunately I often forget to write what it is on the lid...

Hi
I am the Queen of batch cooking (in my opinion of course) and would never make a meal that is suitable for batch cooking for just one meal. All the usual suspects mentioned above but a couple more. Beef and chicken Fajitas,mine always made with loads of peppers, chilli and onion, do not freeze well, however add some thia spices, green for chicken, red for beef, and tin of coconut milk and you have thai curry in the frezer ready to go. Also I find that if I freeze shepherds or fish pie I do not put the potato topping on as it goes a bit watery when if defrosts so the night we are having S&M Sausage and Mash not 50 shades! I do extra mash and take out the pie to defrost in the fridge and top the mash when i first take it out. It is so easy to spoon the mash on the top whilst it is still frozen and by the next night it is ready tp pop in the oven. Hope this helps!