Freezing Jacket Spuds?

[sittinghippo]

I am expecting DC2 in a few weeks and am trying to stock up my freezer with 'ready meals' for those first couple of frazzled weeks.
I bought a sack of baking potatoes yesterday, and am hoping to bake them and then freeze them in a big batch, ready to be reheated and dished up as and when. I'm just not sure this would work?!
Any experience lovely MNers?

I read somewhere that they come out better if you bake them, halve them, scoop out the middle and mix with whatever filling, re-stuff and then freeze. Happy to have a go at this, but what sort of fillings would freeze/reheat well?
Many thanks

I might be wrong, but I seem to remember that pieces of cooked potatoes frozen in a curry, did not come out well when defrosted.

Mixing the potato with a filling before freezing would probably be a very good idea. I don't think it would work with a whole potato.

One point: as a baked potato only needs sticking in the oven and leaving for an hour or so, do they really need freezing?
It sounds like a lovely easy meal that could be made fresh even after DC2 is born...

baked potatoes don't freeze well for some reason

as you've got loads of potatoes I would recommend cooking, mashing then freezing individual portions - frozen mash works really well

good luck

I think the problem is that the ice crystals destroy the texture of the potato. When it defrosts it goes all mushy and horrible.

I realise the time element doesnt change much, the idea is that when I have newborn I can tell DH to go to freezer and grab a couple of spuds and stick them in the oven for half an hour and dish up with beans/coleslaw whatever.
No thinking involved

Well anyway, they are done, I cooked an oven full of them and stuffed with cheese and bacon, and now they are in the freezer ready and waiting! So if it fails, at least I will be in a position to advise others in the future!

Like the idea of frozen mash, that could be my next batch of cooking...

I've frozen a few (usually when we have far too many to eat before they go off). They're not great reheated, but they're edible, esp if you mush them up with your favourite filling and even more so if you are tired & ravenous!
Freezing them with the filling already in is a good idea though, even less washing up to do!!

Potato does not freeze well. Mash you might have got away with.

I have to say I think this is an add choice of meal to freeze in advance! Surely you would freeze things that involve actual cooking in advance, where jacket potatoes couldn't be easier if they tried. Its a bit like freezing toast. Imo.

I did these, which are similar to jackets, from nigellas xmas book. She said they could be frozen ahead. They were fine, I cooked straight from frozen and did not defrost.
Loaded skins
-cook jacket spuds as normal
-when cooked cool for few minutes, cut in half and scoop out mash

• mix spuds with grated cheese, chopped fried bacon, spring onion, sour cream& dash of worches sauce
• fill skins up again, cool & then freeze.

I did a huge tray of these & they were so handy

Sorry should have said, when cooking after frozen, sprinkle with bit more cheese and cook for about 40mins at 180

I agree it doesn't save any time, but it is an easy meal ready & waiting in the house, rather than having to get to the veg shop to buy a spud!

If between the two of you you can't manage to buy some potatoes and bake them it's a pretty poor show!
I'd use the potatoes you've bought to make cottage pie and shepherds pie, freeze them and eat with salad
it's not going to be as tough as you think
newborns sleep 16 hours out of 24! Admittedly you might be carrying the sleeping baby but you'll still have a hand free to turn the oven on

you can actually buy frozen baked potatoes from cash and carry shops, my boss used to have them in a cafe i worked in

DD1 was born by C-sect and at the time my mum made me up a load of these 'ready made spuds' and I can remember feeling so grateful when I just couldnt be arsed, or was too sore etc etc that I had to do nothing bar turn oven on.
shiney I can see what you mean though, its not exactly the most complicated meal to rustle up.
Like the sound of eddies idea, which sounds a bit more interesting than what I have made.

compo I have also made up loads of bolognaises and stews and soups for the freezer, also fruit crumbles. I am usually quite a good cook (if I do say so myself ) just trying to make those first couple of weeks a bit easier on myself, esp if I do have second C-Sect. Oh and for those nights where DH doesnt get home from work til 8pm and he can heat himself something without having to use his brain!!

aw shucks