Batch cooking advice for a novice please!

[ojbsmum]

I've been searching threads for ideas of meals to cook and freeze and have found lots of yummy ideas. Thanks mumsnetters!

However, I'm a bit clueless as to how exactly to do it:
What do I freeze the food in? Plastic or foil pots or bags?
Should I be freezing in individual portion sizes or family size dishes?
Things like cottage pie, freeze with or without potato already on top?
When we're ready to eat it - defrost and reheat or cook straight from frozen? How?

Sorry for totally daft questions but don't want to spend ages cooking the food in the first place and then mess it up and not be able to eat it!

Just marking my place - good questions!

I've never had a good experience with freezing mash - it's always a watery disgusting slop by the time it's been defrosted and reheated. So for cottage pie, I freeze the mince mixture separately - I let it cool and drop it into food bags, squeeze out any excess air, and then pat it nice and flat (so it stacks neatly in my freezer and also as a thin layer will defrost quicker). Means I've still got to boil and mash the 'taters on the day I want to eat it, but that's only about 5-10 mins actually spent standing in the kitchen.

I think it depends on who you are batch cooking for. I live alone so I freeze things in individual foil containers.

So for shepherds pie I will make the mince and veg and the mash and I will put the mince and veg in the bottom and mash on top.

I know it will cook from frozen in 45 mins.

If you are part of a family that often eats around the table together then it might make moe sense to freeze a large pie.

We freeze either in bags, tubs like. plastic takeaway tubs bought from the supermarket or some anabel karmel weaning trays I was given - they are like huge Ice cubes but great if freezing a pasta/pizza sauce means I can whip out a portion for dd if she is eating alone or enough for the whole family (3 of us).

Any are good but I can use the tubs many times, where as the bag just once. They are not quite big enough portion sized for the whole family though.

Never done freezing mash though experience serves that potato doesnt freeze well. For sauces/pasta etc I usually add a little extra water only a tiny amount