People who freeze meals

[Wintersun]

When you cook meals for the freezer like a casserole or shepherds pie, what do you freeze it in and do you shove it in the oven/microwave from frozen or defrost first?

I use tupperware boxes or takeaway boxes to freeze in if it's bolognaise sauce or casserole type stuff. A pie, or anything else where presentation matters (!) I'd freeze in a casserole dish covered in copious amounts of clingfilm.

I try to remember to take it out of the freezer in the morning, to give it chance to defrost.

Freeze in tupeware type plastic boxes, or old ice cream cartons, I usually let it deforst in the fridge first. but sometimes warm through from frozen in the microwave, make sure the container is microwavable if you want to do this. I also freeze a couple of my casserole dishes which are freezable.

Nothing would ever defrost in my fridge. I use the dish I cooked it in for shepherd's pie and things like that. Otherwise for more saucy things I use either freezer bags or those boxes from the chinese take away.

I've got a couple of pyrex rectangular dishes which also have a plastic lid. Can freeze with lid on, and then reheat in the oven with lid off, really useful. I also use plastic takeaway boxes for smaller amounts

containers. But mainly freezer bags - I mean sandwich bag type only bigger with a zip on it. Generally take it out in the morning, leave it on the side - no worry over flies, becasue it is zipped. Come home. Dinner ready. Easy.

Thanks.
I want to stock up on meals before dc2 arrives in the next few months!
I'm sure it'll be a great help to have meals frozen for the first couple of weeks at least.

lots of old threads on this. Use old marg containers, freezer bags, special tupperware type boxes, old takeaway cartons. Don't defrost in metal containers obviously. I always defrost chicken/pork based dishes first but lamb/beef I cook from frozen. Always use micro for that. Try to defrost from night before if organised. Also try just cooking extra portion/ or 2 of naything you normally cook and freeze it as you always have it in the freezer. Also see slow cooker threads!

The tin foil containers with lids are 79p for 6 in Wilkos if that helps. Especially if you're doing shepherds pie, because you can shove it straight in the oven.