How to Freeze Casseroles So They Taste as Fresh as the Day You Made Them

In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleDon’t Cook It CompletelyCool ItSeal ItThaw Before CookingAdd Toppings Later

In This ArticleView All

View All

In This Article

Don’t Cook It Completely

Cool It

Seal It

Thaw Before Cooking

Add Toppings Later

Close

Pictured recipe:Loaded Cauliflower Casserole

Casseroles are a foolproof way to feed a crowd, both large and small. They are also an easy dinner when you don’t have time to stir a bubbling pot or mind a steaming pan. They’re even handy to have in the freezer when time is crunched during a busy week.

In fact, casseroles are an excellent make-ahead meal because of how easy they are to prep, cook, freeze and store. The extra effort is minimal—you can double a recipe, freeze one and serve the other—and you’re gifting yourself a mostly kitchen-free night at some point down the road.

If you’re worried that a frozen casserole can’t stand up to the fresh version, think again. When cooked and stored correctly, almost any casserole tastes just as delicious as the day you first made it. Keep these tips in mind before you start cooking the casseroles you plan to stash away, and you won’t be able to tell the difference once dinner is on your plate.

Try these:19 Three-Step Casseroles You’ll Want to Make for Dinner

1. Don’t Cook the Casserole Completely

Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist Julia Bayless

Pictured recipe:Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Anytime you cook a casserole, whether it’s going into the freezer or not, you should try to cook your ingredients al dente or cooked but still crisp. Al dente typically refers to pasta, but in the case of casseroles, it simply means not to cook ingredients, including grains, pasta and veggies, to the point of being completely done. Al dente ingredients still have a toothsome bite, but they can stand up to freezing and reheating much better than ingredients that are already fully cooked. They also won’t overcook in the casserole’s final heating phase.

If you use fully cooked ingredients in a casserole, they may turn mushy. Save yourself from a goopy mess, and stop the cooking process a few minutes early.

Meat is one exception to this rule. Thoroughly cook any meat for a casserole you intend to freeze before adding it to the other ingredients. This way, you won’t have to worry about heating the casserole to a specific temperature to complete the meat’s cooking before serving. Instead, you will just need to focus on gently reheating the dish to serve.

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2. Cool Off the Casserole

Pictured recipe:Tamari-Ginger Meatball & Eggplant Casserole

Your casserole should spend 3 to 4 hours in the fridge before you wrap it and move it to the freezer. Putting something very warm directly into your freezer can partially thaw the food around it, which is a food safety hazard.

Plus, the steam that rises from the surface of a hot casserole condenses and freezes on top of the casserole. This adds unwanted moisture to your casserole and can result in a mushy mess when it’s time to thaw and reheat.

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3. Seal the Dish Correctly

Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Lexi Juhl

Pictured recipe:Spinach & Tortellini Casserole

A good seal around your casserole dish prevents your ingredients from sharing all their lovely flavors with the rest of the food in the freezer and vice versa. It can also slow the growth offreezer burn. This frosty layer on food doesn’t change the flavor much, but it could compromise the texture.

4. Thaw Before Cooking

Christine Ma

Pictured recipe:Quick King Ranch Chicken Casserole

While it would be ideal to slide your casserole from the freezer right into the oven, it’s not a great idea for several reasons. First, even in a hot oven, a frozen casserole takes hours to thaw, and the cooking will always be uneven. The edges will brown and bubble, while the center is still cool to the touch, even icy.

Secondly, not all baking pans are freezer-to-oven friendly. If your dish isn’t suited for this, it may break or shatter in your oven, leaving you with a big mess to clean and no dinner.

Instead, think a day or two ahead, and let the casserole you plan to serve thaw in the fridge before you cook it. You’ll have an evenly baked casserole in half the time.

Make-Ahead Freezer Meals

5. Add the Finishing Touches Later

Pictured recipe:Baked Mac & Cheese

If the casserole recipe calls for a final layer of cheese or a crunchy topping like crushed crackers, skip that step until you’re reheating the dish. This way, you won’t lose any of the topping in the event it freezes to the covering, and you’ll preserve the crunch of any fresh toppings. Tape on a note with the date you froze it and reheating directions, plus a reminder of any toppings to add.

Read more:How to Freeze Soup

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