Freezing Casseroles

[danders2]

We are a family of seven, and to be quite honest, it is harder for me to get a meal on the table on the weekends than it is on a workday. We are so busy that most of the time the weekends are when we lose our budget on "quick" and convenient food.

That being said, I am starting to can things from the garden and want to start freezing meals to help with the time crunch. I have a recipe for chicken casserole that the kids love. But it has sour cream and condensed soup in it. Can you freeze things with sour cream in them?

Also, I am going to take the time to boil my chicken and shred it for the casseroles, so how do I need to season that so that I can save the chicken broth, and can I freeze that, too?

TIA

 

[Sadie22]

Check your local library for cookbooks of recipes that freeze well.

 

[sl_underwood]

We are also a very busy family so we do alot of freezer cooking.
The kids favorite casseroles are tator tot casserole- basically this is frozen tator tots, ground beef, chopped onion, and cream of mushroom soup. Lasagna is another favorite. We also do things like spaghetti sauce and taco meat. Both can be heated in the microwave while we are putting together pasta or shells and a salad. Takes less than 20 minutes to put together if it is thawed earlier in the day. I also have placed chicken, pork, or steak in a marinade and frozen it. Pull it out that morning and it can be baked or put on the grill that evening. Just getting some of the prep work done can help cut time immensely.

 

[etoiles]

I just did my first freezer cooking and thought it was really successful. Although I did not do any casseroles I did:
- chop onion and freeze in baggies
- chop peppers and freeze in baggies
- also sauteed some onion/pepper and froze
- made homemade garlic bread
- made veggie meatballs (can also make with meat, are good with spag. sauce or white sauce or sandwich, etc...)
- made veggie burgers (can also make with meat!) heat and eat
- made frozen bean burritos microwave or bake and eat
- homemade refried beans
- frozen fruit cups - individually portioned and can take out how much needed

A blog I read, Money Saving Mom, does a lot of freezer cooking and I got a few recipes from her (most ideas from her) and also from allrecipes. So far it has been helpful and prevented us from getting take out and made things easy!

 

[TiffanyK]

You put a lot of food in your freezer already. I love having cooked ground beef and chicken in the freezer. I also have a lot of posts on freezing foods on my blog, including How I Cooked and Froze 10 Meals in Just a Few Hours.

I also have 2 menus with complete grocery lists designed to fill your freezer. (Menu week 8 and week 28)

ETA: I realized I never answered your actual question. Yes, you can freeze casseroles with sour cream and cream soup in them. I freeze a chicken tetrazini recipe with both those ingredients and it works very well.

 

[apnep]

I have a recipe for chicken casserole that the kids love. But it has sour cream and condensed soup in it. Can you freeze things with sour cream in them?

Also, I am going to take the time to boil my chicken and shred it for the casseroles, so how do I need to season that so that I can save the chicken broth, and can I freeze that, too?

TIA

Yes, you can freeze cream sauces, chicken, and chicken broth. I've frozen all those things and they come out well.

Also, freezing already cooked meats (I use a vacuum sealer) I find that the meat is even tastier because the juices and seasonings marinade it even more. Mmmmm, yummy.

Ang

 

[danders2]

Thanks everyone for the replies. We have been canning and freezing all summer to put back for the winter. I teach Kindergarten, so by the time I actually leave the school and get home, there is very little hope that I will cook! I am hoping all this summer prep helps us out!!

 

[cbg1027]

I have a casserole I make that has mayo and condensed cream of chicken soup in it. It does NOT freeze well. It becomes really grainy and tastes funny.
I don't know about sour cream specifically though.

If you want to save the broth, I would add:
Whole Peppercorns
Salt
Celery
Carrots
Onion
Bay Leaf
And whatever other herbs or veggies interest you - maybe a sprig of rosemary or a parsnip. Use your imagination. Just remember that the chicken will absorb some of that flavor so you don't want it to clash with what you're putting the chicken in.

You can definitely freeze the broth. Just strain the other stuff out and only store the liquid.

Something that freezes really well for future meals is tomato sauce - with or without meat. I have a recipe for a meat sauce I like to use and just keep individual portions of it frozen. I can boil pasta and just throw the frozen block of sauce in a pan over medium heat until it's hot.

 

[lovesmurfs]

To save money on disposable casserole pans, layer the bottom of your 9X13 pan with tin foil. Freeze the casserole until hard, and then pop the casserole out of the pan and wrap tightly. When you want to use the casserole, just put it back in the pan you'd originally frozen it in.

 

[PixiePlanner]

I have a casserole I make that has mayo and condensed cream of chicken soup in it. It does NOT freeze well. It becomes really grainy and tastes funny.
I don't know about sour cream specifically though.

Mayo does not freeze. Oddly enough, Miracle Whip does. I make chicken salad and tuna salad sandwiches/wraps and freeze to make for easy lunches.

 

[Local_Girl]

Mayo does not freeze. Oddly enough, Miracle Whip does. I make chicken salad and tuna salad sandwiches/wraps and freeze to make for easy lunches.

Really?! Thank you for this info...we're a Miracle Whip family, (DH grew up with it, I had to convert, LOL!) and I've never frozen anything with it because I just assumed it would be like mayo in that regard. This could make my life a whole lot easier!!