Prepare and Freeze Dishes for Thanksgiving
October 25, 2007 by Maricar
Filed under Cooking, Home Making
November starts next week! I’m not trying to scare you, but Thanksgiving is only a few short weeks away. Didn’t I say time is flying by so quickly?
I know some of you have already made plans for Thanksgiving dinner. I don’t know yet what I’ll prepare, if any. I once cooked the Thanksgiving turkey for the entire family. But I have not yet done the whole nine yards, and I won’t be doing so this year. For those of you whose privilege it is to host the clan’s gathering this year, I found a great tip for saving time and letting you enjoy the day: Prepare food ahead of time and FREEZE it!
According to Tina Danze at the Dallas News, these dishes freeze and reheat well:
- Dressing
- Mashed sweet potatoes, vegetable purees, mashed potato casseroles
- Pecan pie, fruit pies
- Most soups
- Simple fresh cranberry relish
- Corn or squash casseroles
- Breads, rolls, tea breads, muffins, cakes
- Cookies
- Gravy, unless it includes eggs
- Herbed butters, flavored butters
These are the ones that don’t stand up well to freezing:
- Fresh fruit or vegetable salads
- Baked potatoes, potato gratins
- Pumpkin pie, cream pies, custard pies
- Soups with diced potatoes or chunks of potatoes
- Fresh cranberry relish with fresh apples or other crisp fresh fruit or vegetables
- Hard-cooked eggs (the whites turn rubbery)
- Fried or breaded food
- Cream cheese, soft cheeses
Tina also shares tips about the freezing process, packaging the food, defrosting and reheating. You also have to check out her recipes and instructions for freezing pecan pie, corn bread dressing, whipped sweet potatoes, and twice baked potatoes. Mmmm, I can almost smell the turkey!
via Dallas News; image via Smart Stepfamilies
Tags: Thanksgiving recipes, Thanksgiving tips, Thanksgiving, freezing food, freezer dishes, cooking, housekeeping, homemaking
Well I HAVE done the whole shebang for the last 27 years and don’t forget the turkey.
Making it ahead, carving,and freezing in it’s juice makes it tenderer and more flavorful. You can also make your own, homemade brown and serve rolls to freeze and finish on Thanksgiving. Cranberry sauce doesn’t freeze well but it will keep in the fridge for a week or more, so it can be done ahead. The crusts for the pies can be made ahead as well…
Great reminder!
Thanks for those tips, Marye! I’m sure you have loads to share from your 27 years of experience preparing the Thanksgiving feast. Care to share more?