The Best Types Of Casseroles To Make Ahead And Freeze

Make-ahead and freezer-friendly meals make the world go round. If you're preparing for a busy time in your life, like long work days, a new baby, or when you just don't feel like cooking dinner every night, having a pre-batched casserole you can just toss in the oven to reheat can be a lifesaver. 

That being said, despite their seemingly universal homey appeal, not all casserole recipes can be frozen and thawed. To get some insight into the best ones to freeze, we spoke to Tara Bench, cookbook author and blogger behind Tara Teaspoon. "The best frozen casseroles have sturdy ingredients and plenty of sauce. Think lasagna, or other baked pasta such as ziti, and enchilada casseroles," she says. "Chicken and rice combos with plenty of creamy sauce, or meat and vegetables such as a cottage pie, hold up to freezing and reheating." Besides being freezer-friendly, these dishes are also easy to reheat and they are packed with carbs, protein, and fats, making them a meal that you can eat right from the tray or serve with a fresh side salad. 

Not every casserole, like not every ingredient, freezes well. Freezing breaks down and changes the flavor and texture of some foods and can make them unpleasantly mushy. When we asked Bench which kinds of casseroles don't freeze well, she offered several examples. "Casseroles with crispy toppings, tender greens, seafood, or sour cream and mayo-based sauces don't freeze and reheat well," she says. "Those creamy and delicate ingredients change properties in the freezer and break down into a soggy mess, or look curdled or broken when reheated." In other words, don't freeze that delectable green bean casserole unless you have a penchant for soggy green beans.

Although some casseroles are off the table when it comes to freezing, Bench does offer some suggestions for making these dishes more freezer-friendly. For one, she suggests leaving off the crunchy topping and adding it before baking. That way, the topping will stay crisp while the casserole underneath bakes. Her top casserole tip? "Label the casserole clearly so you know what's inside a few months later," she says. We would also note that adding the date you added it to your freezer is important, just so you know when you have to eat it by.