Freeze It Week, Day 2: Five Favorite One-Dish Dinners

Posted by Caroline Wright

In our monthly column "Freeze It," we come up with freezable meals you love for their flavor and strategy, and these dishes are some of my favorite examples.

So, think outside the pasta box and keep these meals on hand for variety, convenience, and value. Each link will give you freezing and reheating directions.

Now, without further ado, check out our top five one-dish dinners!

1. Vegetable Enchiladas: These vegetable enchiladas were a huge hit in the test kitchen. Freezing the sauce separately keeps the tortillas intact while the enchiladas cook in the oven.


2. Spinach Pie: Impressive but easy, this recipe takes only 25 minutes to prep two pies. If handling phyllo isn't easy for you, don't worry -- the phyllo in this pastry is sliced and tossed on top, for a quick and elegant dinner solution.


3. Chicken Tetrazzini: When I polled the test kitchen folk for their freezer favorites, this one was at the top of their lists. It's a dressed-up casserole like so many of us enjoyed when growing up, but it doesn't require any creamy canned ingredients (you know the ones I mean!).


4. Pastitsio: If you're the type that uses takeout as an excuse to bring something a little exotic into your routine, then this is the perfect dish for you. Pastitsio brings together some familiar elements of your favorite pasta dishes -- gooey cheese, smooth cream sauce -- with some more exotic flavors like lamb with a touch of cinnamon.


5. Ratatouille: Celebrate the end of the summer season by putting some veggies away in this traditional vegetarian stew. Chock-full of eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers, take advantage of the in-season flavors (and prices) of these veggies at your local market.

Tip for the day: Line your dishes with foil or plastic wrap before filling them with your recipe. This way, once it freezes, you can remove the frozen meal, and save your dish from what could be a few weeks of purgatory. When you're ready to reheat, unwrap your meal, pop it back into its dish, and bake it as directed. Ta-da!

Comments

[Jessica]

Love that vegetable enchilada recipe!