How do I reheat frozen batches of food?!

[bellareh]

Hi!

I recently made loads of batches of food (spag bol, lamb rogan josh, etc) to save me cooking every night.

I've never frozen freshly cooked food before and just wondered if it's ok to heat up straight from frozen or if I need to defrost it beforehand?

Thanks!

 

[Irene]

I usually defrost overnight in the fridge or if I have forgotten to take something out of the freezer I defrost in the microwave.
Don't think I would cook straight from frozen.

 

[aislingb]

hi hun..
you should defrost first until it thaws out. either leave it in the fridge the night before u need it and then heat or defrost it in the microwave before heating

 

[Lisaberry]

I normally defrost stuff overnight first. Whenever I try and defrost stuff in the microwave it goes horribly wrong!

 

[IanH]

Always defrost first (either by leaving out or microwave) and ensure it's properly defrosted - especially if it has meat in it. I batch cook all the time and just get it out the night before - leave it on the side for 3 or 4 hours to start defrosting and then put it in the fridge to finish off ready for throwing in the pan (i don't have a microwave). - I find that regardless of what setting I have my fridge at - that if i take it out of freezer and put straight in fridge that it's still frozen the next night when I want to cook it (but that's probably just my fridge).

 

[bellareh]

Thanks everyone. My hubby has been trying to get me to reheat spag bol straight from frozen tonight as he thinks it will be ok. I wasn't so sure though as meat can be dodgy when reheated like that, so asked you lovely people to make sure!
Will have to defrost it and have it tomorrow instead!

 

[-Tally-]

I cook from frozen all the time, just punch a hole in the freezer bag and stick it in a bowl in the mircowave and it's fine...no meat of course as I'm vege.

 

[Stackhead]

:S I just pop things in the oven, because generally I only have my "back-up" frozen meals if I get home and can't be bothered to cook... so there's no forward planning involved.
Plus I freeze them in little aluminium containers (take-away stylee) so putting them in the microwave wouldn't be the smartest of choices!!
Takes about 40 mins in the oven on 190/200 and it hasn't been wrong yet

xx

 

[dawnwynne]

There's nothing wrong with cooking straight from frozen...after all the meat is already cooked. Otherwise there would be no such thing as frozen dinners that just get put straight in the oven from frozen. Same can be said of fish and chips etc.

 

[helzzz]

How long can you keep stuff in the freezer for once you've frozen it?