Which Shabbos dishes freeze well?

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Forum -> Yom Tov / Holidays -> Shabbos, Rosh Chodesh, Fast Days, and other Days of Note

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MiracleMama

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 12:57 pm

I am hosting a large shabbos dinner soon and want to get done whatever I can ahead of time. I know I can make the brisket ahead and freeze. But what else? I want to get as much done ahead as I can. I don't need any desserts. Salads will of course need to be fresh. So I guess any side dishes or fish recipe that can be made ahead and frozen? If I make challah ahead is it best to bake completely and then freeze or just freeze the dough and bake "fresh"? If I freeze a batch of matza balls do I just defrost and plunk into the soup or do they need to be reboiled in water first?

smss

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 1:10 pm

you can do either of those things to freeze challah- some ppl are makpid on fresh out of the oven, I find if it's frozen right away it really tastes fresh when you defrost it.

what kind of fish do you want to make? gefilte fish doesn't freeze great so you might want to do that fresh. pickled salmon can be made several days in advance.

soup freezes very well, but some ppl don't like the texture of the veggies.

matza balls freeze GREAT - just plunk in soup and they'll defrost and break apart as it heats.

mfb

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 1:11 pm

Matzah balls I just plunk into the soup frozen noodles I defrost over the day Friday kugels can be frozen
I like challah when you freeze the dough raw and then bake but it's fine either way (I stopped freezing the dough raw because I was told I can't make a brachah and separate challah if I don't bake it all at once
Chicken soup can also be frozen

MiracleMama

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 1:16 pm

Thank you. I was hoping maybe I could make the gefilte fish ahead but I guess not. I was going to make another fish also - open to suggestions of anything that I can make ahead and freeze. Maybe some sort of fish cakes? Would those freeze decently? I really like freshly made food and aside from soup never freeze anything, so I really am clueless here and open to all suggestions.

mfb

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 2:07 pm

I don't think fish freezes well but there was a thread on here a while ago about different ways to bake fish so your not left with pots to clean you just stick it into the oven and take out two hours later

theoneandonly

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 4:03 pm

I've frozen gefilta fish and it was fine, but I'm not so picky so maybe I didn't notice a slight change in texture or whatever.
Potato kugel, lukshen kugel can freeze well. For my potato kugel, after I defrost it I cook it covered for a while so it gives it a fresh-cooked taste. I know people who freeze apple kugel but I've never done it so I can't say. Deli roll can also freeze well.
Frozen soup tastes fine but sometimes the veggies get mushy and break up in the soup so it doesn't look so nice.
Frozen baked challah is perfectly fine once it's defrosted, and if you want it to taste really fresh heat it up for a bit.

Mrs Bissli

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 5:10 pm

Smoked salmon freezes well. Or fish goujons or fish pakoras. I'm not keen on freezing baked fish unless it's covered with lots of sauce (in which case you can't really reheat).

As for sides, lokshen kugel, yerushalmi kugel, broccoli kugel freeze well. Rice freezes well. Potato kugel deoes NOT freeze. You can freeze cholent ONLY IF it doesn't have white potatoes (sweet potatoes are ok).

For desset, most cakes, crumbles, strudels freeze well.

ra_mom

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 7:32 pm

I wouldn't freeze fish.
But I would make marinated salmon a number if days before and refrigerate as it lasts long and gets better with age.
Gefilte fish I would bake fresh so it's less of a hassle.
You can freeze chicken soup (clear, no veggies), lokshen after rinsed and drained well, matza balls after drained well. Each packed separately.
Potato kugel, orzo, cabbage and noodles or potato knishes.
Vegetable kugel. Or just steam packaged frozen veggies fresh.
Cakes, ice cream, cookies.

chocolate moose

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 7:34 pm

I don't like most frozen foods. What about making a sim

chocolate moose

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 7:35 pm

Simple menu with fresh foods ?

Cookies n Cream

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 7:36 pm

I rewarm frozen potato kugel with water on top, and it tastes great.

whirlwind

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 8:04 pm

I freeze a lot.
Challah - bake, freeze, defrost a bit, wrap in foil, heat in oven 30 mins. (It probably tastes better if you freeze raw, leave a lot of time to defrost until it starts rising again, bake per directions. Thing is, like mommyfrombrooklyn my rav paskens I can't be mafrish with a bracha unless I bake all right away.)
gefilte - definitely tastes different after freezing, kind of soggy, but I've made on Wednesday for shabbos and left in fridge, tastes perfect.
Soup- I throw out veggies after cooking and freeze the broth with chicken. While I am cutting veggies to cook in the soup I cut and peel extra and freeze in ziplock. I defrost the soup in pot on stove and once it is fully melted I add the frozen raw veggies. Simmer for at least an hour and tastes completely fresh.
Matzoh balls - dump in soup for last 10 mins, they are fine.
Noodles- I freeze in ziplocks, defrost, then either add to soup pot when you put on belch or in oven OR wrap in foil and stick in warm oven/side of blech (I do this when there may be people who specifically don't want noodles in soup, otherwise if you put in pot you get at least some in every bowl)
Fruit kugels/crumbles - all taste great after freezing. Bake then freeze, defrost most of the way, then in oven about 30 mins uncovered.
Potato kugel- can't say it's just like fresh but pretty close. Bake 10 mins less than recipe says, freeze, take straight from freezer, add drop of water on top of kugel, heat on 350 for an hour. (The water helps it retain crispy top but mushier inside)
Chicken - prepare sauce or whatever you are putting on, freeze raw, defrost fully then cook per directions.
Good luck!

cpa613

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 8:13 pm

I usually bake challah every 2-3 weeks. When the challah is totally cool, I put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it. Just take it out a few hours before the meal and defrost at room temperature.

Meatballs, meatloaf freeze well. So do many kugels - squash, pineapple, pumpkin muffins (we like sweet!), yerushalmi... Personally, I have not had any luck with freezing potato kugel.

Deli roll also freezes very well - when I heat it up on Shabbos I leave the wrapping open so heat can escape and the dough doesn't get soggy.

Good luck!

ra_mom

Wed, Feb 20 2013, 8:23 pm

Bake the challah fully and freeze it right away.
Tastes better than frozen dough baked fresh. Doesn't have the right consistancy.

MiracleMama

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 1:27 am

Thanks so much for all the suggestions!

Raisin

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 4:56 am

if you fry the gefilta fish it freezes very well.

soups freeze well. I always get extra compliments on potato kugel when I have frozen it. Rice and rozo freeze well as well.

alex

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 1:52 pm

Onion kugel freezes really well. Defrost it and heat in the oven for 20 min. Also applekugel is ok from freezer.

smiledr

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 2:00 pm

Squash kugel, carrot muffins, apple kugel (not crisp) luckshen kugel, deli roll, kishka chicken, chicken Marsala all freeze really well.

Henna12

Thu, Feb 21 2013, 4:17 pm

I freeze a lot of things!

anything with a dough I freeze raw and then bake- it tastes totally fresh. for example; potato bourekas, deli roll, egg rolls

many kugels can be frozen; ie broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato; I would just bake it only 3/4 of the way and then defrost it with the oven on low.

muffins freeze really well- zuchinni, carrot, pumpkin

Soup freezes well, even a cold soup like a strawberry soup. some pureed soups will change consistencies when defrosted though.

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