20 Foods You Didn't Know You Could Freeze

20 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze

It's great to have leftovers or extra ingredients on hand, but how can you avoid wasting them? Many holiday foods freeze well. For all foods, wrap them tightly in foil or freezer paper, and store them in airtight containers or freezer bags. With these easy tips, you can safely freeze your extras.

1. Freezing cooked meats: Ham freezes well and is a popular holiday protein. Leftover turkey is great to freeze and use later for soups and casseroles or in burritos.
2. Cheese: Stock up on sales and freeze cheese to use in casseroles and on pizzas. The texture may change from freezing and could become crumbly, so most cheeses are better used in dishes that are heated, allowing the cheese to melt before you freeze the meal.
3. Soup: Freeze soups in single servings for easy lunches. Allow the soup to cool before pouring it into containers. Leave room for expansion in each container when freezing.
4. Gravy: If you have extra gravy and want to save it, pour it into ice cube trays. Later, you can thaw out single servings for topping sandwiches or servings of mashed potatoes. You can also add these flavorful cubes to soups and stews.
5. Milk and creamer: Remove about a cup per half gallon to allow for expansion when freezing milk.
6. Nuts: These snacks are easy to freeze, and freezing also keeps them from going rancid. You can throw them in with your baking or oatmeal even when they're frozen.
7. Pies: They're just like frozen pies you buy from the store, only better. Bake as normal and cool before freezing. Fruit pies are easy to freeze and then thaw and warm later.
8. Cookie dough: Scoop dough into balls and freeze for your own thaw-and-bake varieties. Just add a few minutes to your baking time for freezer-to-oven cookies.
9. Chips and snacks: If you have more chips and crackers than you can eat, don't throw them in the pantry to turn stale. Store them in airtight bags and pop these into the freezer to keep them fresh.
10. Vegetables: If you have leftover veggies, dice them up and freeze them in baggies. Cooked veggies thaw in soups, stews, or pastas.
11. Flour: Stocked up for your holiday baking? Freeze the extra flour to keep it fresh.
12. Herbs: Chop extra herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays with a bit of olive oil or water. Throw the frozen cubes into stir-fry dishes, soups, stews, or even inside the cavity of a chicken before baking.
13. Coffee beans: Keep special blends fresh by popping them into freezer-safe bags.
14. Eggs: These store well when dropped into a silicone ice cube tray. Crack each one and add a sprinkle of salt before freezing.
15. Cranberries: Freeze and use later in smoothies or for baking.
16. Bread and rolls: Wrap tightly to avoid freezer burn.
17. Mashed potatoes: Freeze and then reheat with a bit of milk and butter to restore the creamy richness.
18. Juices: If you bought extra for guests or cocktail mixers, pour some out like you would with milk before freezing.
19. Pancakes and waffles: If you have extras from a big breakfast, save the leftovers for a quick breakfast treat later on.
20. Butter: With all the holiday baking to do, it's time to stock up. Butter can be frozen right in the box.