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.Thawing and Reheating




Source of Recipe


Good Housekeeping


Recipe Introduction


Ready, set, reheat...

Now that your freezer is packed with delicious meals, dinner can be as easy as takeout with these simple steps.
When Thawing...

STEWS, SOUPS and CHILIS

• Place your frozen food, still sealed in a plastic bag, in a bowl or sink of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes or until it can be broken into pieces. If the food is in a freezer-weight container (usually made of thicker plastic to stop freezer odors from transferring to the food and to help prevent freezer burn), leave the sealed container in hot water until the food separates from its sides.

• Open the bag or container; invert contents into a saucepan (for stovetop heating) or into a microwave-safe bowl.


CASSEROLES

• At least 24 hours but no more than 2 days before reheating, place your frozen casserole in the refrigerator to thaw slightly. If the casserole was frozen in a foil-lined baking dish, unwrap and return to baking dish to thaw.


WHEN REHEATING...

Stews, soups, and chilis on a stove:

• Add ¼ to ½ cup water to saucepan to prevent scorching.

• Cover and heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently; boil 1 minute to make sure it's fully heated, stirring frequently.


Casseroles in a conventional oven:

• Unwrap the frozen casserole.

• Loosely cover it with foil and bake according to the recipe's reheating instructions until the center of the casserole reaches 160° F (check with an instant-read thermometer).


Stews, soups, chilis, and casseroles in a microwave:

• Don't be tempted to remove the carousel in your microwave to accommodate large casseroles — a microwave designed to rotate food won't do its job properly without turning. (Always reheat large casseroles in the oven — see reheating instructions for each casserole, plus whether it's small enough to fit in the microwave).

• Unwrap your casserole; cover the top with waxed paper, tucking it under the dish (make sure it's microwave-safe) to keep in place, or use plastic wrap and turn back a corner to vent. Soups, stews, and chilis should be in a microwave-safe bowl, covered with waxed paper or vented plastic wrap.

• Heat in microwave according to the recipe's reheating instructions, first on Low (30%) until ice crystals are gone and you can easily stir soups, stews, and chilis, or insert knife into center of casserole. Then cook on High until food is heated through and the internal temperature of your casserole is 160° F on an instant-read thermometer.