Conference turris::cooks

    Why not?  Both come in frozen dinners as entrees.....

   When I make Macaroni and Cheese, I make a white sauce with cheddar cheese
   and pour it over the cooked Macaroni and top with cheese and buttered
   bread crumbs.  Then I bake it.  If I plan to freeze it, I don't bake it.
   Later, after it thaws I bake it and it comes out just fine.  I would
   think that if you bake it then freeze it, the reheating of it (by baking
   again) would tend to dry it out.

   Karen

    Then just add a little of milk... simple!
    

    Just be sure to wrap them well.  You want to eliminate moisture leakage
    as much as possible.  Freezer burn (drying) is a big culprit to avoid.
    
    If you don't plan to use food soon, label it.  It will eventually spoil
    or at least dry out.
    
    You can freeze meatloaf or other entrees for later cooking in either
    the microwave (use plastic wrap covered with aluminum foil) 
    or conventional oven (use aluminum foil in a sealable plastic sack).
    
    I pour cooked stew into sealable plastic bags, then put the bags into
    1 qt. glass bowls to freeze.  When the stew freezes, I take the bags
    out of the bowls and store the bags.  To reheat, I put the bag into the
    bowl and defrost in the microwave.  I then pour the stew into the bowl
    to serve.
    
    You can use disposable aluminum pans to make your own frozen casseroles
    for reheating in the conventional oven.
    
    When freezing, clear the shelf so the air circulates around the food. 
    This will freeze it more quickly (with less bacterial growth).  
    
    L
    
    

    RE: 4
    
    Is it ok to put the meatloaf in the freezer right after it's been 
    cooked, or should you let it cool down a bit?

    Um, I don't see any reason NOT to put it in the freezer while it's hot,
    insofar as the effect on the food itself.
    
    Just make sure it is not touching anything else that could melt.  Be
    prepared for some condensation on the foil, if you use foil to wrap it.
    
    To keep bacteria from growing, you want to keep food either very hot or
    very cold.  So freezing hot food would be a way of rapidly cooling the
    food and should actually deter some bacteria.  You might also get less
    moisture loss as a bonus.
    
    Any differing opinions?
    
    L
    

A couple of reasons I think would keep me from doing it...loss of freezer
effeciency, and the steam that's given off in the cooling process might lead
to ice crystals on the meatloaf.

Just a thought!

Laura