Freezing lasagne made with previously frozen meat
It has always been assumed at our house that if you make a meal with previously frozen meat that the meal cannot then be frozen itself and reheated at a later date. Is this true?
So, just to be clear, I've got some frozen mince, I defrost it, cook it in a lasagne then want to freeze the left-overs.
Advice would be most welcome.
Best Answer
Broadly this is OK.
By broadly, I mean a couple of things. First, I'm assuming you are cooking the meat very thoroughly. That both means for long enough time to be completely thorough and hitting high enough temperatures to kill the main nasties off. Second, it naturally assumes you observe good practice with regard to not letting it sit for long periods, not co-mingling uncooked and cooked meet, yada-yada-yada.
I do what you're describing lots of the time myself incidentally, and have done for years without incident.
Of course, as I'm sure you know, one thing that is certainly a really bad idea is to freeze defrosted meat without cooking it.
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Can you freeze meat that was previously frozen?
Information. If raw or cooked food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking or heating, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods that were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.Can you refreeze lasagna that was previously frozen?
Refreezing Your Lasagna That way you'll know it's been previously thawed and won't thaw and refreeze it a second time. It only increases the risk of food-borne illness slightly, but the repeated thawing and freezing can cause a noticeable loss of quality.Why should you not refreeze previously frozen meat?
Refreezing meat can be done safely, but the quality of the meat may be affected. For example, freezing and thawing meat more than one time might cause color and odor changes, moisture loss, and increased oxidation of its fat and protein ( 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ).Can lasagna be frozen twice?
Once frozen food has thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it, although the taste and texture of the food may be affected due to moisture loss. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator (for example, a pan of lasagna), you should refreeze leftovers within 3-4 days.Meat and Cheese Lasagna ~ Freezer Banking ~ Bulk Cooking ~ Homemade Fast Food ~ Noreen's Kitchen
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Answer 2
No, this isn't true.
First off, even if you don't cook the meat, as long as you thaw it in the refrigerator, you can re-freeze it. There will be quality loss, but food safety is maintained. Source: USDA FS&IS Fact Sheet, "The Big Thaw".
If you instead thaw under cold water or in the microwave (or in the oven, as part of the dish), you should cook it before refreezing, but that's exactly what you're doing.
This ultimately is an application of the two-hour rule. You may also want to look at their fact sheet on freezing.
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