Can You Freeze Enchiladas?
Enchiladas can be excellent to have for a party. Besides being easy to cook for a weekend dinner, it is also possible to use the leftover chicken or turkey to make the enchiladas more delicious. So, if you are left with a large batch, do you need to worry about its preservation? There is no reason to worry because you can store the enchiladas differently. Can you refrigerate enchiladas?
Can You Freeze Enchiladas?
Freezing enchiladas is easy because you have already done the cooking, the most challenging part of enchiladas. Therefore, you can prepare enchiladas in advance and freeze them for the party. Alternatively, if you have excess enchiladas leftovers after the party, you can freeze them in the freezer and have them later without compromising their taste.
How Do You Freeze Enchiladas?
When freezing enchiladas, the first thing to ensure is whether they are cooled to room temperature. Consuming them hot is advisable but freezing them hot is not. If you freeze warm enchiladas, you must contend with condensation issues that can ruin the dish. Besides, the heat generated by the hot enchiladas can spoil other foods freezing in the freezer.
- Cool the enchiladas properly before freezing them. We also advise draining the excess liquid from the enchiladas. It helps prevent crystal formation that could lead to freezer burn. You can pour the extra watery sauce out of the container. Alternatively, you can cook them to thicken the sauce and ensure leaving out as little moisture in it.
- Once they are cooled, we suggest scooping the enchiladas into an airtight freezer-safe plastic container. You can also place the enchiladas in a disposable foil container or a zip lock bag. However, we advise providing sufficient room in the container or the zip lock bag for the enchiladas to expand during freezing.
- On placing all the enchiladas in the container, we suggest covering them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Next, cover the container with its lid.
- Press the zip lock bag gently to remove excess air before sealing the bag airtight.
- We suggest noting the freezing date and the contents on the freezer bag/container to enable easy monitoring.
You can freeze the entire enchiladas batch together. Alternatively, it is better to apportion the dish into consumable portions for convenience during the defrosting process before consumption.
- Scoop the enchiladas into individual consumable portions and wrap them with plastic wrap. Please ensure not to leave any space for the sauce to spill out. It also ensures against air or moisture seepage that could spoil the enchiladas.
- Please provide additional protection to the wrapped enchiladas by covering them with aluminum foil. It prevents the freezer’s cool air from coming in contact with the enchiladas and causing freezer burn.
- Place the packed enchiladas inside the freezer drawers and allow them to freeze. Alternatively, you can place the wrapped enchiladas in a freezer bag and place it inside the freezer after removing excess air and sealing them.
How Long Can The Enchiladas Remain Frozen Inside The Freezer?
Generally, frozen enchiladas can retain their texture and taste for three months inside the freezer. However, we suggest you consume them within three months because the longer you keep them in the freezer, the higher the chances of spoiling. The ice crystal formation can ruin the texture.
How Do You Defrost The Frozen Enchiladas?
The best way to defrost the frozen enchiladas is to remove the required quantity from the freezer and transfer them to the fridge. The enchiladas thaw naturally, and the cool temperature does not allow bacterial contamination.
How Do You Reheat The Enchiladas Before Serving Them?
You can reheat the enchiladas in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. We suggest removing the wrapping and aluminum foil covering the enchiladas before placing them in an oven-safe dish. You can also add cheese or sauce to top the enchiladas now.
The ideal baking time for the enchiladas is around 25 minutes. However, you can extend the timing after checking the progress every five minutes.
Microwaving enchiladas is also possible if you cannot wait for 25 minutes. It is an excellent way to reheat enchiladas and maintain their crispiness.
Can You Refreeze Enchiladas?
We do not recommend refreezing enchiladas. It is advisable to consume them once defrosted. Therefore, we suggest apportioning them into consumable pieces. It simplifies your job by not thinking about refreezing the excess enchiladas.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas Before Baking?
You can freeze the enchiladas before baking.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas After Baking?
It is possible to freeze enchiladas after baking. Please ensure to wrap each piece carefully before freezing them.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas With Sour Cream?
Technically, you can freeze enchiladas with sour cream. But, we advise freezing the cream separately and assembling the enchiladas when they are ready for serving. It is because the sour cream can become grainy.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas Suizas?
Enchiladas suizas is creamy enchiladas. Though you can freeze enchiladas suizas, we suggest freezing the cream and the enchiladas separately.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas Before Cooking?
You can freeze the enchiladas before cooking them. However, we recommend wrapping them properly in an oven-proof dish, allowing you to cook them straight out of the freezer.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas With Sauce?
You can freeze enchiladas with sauce. But, we suggest using a plastic container when freezing enchiladas with sauce. Otherwise, the sauce can taste metallic if you freeze it wrapped in aluminum foil.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas Without Sauce?
You can freeze enchiladas without sauce by wrapping them tightly with aluminum foil.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas With Cheese?
You can freeze enchiladas with cheese. However, we recommend adding the cream just before baking. Also, we advise wrapping the pan tightly with foil before freezing them for three months.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas Filling?
You can freeze enchiladas filling the way explained in this article.
Can You Freeze Beef Enchiladas?
Yes, you can freeze beef enchiladas like chicken or turkey enchiladas.
Final Thoughts
Enchiladas are excellent meals when throwing large parties. This filling dish is easy to prepare. Preserving cooked enchiladas is also not an issue as we have seen that it is comfortable to freeze them. So, if people ask you, Can you freeze enchiladas? You know the answer. Yes, it is possible to freeze enchiladas and maintain their freshness for three months.
