Make-ahead & freeze: baked-ziti Q.

[jjdbike]

Hello folks,

Thanks for your patience with me and my OCD 100 rapid fire questions.

You folks gave me the great suggestion or making baked ziti instead of pasta and sauce dish for make ahead and transport.

I’m going to double the recipe and make two, one to freeze for later.

Here’s my question, if I’m going to freeze it for later, shall I simply assemble it and freeze, to bake when I pull it from freezer?

Also, I’m assembling them the day before I’m serving. Would it be better to wait to bake it just before serving, or can I bake the day before, cool & reheat without losing quality?

Thanks in advance!
JD

[Donw]

My wife loves baked ziti to freeze and heat later. Her method, which works really well, is to bake first, cool, cut into dinner size portions, and then freeze.I personally have never experienced any loss of quality when properly reheated. I see no advantage to freezing the pre-cooked mixture and baking later. If you do go down that path I would consider par baking first to set the mixture before freezing.

[jjdbike]

Thanks much!
JD