Hi,
I'm going to be attending a wedding that is a camping potluck next Wednesday, and I've been charged with bringing a main. Today is my day to cook. It willl be frozen from today until Wednesday.
Now, the issue is- because of the fire ban, I can't throw my roaster onto a bed of coals to heat it up. Also, my coleman stove is too small to heat up the roaster- I have to bring a BIG portion. So, I will NOT be able to reheat my dish once it's been made. It needs to be delicious thawed from frozen.
So, my plan is to make a giant (delicious) pasta casserole, freezing it, and then letting it thaw the day of the potluck. I've never frozen nor thawed pasta before so I want to make sure it doesn't come out soggy. Also, I want to make sure it's delicious enough that it's good cold, even though I know it won't be creamy.
I've made this before and served it hot, with the following ingredients:
-Penne
-Roux cheese sauce with a hint of smoked paprika
-Roasted/sauteed red pepper and onions and garlic
-Firm smoked tofu (it's a vegetarian potluck, usually i'd put chorizo)
-Panko crumbs
-Buttloads of cheese on top
So, my questions:
-I was thinking that maybe if I didn't bake it, and just mixed everything together and then froze it, that it may help prevent soggyness when I thaw it. IDFK. Thoughts?
-I also know you're supposed to cook the pasta a little less than al dente, but that's if you're reheating it- should I still undercook the pasta if I'm not adding any more heat? Will freezing it contribute to soggyness?
-I know that cold roux's, especially with cheese, can sometimes be grainy. Is there any way to mitigate that?
-Will panko help or hinder, since they will not have a way to get crisped up?
-Is there a better shaped pasta to use for this? Like, a shape that holds firmness better?
-What if I made everything and froze them individually, and then just heated up the cheese sauce day of and mixed it all together?
Thanks for your help!
bon appetit
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