What's The Best Way to Cook and Freeze Stew or Casserole?

Q.
What's the best way to cook and freeze a beef stew? I recently made one which contained potatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms, parsnips and beef amongst a couple of other things.
It tasted really good so I froze some of it in the freezer. When I reheated it I found that some of the vegetables broke down into much smaller pieces.
Is there any way to avoid this? Also sometimes I notice the flavour is not the quite the same after freezing and re-heating a cooked casserole. Are there any ingredients which simply don't freeze well?

A.
Cooking a beef stew is usually very simple. There are really only three rules: cook slowly, cook gently and leave it to stand.
Cooking a Tasty Stew
What this means in practice is that the slower and more gentle the cooking process, the more tender the meat and the more blended the flavours. Traditionally, cooks would make a stew the day before it was to be eaten, to allow the flavours a chance to blend and develop fully. A slow cooker or crockpot is a great way to make a beef stew, as it is cost-effective to cook the meat for six to eight hours so that it is beautifully tender.Reheating Tips For Perfect Stews
When freezing a stew you need to think about the thickening agent you used. If you simply cooked it until the liquid thickened naturally, then you can freeze it in either a freezer bag or a plastic container without any further concern. If your recipe calls for the sauce or liquid to be thickened with flour or cornflour, it may separate on thawing. You can either use rice flour, which remains stable after freezing, or tip off some of the separated liquid and boil it up, with a little more cornflour, whisking thoroughly so that the liquid stabilises again and then pour that stabilised liquid into the stew when it begins to simmer, stirring it in gently so that you don’t break up the vegetables.You should used frozen stews within three months. A good tip, if using a rigid box or container for your stew, and there is an air gap between the food and the lid, is to lay a sheet of cling film over the surface of the food before putting the lid on – this stops moisture globules forming on the surface of the stew which can lead to freezer burn on exposed vegetables. Freezing both stews and curries can make them even tastier, by allowing the flavours to mature, but if your food contains a lot of onion, you should eat it within a month, as onion can become quite potent if frozen for longer and overpowers the other flavours in the food. Some people say it develops a sweaty flavour, which they find horrible.
When defrosting, leave the stew in the refrigerator overnight then reheat either by decanting into an ovenproof dish and heating in the oven or use the microwave – but remember that microwave re-heating can cause potatoes and carrots to explode! This doesn’t affect the quality of the food although it does mar the appearance a little. Stirring the stew too aggressively can also make the vegetables break up.
Re: Defrosting Food Safely
I took a raw chicken out of the freezer to defrost about 36 hours ago. It still hasn't defrosted. So when it says to defrost and use…
Re: What's The Best Way to Cook and Freeze Stew or Casserole?
Its going to snow so I am cooking up a storm.. Pot Roast and homemade Spaghetti..I plan to…
Re: What's The Best Way to Cook and Freeze Stew or Casserole?
I want to make mushroom soup/stew with cremini and portobello mushrooms that are toasted…
Re: Defrosting Food Safely
I defrosted black forest gateaux it says consume in 24 hours still got loads left and it over 24 hours can we still eat it
Re: How do I Freeze or Preserve Fennel Bulbs?
Can I freeze a meal containing cooked fennel?
Re: How to Freeze Cakes and Baked Goods
Can I freeze a blackberry cake with icing?
Re: What's The Best Way to Cook and Freeze Stew or Casserole?
Hi, I have cooked a pork stew with corn flour as the thickening agent. Any tips on how to…
Re: How to Freeze Cakes and Baked Goods
I have made buttercake cupcakes with custart powder custard in the middle. Can I freeze them?
Re: How do I Freeze or Preserve Fennel Bulbs?
Can fennel bulbs be diced/chopped and preserved in oil (relatively flavorless oil, such as similarly to minced…
Re: Understanding 'Use By' Dates on Your Food
Megy - Your Question:Hi, I bought 2 fresh mini pizzas a cheese and tomato and cheese and ham and the use by date…