What will I lose if I freeze

[sabg]

my thanksgiving table has grown to possibly 30 and i am thrilled BUTi would like to make a few things ahead, freeze them and heat up the day of but not if i use texture or taste...i freeze rarely and never cooked food except sauce...please help

brisket

savory bread pushing w mushrooms and asparagus

sweet bread pudding

pumpkin carrot soup (pureed)

[gdenby]

A pureed soup should be fine. I would expect some separation of water from veg particles when defrosted, but I would also expect that re-blending with a bit of butter would remake a nice creamy soup.

Can't comment much on the other items. I've never frozen brisket, but have held it refrigerated for several days, and served reheated with some stock.

[Genkinaonna]

Not sure about the brisket, but for the bread pudding, I don't know how well a custard based bread pudding will freeze. In my experience, custards tend to weep and separate when they're thawed. I'm making a pumpkin bread pudding, and so I'm making the pumpkin bread ahead of time and freezing that. I'll make the actual bread pudding the day before I serve it. The soup should be fine. Of course, you can always make stock ahead of time and have it in the freezer. I'm doing my turkey breasts sous vide so I have them vacc'd and in the freezer, ready to go into the water bath.

[Norm Matthews]

This is a very useful wed site for determining how long refrigerated and frozen foods last.

http://www.stilltasty.com/

[threestars]

Well I guess having them vacuum'd can help a bit more on the food life.

[OliverB]

The brisket should also survive just fine a day or two in the fridge once it's done (and if you have the room in your fridge). Or cook it overnight, then put it in a cooler where it'll stay nice and warm for hours, wrapped in aluminum foil.

[CaliPoutine]

I need to make some things ahead because our kitchen renovation is starting the day after thanksiving and I need to pack up the majority of the kitchen. Can stuffing and sweet potato casserole be frozen? I know gravy can too.

[HungryC]

I freeze brisket all the time--it might be a tad softer upon defrosting, but since when is that a bad thing in re: brisket? I wouldn't freeze either the sweet or savory bread puddings, as they tend to weep, but both can be made ahead and simply baked the day-of, or baked 1 or 2 days before and reheated gently in the oven.

RE:stuffing, I can't vouch for bread stuffing, but southern-style cornbread stuffing/dressing is perfectly fine frozen when uncooked. Don't bother to thaw, just put it directly into the oven. I usually make three or four pans of it at a time, cook one for immediate use, and stash the others, well-wrapped, in the freezer for later use.