When prepping dishes that will be frozen and then cooked/served later, are there general guidelines on whether to cook the dish first, then let cool before freezing or is it best to par-bake or freeze assembled but uncooked?
I am looking at making and freezing an enchilada casserole, a shepherd’s/cottage pie (with a mashed potato/cauliflower topping), and some savory hand pies.
My gut says to assemble, fully bake, then cool and freeze, so the dishes can be pulled out and simply reheated.
But, I’m now wondering if that process severely affects the finished product - if it’s better to freeze the assembled dish uncooked and angle for a longer cooking time when going to serve.
Thoughts?