Yes, you can freeze cheese. And peanut butter sandwiches. Anything with little or no water will emerge from icy isolation beautifully. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, for example, withstand low temperatures with very little change. Check out some of our other freezing favorites.

How to Freeze It: Wash and thoroughly dry. Spread the berries in one layer on a cookie sheet, leaving space between them. When frozen, transfer to a container or bag.

How to Thaw It: Place the frozen treats right in the blender for smoothies, or let them thaw at room temperature and use to top off oatmeal or granola.

Good to Know: When thawed, berries taste great, but they won’t look as plump and pretty as they did fresh.

How to Freeze It: Sauté or blanch veggies before freezing to lock in nutrients. To freeze, spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Once frozen, transfer to a container or bag.

How to Thaw It: Drop frozen greens and cooked vegetables right into soups and stews, or let defrost slightly and sauté with olive oil.

Good to Know: If you don’t cook your veggies before freezing them, their cellular structure breaks down during thawing, making them mushy.

How to Freeze It: Wrap chunks tightly in freezer paper and seal the package with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

How to Thaw It: You can grate dry, crumbly cheeses like Parmesan straight from the freezer,or thaw them all the way in the refrigerator.

Good to Know: If you buy big wheels of cheese, cut them into smaller sections and freeze separately.

How to Freeze It: Place cooked grains in zip-top bags or portion-appropriate containers filled to the brim.

How to Thaw It: Microwave until hot in a glass bowl, or warm in a pot with a tablespoon of water. Add to stir-fries or use as aside to protein.

Good to Know: Long-cooking whole grains like brown rice will defrost in just minutes, turning them into a quick and easy staple.

How to Freeze It: Freeze raw meats, roasted or grilled chicken, or cooked meatballs in freezer paper with foil or plastic wrap around them, or in a zip-top bag with all the air removed.
How to Thaw It: Thaw cooked meats in therefrigerator or microwave.For uncooked meats, thawin the refrigerator. They’re perfect for stir-fries.
Good to Know: Cut protein into smaller pieces before freezing to make defrosting fast.

How to Freeze It: Wrap in a double layer of freezer paper and plastic or place in a zip-top bag with the air removed.

How to Thaw It: Breads can sit out tothaw or go right intothe toaster oven todefrost as they toast.

Good to Know: Preslice breads before freezing so that you can pull out just the amount you need.

How to Freeze It: Pour sauce into zip-top bag and let it cool in the fridge. Place bags flat in the freezer.

How to Thaw It: Place bag in cold water. Use sauce on pasta or in casseroles and lasagnas.

Good to Know: Once the sauce is frozen, turn bag vertically (like a book standing on a shelf) for easy storage.

How to Freeze It: Prepare the recipe up to the point that it should go into the oven, and then freeze.

How to Thaw It: Allow it to thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator, then follow the cooking instructions for the recipe.

Good to Know: If you don’t have time to thaw a casserole first, add 10–15 minutes to the cooking time called for in the recipe.

How to Freeze It: Pour into preportioned containers (a one-pint bin for a single serving lunch to go, say, or a four-cup bin for a family dinner).

How to Thaw It: Run under warm water until the soup loosens, then heaton the stovetop.

Good to Know: Freeze stock in a pint (two cup) container, so that you know exactly how much you have when using in recipes.