Can I freeze a leftover sandwich?

 I love freezing food because I can. I never have a problem with freezer space as I have 3 large chest freezers and 2 fridge freezers. Excessive I know, but  I am in the food industry.  This alone has made me aware of food wastage levels and I will do all I can to avoid this and that includes freezing sandwiches.Most people are familiar with what they can and can’t freeze, however have you ever thought about freezing a sandwich? Well believe it or not, I do it all the time. Admittedly I usually only freeze sandwiches for toasting at a later date, but I have also tried fresh sandwiches. 

What sandwiches can you freeze to use for toasted sandwiches?

Freezing a sandwich to be stored away to be later defrosted and toasted is my favorite way to save food…When you have leftover ham, sliced meat, or chicken floating around in the fridge simply put it in a sandwich and freeze it.

Ham and cheese sandwich: This sandwich is great to freeze, defrost, and then toast at a later date. Just add a little butter to the outside and bob’s your uncle. If you want to add tomato to this toasted sandwich, I usually do this just before toasting.

Chicken and Cheese sandwich: The same applies for this sandwich. It turns out fantastic. You can even already have mayo or onion on it. You will not know the difference between a freshly made toasted sandwich and a previously frozen one.

What fresh sandwiches can you freeze for lunches?

Who hasn’t made a sandwich with frozen bread, wrapped it up, then eaten for lunch? I know I have. But have you made a sandwich, froze it, defrosted it a week later, and then had it for lunch? Confusing or crazy? No not really. You can freeze basic sandwiches easily. Jam, vegemite, peanut butter, jelly, cheese, ham, are all fine to freeze, however there are some rules.

• Always keep the sandwich simple.

• Always wrap the sandwich securely in plastic wrap.

• Always freeze same day fresh bread.

• Let the sandwich defrost at its own pace. Using a microwave is not recommended as you may over heat the sandwich and make it rubbery.

Sometimes it’s handy to just pull a readymade sandwich out of the freezer for the kids lunches.

You should not freeze these sandwiches:

• Freezing fresh chicken sandwiches for toasting is fine, but not for a fresh sandwich. Chicken gets dry. If it is sliced or processed chicken it should be fine.

• Do not freeze salad items such as tomato and lettuce in a sandwich because when it is defrosted they will make the sandwich soggy.

Tips for defrosting a sandwich

• Do not use the microwave unless you are toasting the sandwich. However make sure you do not over defrost the sandwich because it will still get rubbery even though you are toasting it.

• When you remove a sandwich from the freezer and your plastic wrap is icy, and it is a non-toasted sandwich, rewrap it before packing it for lunch.