Half and Half Recipes + Tips for Freezing Leftovers - NeighborFood (2024)

FAQs

What are the best leftovers to freeze? ›

Some of the best leftover foods to freeze include cooked chopped meats, casseroles, pizza, soup, tomato sauce, breads and baked goods. Leftovers that don't like the freezer include hard boiled eggs, stuffed and uncooked meats like chicken breast and pork chops, cold tuna and pasta salads.

Half-and-half is often used in cream-based desserts with a light richness, such as panna cotta. Half-and-half also lends extra creaminess to dishes calling for milk, including cream sauces, mac 'n' cheese, mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and baked goods.

Half-and-half is simply a mixture of half whole milk and half cream. It's what you use when you need something richer than milk, but not quite as thick as cream. You'll find it in rich and velvety sauces, soups, and desserts.

Storing it in a sealable, freezer-safe plastic bag is the way to go — just make sure the freezer is set to 0 degrees F or lower. Half-and-half can stay frozen indefinitely as long as it's stored correctly, but it's recommended to use it within three months for the best flavor.

Half and Half

It's great for soups, sauces and gravy because the higher fat content makes it less likely to curdle when boiled. Half and half can easily be used in place of whole milk with the addition of a little water. Combine ¾ cup half and half and ¼ cup water for every cup of whole milk you're substituting.

Using containers: Divide cooled leftovers among plastic containers, leaving enough room at the top for swelling. Cover with plastic wrap (this helps prevent freezer burner), then the lid. Label and date top and side of container. Using sealable bags: Place sealable place in a bowl to help stabilise.

Yes, you can make whipped cream with half and half. However, it may not be as thick or stable as whipped cream made with heavy cream due to the lower fat content.

Differences in fat and calorie content

On the other hand, half-and-half is made from a combination of cream and milk, so it contains substantially less fat. Most types of half-and-half contain less than half the fat of heavy cream, consisting of 11% fat, or about 1.7 grams per tablespoon (15 mL) ( 5 ).

Is milk or cream better for mashed potatoes? I use half-and-half: it gives the potatoes the perfect creamy texture and rich taste. As a half-and-half substitute, you could also use heavy cream or whole milk. Whichever you use, just start with a little and add more as you need it.

What does half-and-half do to coffee? ›

It's used to sweeten coffee while also making the texture richer and more velvety. If you add half-and-half to your coffee every day, it's worth it to find out how it's impacting your body. After all, it's the habits we do regularly that impact health the most.

So, if you're cooking something forgiving like soup or mashed potatoes, heavy cream and half-and-half are virtually interchangeable in equal amounts, yes—both will give you that creamy texture we all love and crave. Just be mindful that heavy cream contains more fat, so it will taste much richer.

Half and half doesn't contain enough milk fat to form luscious stiff peaks the way heavy cream does, so it doesn't work as a substitute for making whipped cream. Half and half needs to be tempered when added to hot liquid, or it will separate and curdle, while heavy cream does not need tempering.

How long is an open container of Half & Half good for in my refrigerator? The product should be used within 7 to 10 days of opening or by the date printed on the container -- whichever date comes first.

Yes, you can make whipped cream with half and half. However, it may not be as thick or stable as whipped cream made with heavy cream due to the lower fat content.

Takeaway. You can indeed use half-and-half to make whipped cream. But you won't really get the best results by using it. If your need for whipped cream is insatiable and half-an-half is all you've got, then you'll need to thoroughly chill it in the fridge before moving it to the freezer.