Batch cooking

I've got tubs of a mince-and-veg type ragu for pasta, chicken noodle soup, spicy butternut squash soup, chicken and mushroom pies, chilli, a sliced-up tea loaf and some incredibly easy rum and raisin ice cream. And a well-burnished halo!

We have run our freezer right down as we move next Friday.
I was so grateful for all the batch cooking I had done, it’s been a real help.
It will take me some time to get the freezers as full in our new home.

I mostly batch cook nowadays and today it will be mac cheese made with a smoked cheese. A friend and i both had it for lunch out the other day and it was yummy so i bought a chunk of smoked cheese on the way home.

I often do chicken and veg stews, meatballs with different sauces, veg lasagne, curries, chilli, apple crumbles and lots of different soups.

It's just so good to have a selection ready to choose from in the freezer.

I freeze mushy peas as it takes a long to soak and cook enough for one meal

Yes, I do - although I've not done any for a wee while now as I'm trying to run down what's already in the freezer. I do all sorts of things from soups and stews to stuff like macaroni cheese, curries, chilli etc.

Beef mince ready for various meals, beef curry, stew, pork burgers. Just making a chick pea stew which tonight I will have with some cod.

I used to when we were both working but these days only thing I portion up and freeze is Bolognese , I keep loads of easy to prepare things like fish and frozen veg, but we are very rarely out late afternoon / evening that I could not prepare a meal quickly , but I understand for people who are leading busy lifestyles with perhaps going to various hobbies this works well.

Three different types of soup- leek and potato, pea and ham and lentil; mince, bolognaise sauce, chicken curry, steak casserole and macaroni cheese (last resort dinner)
It's usually only me, so this lasts ages. I use my slow cooker to batch cook

I don’t really batch cook as such, but I do frequently make enough for two meals. So two days ago was Lamb ragu - one frozen. Today was aubergine chilli from freezer, and tomorrow is beef stew enough for two meals so one frozen.

The only thing I deliberately batch cook regularly is mince. I eat one meal and freeze 3 or four, to turn into cottage pie or bolognese, adding extra ingredients after defrosting. Occasionally I buy stewing meat and slow cook it all, freezing a couple of portions, also sausage casseroles. I make two portions of fish pie and kedgeree, and extra cheese sauce to freeze.
I often have a quick turn round at tea time so I think ahead to defrost a meal in good time.

I used to. Back in the day.
But DH and I got that we didnt like the defrosted results.
Not sure if I was doing anything wrong or not.

I do need to get back to doing this. It would be a great help.

I used to when I worked, but don’t now.

Yes I do a lot.A legacy if feeding 5 now it's just DH and I it's just as easy to make a larger amount and portion up.I batch freeze in containers for 2 then if we unexpectedly feed the family I can just get morre out.So i usually have lasagne,veg and meat chilli, spicy tomato and basil sauce so I can just add to prawns or chicken for a pasta meal.In winter I slowcook brisket or lamb in red wine and vegetables and portion up to serve with either mash or roasties or yorkshire puds.I will often freeze potatoes and puds too to reheat for even simpler meals.I recently made a chicken chickpea and chorizo stew and some of that is frozen.I also make a lot of soups in winter and freeze for lunches.Also freeze sliced peppers,spring onions etc to make quick stir-fry. Freeze olives and capers for sauces.Sounds like I cook all the time !The reality is I spend an occasional afternoon having a big cook up whilst listening to podcasts. Then I can have some lazy days.Just back from holiday today and some homemade fish pie has been pulled out for a quick dinner.

Another one who used to batch cook when we worked but only do it now if there’s leftovers like spaghetti Bol etc
I do freeze hm chicken stock using the carcass from a roast. I also have a lot of ingredients in my freezer ie garlic, chopped onion,peppers chilli,herbs etc. This makes life a bit easier along with buying larger packs of basics like chicken pieces,fish etc.

Butternut squash soup- I bought 3 large ones and made 30 portions - husband has one a day every day. And once a week I make enough bread for the week.

Everything else we tend to make 2 or 3 meals of korma, lasagna, cottage pie, steak and kidneypie filling and chilli.

I keep trying to run the freezer down (good for the budget) but still it keeps filling up!

I no longer batch cook but I batch prepare:
Home made burgers, meatballs, marinated chicken thighs, blanched veg from the allotment etc.
I bake my own gf bread and cakes so freeze as much as I can jam into any available space.

I have to be in the mood (so not at the moment).

However, I'm losing some freezer space so I'll have to plan carefully.

I can't freeze pasta dishes as gf pasta doesn't freeze too well.

Interesting, but I don't think any pasta freezes well kittylester, except for lasagne. It seems overcooked when it's reheated so freezing sauces and cooking the pasta fresh is best.
As DH dislikes pasta I might freeze sauces and he'll have a jacket potato instead.

I batch cook a lot, because I can’t stand cooking, but want to eat home prepared food. At the moment I’ve got two types of curry, chilli con carne, beef casserole, fish pie, jacket potatoes, butternut squash, leek and potato and celery soups, rhubarb crumble, gf bread and flapjacks that I’ve made (I freeze the flapjacks individually so I can just pick up a bag if I’m going out somewhere). I also chop and freeze leftover recipe ingredients, like peppers and onions so when I’m making a stir fry I can add them. As I’m very lazy in the kitchen, I only make a couple of things each week from scratch, and freeze more than we eat on that day, so I normally cook for 8 and two meals are eaten that day.

I did look in the freezer hopefully today but ☹
Not even any home-made cake.

At least there was food but it needed cooking.

Gosh Casdon I could’ve written that post!

The whole point of batch cooking is for when you CBA! I speak as someone who loves spending time chopping, stirring and whisking with a glass in hand…😋

This is where a slow cooker comes into its own. Mine is quite large, I didn't mean to buy such a big one but it was on offer.

I batch cook bolognaise sauce, lamb curry, chicken jalfrezi, chilli, cassoulet, tomato sauce, cottage pie, gooseberry crumble - all of which I have in the freezer at the moment. I use my Ninja a lot and can spend a whole day just cooking for the freezer.

If so, what do you make?
Bolognaise sauce, chicken curry, boeuf bourgninon, beef casserole or goulash, cooked mince for cottage pie and usually make more than one cake at a time and freeze one. Soups. Stock for soups.