Colman's cook once eat twice challenge feedback thread. Non-testers: share your top tips for bulk cooking. £150 voucher up for grabs NOW CLOSED

A large chicken is a really economical source of meals. Here is what I do:

1.Roast the bird and have one side of the breast meat hot in a roast dinner

2. Have the other breast cold with salad or chips

3. Have the legs and other meaty bits in a curry or sweet and sour with rice

4. Boil up the carcass with an onion, carrot and herbs for soup or stock.

Four days of meals (so long as you don't mind having chicken so often!).

I also always go to the supermarket with a list of what is needed to replace store cupboard and fridge items plus ideas for 7 meals for the forthcoming week, depending on what I have in the freezer and what is on offer in the shop.

I have a spreadsheet on my desktop showing what is in my freezer and when it went in so I can have a good idea of what I need to be using next. It's very easy to lose track of freezer items unless you keep a record so DH devised this for me and it works really well.

That is mind blowingly efficient, congratulations!

I live on a remote Scottish Island, shopping is different to being on the mainland. whenever I can I buy in bulk, venison being a prime example. I always buy as many joints as I can when there are offers in the shop. I never cook just 1 item in the oven, why waste precious resources for one thing?. Always cook 2 joints at a time, eat one, make 3 meals of it, roast, curry and a pie. slice up the second joint pop it in separate bags, to do the same as the first one. my microwave and freezer are best friends they work in harmony. If cooking on the hob always do too much, its just as cheap as a small amount, always think eat some save some.

Everything I cook, I make at least double if not more. Even pasta, rice and mash. That way I can make a meal really quickly for late nights, busy ones or unexpected visitors. Spaghetti mash and rice go in a flat plastic bag to heat up quickly. Sharpies are ok, but labels stuck on the inside of the bags and written on in biro seem to last better than trying to use freezer pens/sharpies/labels that won't stick, and normal address labels for use on a computer seem to stick better than anything costing twice as much and intended for freezing.

I have virtually stopped doing roasts. I now do potroasts instead to stop the meat from shrinking and drying out. I cook loads of veg in the casserole or stockpot around whatever joint and another load of mixed roasted veg. The stock from the potroast becomes gravy for that day and blended with leftover veg becomes soup for lunches throughout the week. Leftover roasted veg gets mixed with couscous or used to make roasted veg tarts, maybe with goats cheese or with egg to make a flan. Aain, these are sometimes frozen.

A basic mince dish is regularly cooked in bulk, to become spag bol or shepherd's pie or moussaka or something like that. Cheese sauce is always present in my freezer, along with a basic white sauce. I say freezer, but I have three. I take bulk cooking very seriously.

But most years (not this one, I have had a break) I grow all my own veg, so the biggest bulk cooking is ratatouille. I make tons of the stuff. It is so useful. I can add it to the mince to make spag bol, it can be eaten as a soup, it can be a pasta sauce with grated cheese, it can have meatballs added (I make those in bulk too) and it is wonderful with chicken beasts and rice.

Chicken breasts. Oh dear. My fingers don't seem to be working today. Although my chickens can be beasts.

oh yes, just thought what else I freeze in bulk - beans and chickpeas that I have bought as dried and then soak and cook and freeze. It is so much cheaper to buy them dried but a real pain if you want them in a hurry. They get made into houmous, or added to soups which are frozen for the winter. Or added to the spag bol mixture with lots of chilli to make chilli con carne.

I have a weekly (organic )veg box which keeps me in touch with what is in season as opposed to year-round availability of every vegetable under the sun at the supermarket! I try to plan my recipes with the veg I have received in mind and whatever I have left at the end of the week gets made into soup for lunch! Today we had broccoli, pea and basil which was a less usual combination than the more regular broccoli and stilton, but actually delicious, plus very attractive - a lovely fresh green - economical (as I made enough for the 2 of us for 3 days out of a head and a half of broccoli, about 8 oz of frozen peas, one potato and a handful of shredded basil leaves and 1 1/2 l of organic vegetable stock) , and of course healthy!

We regularly cook large batches of mince, either as spaghetti bolognese sauce or as a chilli con carne mix. We have a large slow cooker and do approx 1.5 kilos or 3 + pounds of good mince steak then freeze it in batches.
With supermarket shopping, I have lists of regular purchases on my computer, with the items listed in the order in which they appear on the supermarket shelves to facilitate shopping. We regularly use more than one supermarket so I have a list for each store.
We don't always stick rigidly to lists so we can take advantage of 2 for 1 offers and we tend to look at the special offers on 'shrinkage' and items whose due date is about to expire which the store has reduced.

I prefer, for the most part, to cook sufficient for one meal without any left overs, but I'm also conscious of the fact that I have an excellent market and food shops very close.

However, on the occasions that I do make too much, I think it's important to avoid the frying pan to deal with surpluses, and cook slowly in a stock in a covered pan.

Some of the things I do with any left overs are:

Salmon - mayonnaise de poisson
Roast beef - cold with potatoes or other vegetable salad
Bones and trimmings - to enrich stock and haricot bean and lentil dishes
Potatoes - sauté à la lyonnaise
Rice - in Vegetable or fish soups or to stuff sweet peppers
We make our own pasta which freezes very well, especially ravioli, but must be separated with grease proof paper.
We bake bread three times a week and freeze overnight or for a couple of days. It's always best on day one though.

And any gluts of produce from the garden are turned into thick sauces, chutney, pickles, jams, jellies or frozen if that's possible.

When I cook for my family I like to make some to freeze as I think it is a good way to have a nice home made and when you think how easy to do.I do not like the shop made meals as they not very good for you full of fat.

I cook bulk on the weekends as I have more time and I can think what I need for the week coming up so I cook what I need I like to cook a nice joint of meat so I don have to buy them packets of meat as there are full of fat I cook pies pasties so I can just put them in the oven to cook.

1. I very rarely cook in bulk these days. I cooked in bulk all the time when our sons lived at home. I got out of the habit when they flew the nest.
2.I have tried two of the recipes up to now, Chilli Con Carne and Beef Casserole. They were both easy to make and very tasty. I am sure that all the recipes will be suitable for bulk cooking.
3. When I was working, my forward planning for meals was excellent, however I have let it slip a bit since I retired.

We have a fabulous local butcher, I told him about the Colmans Challenge.We had quite a good chat about not wasting food and saving energy. I bought 2lbs of mince and 2lbs of diced braising steak. Two Colmans packets require 2lbs of meat so I had enough mince to make a batch of chilli con carni, and enough braising steak to make the beef casserole. The Colmans idea of "Cook Once, Enjoy Twice!", has really spurred me on at the right time. When our family lived at home, I always use to bulk cook and freeze, but I got out of the habit when they flew the nest.We are going on holiday soon, so it will be great to have some meals ready in the freezer when we get home. Already I have cooked and eaten and frozen two lots of meals. The first one was Chilli Con Carne. The ingredients in two packets made enough for eight people. As it happened, our son his wife and our grandaughter arrived unexpectedly when I was cooking the chilli con carne. Yes you've guessed they stayed for an early evening meal. We had it with rice and it was really tasty. As our grandaughter has a wheat allergy she had something else to eat. There was plenty left to cool, box and freeze two lots of meals for two.
On Saturday we were stuck for what to have for our evening meal (due to no forward planning). I had the diced beef to use, so I remembered the Colmans Beef casserole mix. I again used two of the packets. The aroma when cooking was Mmmmm. This time no-one turned up unexpectedly. My husband and I had a lovely meal of the beef, with mashed potatoes, butternut squash and brocolli. I then cooled the leftover meat and gravy, and had enough left to box and freeze three meals for two.
I do try not to waste food. If we have tinned fruit in juice, I always find that there is too much juice, particularly in grapefruit and pineapple.. I save it in an airtight container, and then a couple of days later if we are having a fresh fruit salad I have the juice to add to the fruit.

Ever since I first lived independently I have planned menus and shopped once a week. I have also had a freezer since 1968. My menu plans have always had to be flexible because DH travelled a lot, usually at very short notice for indefinite periods so menus did get changed and the start of every week's menu plan was what was left over from the previous week.

My bulk cooking was always made easier by the fact that as a family we prefer casseroles and stews to dishes that need to be cooked on the day. Except for Bolognaise Sauce, where I would usually use 3 plus pounds of meat and make it separately from a meal, I would prepare a casserole and stew using twice as much ingredients as needed and ate half, froze half. I kept all (labelled) ready meals in one basket of my freezer so they were all together and it was easy to make sure that they got eaten, more or less, in rotation with nothing getting too long in the tooth.

I always insisted on having a cooker with a delay cook facility because I could just throw all the ingredients for a casserole into the pot straight from the freezer in the morning, (none of this browning nonsense and putting things in in sequence!!) put it into the oven on delay and come home from work in the evening to the smell of my supper reaching me as I opened the front door (this was before slow cookers)

I too have spread sheets, shopping checklists and as my local Waitrose has just re-organised I have just has to revise my running order for shopping.

I have always kept very quiet about just how well organised I am because if people find out they consider me a freak. It is so nice to know that I am not the only and there are so many other organised shoppers/cookers out there.

I've not cooked in bulk for a while as only me and my daughter at home and she works shifts. My youngest son has recently returned home. He has a heavy labouring job so enjoys a hearty meal.

I've not been planning meals but upon receiving the Colmans mixes I planned last weeks meals which helped my lifestyle.
I cooked both packets of the beef casserole, I was going out with friends for a meal, but son and daughter both enjoyed it. My daughter commented how nice it was and generally she doesn't like this sort of meal preferring rice and pasta meals.
I froze the remains in one single container.
Later in the week I cooked with both packets of the chicken casserole, my son and I enjoyed the first night. Whilst it was cooling my oldest son said he was coming to visit the next day so I decided to save the casserole for the next day. 3 adults and my young grandson enjoyed it. Already I can feel the advantages of bulk cooking.

I think the casseroles have worked well with cooking in bulk and I also think the chilli con carne will work excellently. Not so sure about the sausage casserole.
I'm looking forward to cooking the next two meals.

Colmans Challenge

We have our three year old GS staying with us today and we will be collecting our six year old GD up from school this afternoon. They will both be here for tea.
I have decided to make the sausage casserole. Sausages and baked beans are GS's favourite, and not far behind with GD. The packet says that it is fine to add baked beans to the recipe. We have just been to the butchers and bought two pounds of Lincolnshire sausages. I am getting all the ingredients together for the recipe. GS has just seen the mushrooms, and definitely does not want those. He says that sausages don't like mushrooms. You learn something every day. As I am adding the beans as an extra I might omit the mushrooms (unless I can sneak them in when GS isn't looking). Now he doesn't like long fat sausages, he wants them in chunks. That's fine, I am sure that won't be a problem. I might just get grandad to entertain him, before the recipe becomes unrecognisable. I will let you know later,how we go on at tea-time.

To night I made a sausage casserole with some nice sausage from my local butcher who makes the best sausage he make them with no fat so you just get some fav taste in them also add the packet of Colman's in to it and you have a five star meal also added some nice cut carrots and potatoes .

Colman's Challenge

The sausage casserole went down a treat. We had it with mashed potato and roasted parsnips. I did manage to sneak the mushrooms in, when GS wasn't looking. There was plenty left over after two adults and two children had eaten. There will be enough for two meals for DH and myself. When it has cooled down I will box and freeze it. We now have several frozen meals to have on our return from holiday. I haven't made the chicken casserole yet, but I will be going into the village tomorrow, and I will get some chicken portions for Thursday. I am really enjoying being organised for a change. Thank you Colman's.

All the family loved my sausage casserole they asked what was in it I told them best sausage from my local butcher . what was the taste of it one of my sons asked it was Colman's sausage casserole mix my son is going to Tesco's to try and buy some.

We quite often cook more than we need for one meal and freeze the remainder for another meal.

The first mix we tried was the Beef Casserole which we had with mashed potatoes and sprouts. As there are usually just the two of us to cater for nowadays, one packet of the mix was sufficient for one meal and we froze the remainder for another day.

We have also tried the Chilli Con Carne mix which I served with jacket potatoes and froze another portion to have with rice at a later date.

We tend to plan our meals for a couple of days ahead at the most.

I think that all of these recipes would be equally suitable for bulk cooking.

really loving using colemans mixs -they add that extra tasty flavour.
I bulk buy and cook as much as funds will allow.The chicken casserole was definitely a hit and look foreward to the frozen one to cheer up these less warmer days of autum.The biggest hit so far is the special colemans flavour of the sausage casserole. SO good did not get to freeze the second casserole as demand was great.Growing our veg and bulk cooking and planning means very little wastage.

iam making chilli con carne for tea with potatoes all the family are coming so iam going to make some to froze I think the Colman's recipes are very good

Colman's Challenge.

It's DGS's 4th birthday today. We have just come back from the official card and present opening. He's a bit like royalty really, the official one today, and the party one on Saturday for his friends.
Anyway down to business. On the way back home I called in at the greengrocers in the village to get the vegetables which I am going to add to my chicken casserole. Depending on what time DH gets home from golf, we will be having it for our evening meal. I am going to cook it in the slow cooker rather than the oven just to see how it turns out. I have done it before with other recipes and they have been fine. I'll let you know later.

Coleman's Challenge

I rarely, actually perhaps never these days, cook in bulk because I will normally have the time to cook meals from fresh. However, for the challenge I cooked the Chilli, which I served with rice, and a little natural yogurt over the top (my smalls love yogurt on spicy food) and used some to feed myself, other half and two youngest grandsons and froze some for another day. Just OK we thought.

I have also tried the beef casserole mix out on myself and other half which we thought was actually better than the Chilli, quite flavoursome. I served that with good helpings of fresh veg.

Will be using the sausage mix next (I have a feeling this might prove to be the favourite) and also looking forward to giving the chicken a try. I think it's likely that the chilli and beef might prove to be best for bulk cooking, but time will tell.

However, when it comes to planning, I tend not to plan too much in advance rather I would go with what we fancied on the day. Anyway, onward and upward - will be reporting back.

Iam using a sausage casserole for tea that a made and froze last week it just as good as when I made it so tomorrow iam going to make a few more I was a bit worried it would taste not very good but I was wrong in the further I will make more for all the family maybe I could give some to my friends

Colman's Challenge.

Well what can I say. The final challenge meal cooked. The chicken casserole was delicious. I cooked it in the slow cooker, and it came out a treat. I added a small chopped leek as an extra to the recipe, and we had local new potatoes to accompany the meal. There was plenty left to freeze, and now at the end of the challenge, there are several meals in the freezer for us to enjoy when we return from holiday.

My closing answers to the challenge are:-

1. I can honestly say that we didn't have any favourites. We enjoyed all the meals.
2.Realistically we got seven to eight portions out of each (two packet) meals.
3.I found freezing the extra portions very straightforward. I just made sure that they were completely cold before I boxed or bagged them to put into the freezer. I also labelled and dated each box or bag.
4. I had absolutely no food waste. I feel that I have saved both time and cooking energy, by cooking in double quantities. This has also saved money, by only having to re-heat the frozen portions, and not cook from scratch.
5. It has made me realise that planning meals in advance, is still an advantage, even though usually there are only two of us to plan for.
6. The fact that I now have some ready home cooked meals in the freezer is a wonderful feeling. No emergency cooking when we come home. I will definitely double up on cooking quantities in the future.
7. I have already recommended Colman's dry recipe mixes to several friends, as I have been so pleased with them.

Thanks for the challenge.