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batch cook

#BatchCook

If you’ve never done batch cooking before, now is the time to learn. Not only is it cost-efficient and an easy way to add more veg to your diet, it’s also a great time-saver, meaning less standing in the kitchen.

The brilliance of batch cooking

Batch cooking is all about headspace. It allows you to spend more time doing the things you love rather than spending all your time in the kitchen. If you are stressed about time and money when it comes to your weekly meals then batch cooking is for you.

Saving time on cooking and shopping and, best of all, washing up(!), batch cooking can also save you money on bills and groceries, since cooking once and eating twice (or more) means your oven and hob will be on less often, and shopping once and eating twice (or more) means you also save money (and waste) when shopping as the items in your trolley are just what you need and no more.

Batch cooking doesn’t have to be difficult – try just doubling up on your favourite meal next time you make it and freezing the extra or popping it in the fridge to eat later in the week.

But don’t just take our word for it. Suzanne Mulholland (aka The Batch Lady) is an expert at teaching people the genius and practicalities of batch-cooking, so we’ve roped her in to give you her best tips, too!

What is batch cooking?

Batch cooking doesn’t mean cooking up vats of food at once – making a “batch” just means making more than one portion of something. It can be as simple as just cooking an extra portion (single, or family-sized) to keep in the fridge for later in the week, or in the freezer for longer. One for now, one for later. Simple.

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How do I get started?

If batch-cooking feels daunting, start with the simplest method of all: just double (or triple) your favourite family meal, one you know everybody loves and you eat all the time, and keep that second (and third) portion for a later date (a few days in the fridge, or months in the freezer). Doing this just once a week means that a stressful night the following week – dinner is already sorted! Once you’ve been doing this for a few weeks, perhaps think about something else freezer-friendly that your family loves and do it with that meal, too.

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What equipment do I need?

Want to get started on batch-cooking? You might already have everything you need in your house! To get started, it’s best to have: a big pan, a wooden spoon, and of course, some freezer bags you can grab at any supermarket (freezing flat will change your life, especially if you have a tiny freezer or freezer shelf!).

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What if I don't have a freezer? Or only a shelf?

Don’t have a freezer? No problem – stick to doubling (not tripling) portions, and keep in the fridge for a few days, meaning you’ve taken care of dinner later in the week. Only have a freezer shelf? This is where freezing “flat” in freezer bags is a lifesaver as they take up so little space – fill the bags, freeze them on a flat surface and then stack with others. Making a pie? Try freezing the filling separately in a freezer bag and freezing some rolled up pastry on the side rather than assembling and freezing a space-hogging whole pie!

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Do you need special freezer bags for freezing flat?

You can invest in some long-term reusable PEVA zip-lock bags if you want to, but they are not necessary – regular plastic freezer bags from the supermarket will do the job just fine, and you can actually wash them out and re-use those up to 30 times, too!

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How long will it last?

If you are using a fridge, you’ll want to eat your meal within a few days. In a freezer, however, you can keep batch-cooked sauces, meat stews, and most things for 3 months! If your food has been in the freezer longer, it’s actually still fine to eat, but it will have started to dry out and taste less good, so aim to eat it within the 12 weeks if you can. Always label your food, however you are storing it, with what it is and when it was made/frozen. And however you keep it, just make sure to thaw your food properly and reheat until piping hot!

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How do I know how much to freeze?

Using measuring cups or a mug is the easiest way to portion out food for later. For a family, you’ll want about 1 full mug per adult, about half for a young child, and more like three-quarters for a teenager. While you know how much your family eats, this is usually a good rule of thumb to make sure you are saving enough for everyone for next time.

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What if I get bored of eating the same thing?

If it’s in your freezer and you have 12 weeks to use it, you should be fine. But if you don’t have a freezer and are refrigerating your food but don’t feel like eating the same thing within 3 to 4 days, why not try re-imagining it by serving it up a little differently? For example, if you’ve made a double-batch of bolognese sauce, you can have it with spaghetti tonight, but then you could add a tin of kidney beans and a bit of chilli powder and you’ve got a chilli you can serve with rice. Or scoop the sauce over some baked potatoes with some cheese for yet a different variation!

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Can I add more veg into my batches affordably?

Using frozen veg can be a great way to keep costs (and waste!) down. But you can add more fresh veg, too, by keeping an eye out on your supermarket trips for offers on veg you know your family enjoys and buying more than you usually would. Take them home, wash and chop then add to a freezer bag and freeze flat. You can then add to dishes easily! This works well for most veggies and for lots of fruit, too.

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Suzanne Mulholland (The Batch Lady)

Suzanne Mulholland

Suzanne Mulholland (The Batch Lady) is a Sunday Times best Selling Author of The Batch Lady series of Books.  Suzanne is an expert in modern day Batch cooking and freezer friendly meals. Originally a time management expert, Suzanne realised that the same methods could be applied to give busy working people advice on getting homecooked meals on the table with minimal effort and time spent. The Batch Lady has a huge online following across social media and can be found @thebatchlady on all socials.

thebatchlady.com/

For all information including how to defrost your batched meals and everything above in more detail head to my website www.thebatchlady.com where you will find lots of free recipes, resources and so much more!

Let’s get started

Great ideas for batch cooking…

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of our nation’s favourite dishes. If you love this meal but want to know if there are ways to make it a little healthier, tastier and add more veg without upping the cost, this is the place for you.

See Recipe
Chilli con carne

Chilli con carne is simple, cheap and delicious. It is easy to adapt, simple to add veg to, and can be batch cooked to save time and money for the future, too! We’ve gathered some expert tips and small steps to help you take your current chilli from good to great.

See Recipe
Stew

Stews and casseroles are classic comfort food, great for filling bellies and batching to cook once and eat twice. Plus, they are affordable, simple, adaptable and easy to add more veg to! We’ve gathered some expert tips and small steps for you to take your stew from good to great.

See Recipe
ShephErd’s pie

Shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie, which uses beef mince instead of lamb) is cheap and filling and tasty, so it’s no wonder we love it in this nation! We’ve got together some expert tips and small steps you can take to move your shepherd’s pie from good to great, making a balanced meal and increasing veg slowly over time to make it easier for everyone.

See Recipe
Mac & Cheese

Mac ‘n’ cheese is classic kid food, perfect for filling up hungry bellies! It is cheap and tasty and easier than you think to add veg to. We’ve gathered expert tips and come up with small steps you can take to bring your mac ‘n’ cheese from good to great!

See Recipe
Pasta Bake

A pasta bake is a classic midweek family meal, as it is cheap and easy to put together, and usually goes down well with everybody! We’ve brought together some expert tips and simple steps to take your pasta bakes from good to great.

See Recipe
Lasagne

Garfield isn’t the only one who loves lasagne! We eat loads of it in the UK, and despite its reputation, it doesn’t have to be difficult to make, depending on what shortcuts you take. But if your lasagne is currently a ready meal or a few jars, we have some simple, affordable steps to tweak your lasagne to help it become healthier, cheaper and higher in veg!

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Curry

Curry is our favourite takeaway, but is remarkably easy and affordable to make at home! The strong, sweet flavours of curry are very forgiving, allowing you to add more veg and less meat easily with less chance of people noticing since it changes the taste very little. Follow our simple tweaks and tips to make your curry even better.

See Recipe
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