This collection of batch cooking ideas is filled with recipes that are ideal for busy weeks, if you’re a new parent or just someone who is juggling. You will thank your future self for a little dedicated time in the kitchen when you’re reaping the rewards on a hectic weeknight! Struggling to find the brain space and time to think of dinner during the week? Me too! Over the years I’ve realised that if I can keep even just a handful of precooked homemade meals ready (either in the freezer or the fridge), it makes my week so much calmer.
Why batch cook?
Batch cooking is actually a form of self care in these busy times we live it! I mostly do this by doubling up a recipe a couple of times a week when I cook dinner, or putting aside a quiet day when I can load up on ingredients and spend a blissful few hours in the kitchen. Want to get ideas for dinner next week? Try out my Weekly Meal Plans, which come with a free detailed shopping list.
Batch cooking tips
➡️ FREEZER SPACE: Try to clear some space in your freezer before you cook to make sure there’s room for everything as you don’t want anything going to waste. That said, if you don’t have freezer space, it’s still worth batch cooking for later in the week, as long as you store things well in the fridge. You can always eat a different version of the same meal, for example. ➡️ FOOD HYGIENE: Read this advice from the Food Standards Agency about freezing food if you’re unsure. Basically, if you have defrosted meat or fish, then cooked it, it’s fine to refreeze again once. However, you shouldn’t refreeze it again raw. ➡️ STORAGE: Which container you should use depends on the size and style of your batch cook. I try to stay away from single use plastic where possible but it can be very tricky! For foil trays I use these disposable ones, which are great for pies and lasagnes etc. You could also use plastic containers with lids or heavy duty food bags like these, which I really recommend. You will find that almost all of my recipes are made with budget and convenience in mind. I don’t focus too much on authenticity or the long way around a recipe. It’s all about what tastes good, what is healthy, what is quick and how can we keep costs down. Don’t worry if you’re not an accomplished cook! My recipes are easy-to-follow and are not overly complicated. Below you will find a huge variety of dishes, from curries to soups, stews to pies, breakfast muffins to gravy and much more! There is a good selection of vegetarian options too. ⭐️ I always like to include some soup recipes in my freezer filling as these make a really quick shortcut meal when we are late home. ⭐️All of the portion sizes are for adult portions. If you’re feeding children they will obviously make even more. ⭐️ If you’d like to get ahead but don’t have the time to batch cook, you could try using my Dump Bag method instead. This is when you put the ingredients into a food bag and freeze them, meaning all you have to do is defrost it and add everything to your slow cooker on the day!
Vegetarian batch cook recipes:
