To think batch cooking and freezing is bleegghh

[Notgotajarofglue]

FT working busy mum trying to follow all the tips and hints on getting through these hectic years.
One thing always comes up:batch cook, freeze and reheat.
AIBU thinking that everything comes out Not envy
Watery sauces, soggy veg and dry over cooked meat in all the favourites recommended for this. Husband said it was like prison food. I don't know what I'm doing wrong as I'm a fab cook and it seems from mn that everybody loves batch cooking.
Can't just be me, they've got to be settling for eating horrid food just to save time right?

[BarnabasTheMaineCoon]

Husband batch cooks then.

[BertrandRussell]

Why would it be horrid? What are you making?

[Notgotajarofglue]

We all share the same sentiment tbh!

[Cloudyz7]

My defrosted batch cooking is delicious and I wouldn't even describe myself as a particularly 'fab cook'!

I don't freeze veg though. It only takes a few mins to steam some fresh veg.

[BertrandRussell]

Do you ever buy frozen ready meals?

[Reddedder]

You’re doing it wrong.

[Beechview]

What are you cooking?
I do curries, mince based and stews mostly and they’re fine.

[Elisannah]

I think it depends on what you're freezing. I find thigh, mince and stewing meats freeze well but would never batch cook breast meat as that would just dry out when reheating. Then also microwaving to reheat sometimes ruins it whereas heating it in a saucepan helps to thicken the sauce up again if you're finding it watery.

Bolognese, lasagne, tagines are freezer staples for us!

[SarahTancredi]

I usually match cook components rather than whole meals.

I'll make a tomato sauce which can then be a base for multiple dishes.

Amd things like mince for instance can be shaped into meatballs or burgers then frozen.

Rolls can be cooked and frozen for lunches or burger buns

Soups I'll go as far as making the stock or the main base. Veg and meat can be chopped and added when you reheat.

I have a bag of breadcrumbs for breading chicken in the freezer.

I pre chop chicken into chunks/strips then freeze
I find that tends to get around the soggy issue

Spag bol seems to freeze ok as it is though.

[Ijustwanttoretire]

You’re doing it wrong.

^ This

I find curries and stews when frozen actually taste better when reheated, it concentrates the flavour. Not everything works though - trial and error, but I don't know how anyone who works, has kids and DOESN'T batch cook!

[IStillMissBlockbuster]

Potato does not defrost well so avoid that.

[femidom12]

If you don't batch cook, use an enormous chest freezer and feed a family of 12 on £4.56 a week this ain't the website for you honey.

[formerbabe]

Batch cooking is very limited.

Mince/curries/casseroles

Ok every now and then but it's not the same as fresh food.

[Loopytiles]

What have you been cooking?

Pasta sauces, lasagne, cottage pie, curries are fine.

I like fast food, eg salmon cooks v fast, stir fry chicken and veg.

[Ninkaninus]

Yeah sorry, it’s your cooking.

Maybe explain what meals you actually make and how you reheat them? You must be doing something wrong because it should taste just as good as first time (if not better),

[Ninkaninus]

Oh and yes, it does depend on what meals you’re making - freezing doesn’t work for everything,

[Lweji]

What food are you freezing and how long after freezing are you eating the food?

[Jellybeansincognito]

I agree, I feel the same about slow cooker food too. So much lost flavour. Grim!

[Fairylea]

I hate batch cooked stuff too. Nothing ever tastes as nice as when it’s just been cooked. I’d rather just have scrambled eggs on toast or an omelette or something if I was struggling for time and couldn’t cook something bigger from scratch.

[BertrandRussell]

I don’t like slow cooker food either. But that’s not the same thing as cooking something delicious, freezing it quickly, then defrosting an reheating carefully.

What are you cooking and how are you reheating?

[Passmethecrisps]

I work full time and have two kids. We rarely batch cook to be honest. More poor organisation and planning than anything else.

I do find that some good works better than others but as a rule when defrosting and reheating I add some more liquid. Also don’t blast the food hot. Heat it gently so you aren’t drying it out.

We do try to have sausage and lentil casserole, fish stew, bolognese, chilli and a basic tomato sauce in the freezer. They never go wrong in my experience. I do add more liquid to the casseroles though.

People might be being a teeny weeny bit nippy

[DrWhy]

My experience is that you can’t leave it too long in the freezer (I do but then it’s grim), containers should be full or food somehow covered so it doesn’t get freezer burn, heat it up the way you would have cooked it - oven or pan not microwave.

[BertrandRussell]

“Ok every now and then but it's not the same as fresh food”

Well, it is, actually!

Unless you’re talking about lettuce..........

[Clutterbugsmum]

Perhaps you should learn to cook as nothing you have said about 'freezer meals' is to do with them being frozen and everything to with your lack of cooking skills.

[GummyGoddess]

Are you defrosting first? How are you doing that?