To think batch cooking is awful

I certainly won't be eating any manky, thawed-out, batch cooking slop ta very muchly. 😎

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It is bizarre isn't it? Spending loads of time batch cooking and freezing it in tupperware and then reheating it?! Utterly bizarre, you're right!

There are things that don’t work being batched cooked but there are so many things that are improved as previous posters have said too.
I’ve never found they taste frozen at all, in fact the point is that you have a fresh tasting, comforting, home cooked meal for when your short on time.
Things I like batch cooking:

jamie Oliver’s bolognese recipe
currys,
chilli con carne,
stews/casserole,
soups (make such an easy, quick, healthy lunch to put in the microwave from frozen)

It turns my stomach too. Batch cooking and freezing it all and then pulling it out of the freezer and reheating it? VOM!

Is this some kind of joke post?

Presumably you've never eaten, nor will eat, anything that's been frozen?
You won't buy ready meals that are frozen, or ice cream and so on? @LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway

Not everything should be batched cooked or frozen. Are you freezing stuff that is appropriate for freezing and storing it properly?
Batch cooking is rubbish, cook once eat twice is superior.

Batch cooking saves so much time for us during the week. I love it.

It doesn’t take all day either and definitely doesn’t taste of freezer, some things taste even better.

Oooh sounds delicious. What’s your recipe pls?

This in spades. As you (and me and several others have said,) what a ridiculous waste of life, standing there batch cooking. (And then reheating it all days/weeks later...) As I said, I have better things to do. What a tedious task this really is! Bet it tastes like shit too! 😬

Can you share your dhal recipe please?

OP I know what you mean. Not for everything, but most things. Similarly slow cooked soups/ stews etc. I wonder if it’s because there’s no Maillard reaction in the slow cooker? Or too much moisture? And refrigerated sandwiches eg from Pret all just taste of “fridge” to me.

Im a good cook, I know that I am - objectively- because people tell me, and ask me to make things for them / give them recipes. And things taste good made over the hob, that taste terrible in the slow cooker.

I don’t know why, but I agree it’s a thing.

Really? I batch cooked some lamb casserole a couple of days ago. I do not recall it taking all day to put a leg of lamb, with carrots, onions, celery, various herbs, and stock in my slow cooker. I am not sure what you are doing that would take all day. I was not chained to the kitchen, and was free to leave the house, if I chose to do so.

Bizarre.

Dh is adamant re freezer taste. Not just our freezer but any frozen food. He will happily eat beige freezer food (fish fingers, chicken nuggets, frozen chips) ie stuff which is industrially produced to be frozen but not stuff I have made and frozen. He's always been this way.

Ages ago I remember seeing Nigella say she used her freezer like a larder, ie freezes ingredients not full meals. I tend to do this more than batch cook - works better for us as a family as we have different diet requirements.

I do batch cook curry for dd2 and the odd spag Bol portion. As the only veggie in the family I will also batch cook a particular chickpea pasta recipe for myself. Otherwise we end up forgetting or not liking and it increases food waste in our house

It turns my stomach too. Batch cooking and freezing it all and then pulling it out of the freezer and reheating it? VOM! 😖

I think there's a lot of snobbery around frozen food and tinned food.

Which is why I just freeze the meat/ gravy part of the shepherds pie. It is very easy to then just steam some potatoes, and extra vegetables, on a can't be fussed with cooking day.

@NeedToChangeName If the oven is on anyway - I do 4 or 5 spuds as normal
Freeze them when cooled down and then just stick in air fryer for 5 minutes once defrosted
Perfect

How are you wrapping it?

If the food looks grey or white, it's got freezer burn.

IMO you need a solid container and then a freezer bag as well.

I gave up on slow cookers after trying many recipes, so it's mainly what others are cooking. And recipes that would be fine on the hob or in the oven.
Some people just taste things differently.
I do notice friends cook things that are very strong tasting and spicy, I probably wouldn't notice then, but I can't eat that type of food anyway.

How / why do you freeze baked potato? And how do you cook them second time round?

I do get what OP means about freezer taste, I find it’s when something hasn’t been in a decent container, stuff wrapped in cling film just gets freezer burn and kind of frosty. I’ve got some silicon reusable packet bags that have a good seal. And you can write on them.
For slow cookers , a good thing l learned here years ago is to put a tea towel over it, then the lid on, it absorbs moisture and you don’t get watery food

I did it more when DD was weaning, would cook double of pretty much everything and freeze portions, then there was always something easily available either for her lunch or if we were having something for dinner that wouldn’t suit her (rarely to be fair). And also I think I was just more shattered in those days and less inclined to cook each evening.

I still do the odd thing - usually tomato/ vegetable sauce that I can use in different dishes, or if we’ve got lots of fruit to use up I might stew it, a lot of vegetables I might make a root veg mash or soup. I’m not great at remembering what’s in there though, like a previous poster.

I still cook extra portions of things at dinner, but more often than not we’ll have them the next day for lunch or another dinner.