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What food do you make weekly just to have to hand?

206 replies

GreyWasp · 05/02/2025 15:41

I always make:

batch of soup for lunch (not in Summer)
a couple of loaves of bread in bread maker
sandwich filler for the kids - tuna mayo, coronation chicken etc
green juice for me (on a weight loss kick)
overnight oats for teen daughter
used to make breakfast muffins but fallen out it
Chinese style pickled cucumbers - we make a massive batch which my daughters have with almost every meal think it is a social media thing

Just has become part of my routine and does make life easier

Curious what others do

OP posts:
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Serenity45 · 05/02/2025 20:38

I marinate 1kg of boneless chicken thighs (in a paste I make with lime juice, garlic, chili paprika and either tandoori or BBQ seasoning)and cook them in the slow cooker. Have with veg and rice, in stirfries, in rolls or with pasta or salad depending what we fancy.

Also usually a batch of either curry chili stew or bolognese in the slow cooker most weeks.

I see a PP does boiled eggs as well - I'll leave 5 in their shells in fridge from Sunday and usually have 1 a day for breakfast or afternoon snack

GreyWasp · 05/02/2025 20:30

@DaringlyDizzy i should have said I do not bother with the sugar and i actually prefer it without

OP posts:
GiddyRobin · 05/02/2025 20:29

BloodandGlitter · 05/02/2025 19:33

@DaringlyDizzy It is mayak eggs! I use this recipe I do usually make 8 though as they disappear rather quickly.

Sending this to DH immediately. He's obsessed with Asian food and excellent at making it! Thank you!

GreyWasp · 05/02/2025 20:28

imisscashmere · 05/02/2025 16:29

I'd love the breakfast muffin recipe, or any vegetarian soups!

I don't batch cook/ cook anything weekly myself!

This was our go to for a very long time.

https://www.wellplated.com/banana-oatmeal-muffins/

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

These healthy blender banana muffins with oatmeal and chocolate chips are moist, healthy, gluten free, and made without butter or oil!

https://www.wellplated.com/banana-oatmeal-muffins

OP posts:
GiddyRobin · 05/02/2025 20:27

motleymop · 05/02/2025 20:26

Wonderful - thank you kindly 🙂

You're welcome, enjoy!

motleymop · 05/02/2025 20:26

GiddyRobin · 05/02/2025 20:25

Of course! So I either make the pastry or use the shop bought (GF here, so more likely homemade as the shop bought is expensive with more stuff in there).

Boil a load of spuds and grate a block of cheese. Meanwhile finely slice about 3 or even four onions and fry them off until they're really soft. Drain spuds and mash with plenty of butter, tiny bit of milk. Mix in cheese and onions in a big bowl while they're all hot, add salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop up the filling and add onto a square of pastry. Plop the top on and squash the sides, slash a line in the top for bubbling over contents. Then you can either cook them immediately or chill and then freeze! This sounds like a lot but it makes about half a dozen pasties, depending on how much filling you want in each one.

And scoff! 😁

Wonderful - thank you kindly 🙂

GiddyRobin · 05/02/2025 20:25

motleymop · 05/02/2025 20:07

Do you have a recipe, perchance??

Of course! So I either make the pastry or use the shop bought (GF here, so more likely homemade as the shop bought is expensive with more stuff in there).

Boil a load of spuds and grate a block of cheese. Meanwhile finely slice about 3 or even four onions and fry them off until they're really soft. Drain spuds and mash with plenty of butter, tiny bit of milk. Mix in cheese and onions in a big bowl while they're all hot, add salt and pepper to taste.

Scoop up the filling and add onto a square of pastry. Plop the top on and squash the sides, slash a line in the top for bubbling over contents. Then you can either cook them immediately or chill and then freeze! This sounds like a lot but it makes about half a dozen pasties, depending on how much filling you want in each one.

And scoff! 😁

MissyB1 · 05/02/2025 20:24

catin8oots · 05/02/2025 17:29

Sorry to sound dim but what's your recipe? I've never been able to make pancakes that's can last either a fridge or a freezer

https://www.thekitchn.com/oatmeal-pancakes-22943620

This one 👆

GreyWasp · 05/02/2025 20:22

DaringlyDizzy · 05/02/2025 18:44

Would you share the pickled cucumber recipe please?

We use this recipe: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNeo5X6Du/ :)

We don’t bother with spiralling, just diagonal chunks.

It’s gorgeous with Salmon. A low calorie meal that has been a lifesaver for me whilst dieting

TikTok - Make Your Day

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNeo5X6Du

OP posts:
Walker1178 · 05/02/2025 20:22

I would love to be organised, in reality though wanging a couple of jacket potatoes in the oven whilst I’ve got something else cooking is probably as good as it gets here

PenneyFouryourthoughts · 05/02/2025 20:19

I keep some frozen roasted veg in the freezer, some Sainsbury's hidden veg pasta sauce and some Rigatoni in the cupboard, and I make a quick roasted veggie pasta.

Kay00 · 05/02/2025 20:09

This week, for the baby (11m) I batch made blueberry pancakes (pop in toaster and add a little butter when needed); fruity sausage rolls with grated apple and cheese in; baby friendly flap jacks made with banana, peanut butter and a homemade low sugar blueberry jam.

This is in addition to a few home cooked meals (and a couple of pop in the oven meals from M&S for adults)

She ate none of it; it all got thrown on the floor 🤦

motleymop · 05/02/2025 20:07

GiddyRobin · 05/02/2025 15:57

They're so easy too! Cheese and onion pasties are my fave. 😍 Smushed onto heavily buttered bread and devoured as a sarnie.

Do you have a recipe, perchance??

DaisyChain505 · 05/02/2025 19:58

A big pot of either chilli, bolognese or curry which lasts across a few meals.

a big batch of rice to be eaten with the chilli or curry and then the left over rice I turn into egg fried rice with any veggies that are in the fridge like mushrooms, courgette etc.

If it’s a bolognese it can be done with pasta or with jacket potatoes.

Barney16 · 05/02/2025 19:54

Batch of cookies. I make a different sort each week. This week's are custard and white chocolate. Often a cake but not every week. A chicken casseroley type thing, half to eat, half in the freezer, some sort of meat thing, again half to eat and half for the freezer.

NeedToChangeName · 05/02/2025 19:50

I've also discovered that hummous, baba ganoush and mushroom pate can all be frozen. So, I don't make them every week but good to have a few tubs in the freezer

NeedToChangeName · 05/02/2025 19:48

I regularly make large batches of slow cooker tomato sauce. Freeze in 300ml creme fraiche tubs. Useful to defrost for a quick pasta sauce with whatever leftovers are lurking in the fridge. And we always have garlic bread in the freezer

LindorDoubleChoc · 05/02/2025 19:45

Absolutely nothing at all regularly on a weekly basis. Am I unusual or something?

Calebbloomfest · 05/02/2025 19:43

Roasted chicken once a week not on a Sunday - but to use for ‘incidentals’

so much cheaper than ham for sandwiches - make a curry from it and a treat for the dog.

Absolute bargain!

BiddyPop · 05/02/2025 19:43

I want to do more but generally Ona. Sunday:
Berries, yoghurt, oats and stuff smoothie (for my breakfast)
Bowl of chopped fruit (apple, orange, grapes, etc) for breakfast/dessert
2 days of salad bowls for lunches
Grate a couple of tablespoons of ginger (to have with 3 melted ice cubes of lemon juice and teaspoon of honey first thing in mornings)

Then I normally make a batch able dinner to eat Monday and freeze a couple of portions - sometimes it's about dicing up a bag of veggies to roast that I can freeze to roast straight from freezer or squeeze lemons that need using and freeze in ice cube bags or prep meat to freeze in a marinade ready to cook... and grind coffee if I need to.

I also try to prep my veggies, defrost meat or sauce, that sort of thing, the night before I'll eat it - while I am cleaning up from dinner.

And every night, as I'm heading to bed, I lay out my juice glass for my smoothie: mug with lemon ice cubes and ginger and honey; coffee pot and tub of grounds; coffee mug (may be china or travelling depending on morning plans); meds in their daily dispenser tray (getting older); bowl and spoon for fruit; etc. To make for a smoother start and being more likely to make healthy choices.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 05/02/2025 19:41

Not every week, but I often make a big batch of all-purpose mince (with red lentils, onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms if I have any) which ends up as

a) spag bol (tomato puree and Italian herbs added)
b) chilli (tomato puree, chilli powder and paprika, tin of kidney beans)
c) ‘school dinner’ mince (still a favourite of dh!) with Worcs. sauce and half a tin of baked beans added.

Brokenrecordroundround · 05/02/2025 19:40

@Createausername1970 In all my years I've never thought of marinating meats before I freeze them, genius thank you!

merrymelodies · 05/02/2025 19:37

I don't make the same things on a weekly basis although I just bought a waffle maker because DD loves them - I hope it's not going to be one of those things that sits in the back of a cupboard! I usually have chicken breasts and ground meat in the freezer to make a last minute dinner, such as meatloaf, bolognese or a curry.

ivegotthisyeah · 05/02/2025 19:35

My non working day is a Monday so I go do the weekly food shop. Then I make sandwich fillers for the weak tuna mayo/ chicken bacon sweetcorn.
Always have some baking on the island for pack ups, this week was a Lemon drizzle and choc chip cookies.
The cost of food is why I do this can't bear the cost of food at the moment!
Dinners are planned for the week before food shop.
Baking lasts 4 days tops (3 kids and a DP)