to think batch cooking is a bit soulless?

Well I assumed those doing it find it joyous. If not, then that's pretty sad yeah.

Bought ready meals don't look attractive in their tubs either. That's why they come with cardboard sleeves round them that show how they're supposed to look after they're plated up and garnished. No-one would buy them otherwise.

Maybe you need to take some pictures of how your batch meals should look when they're all plated up and add wrappers to your sad plastic boxes?

I love batch cooking, dh started it when I had cancer last year, as just I didn’t always feel like eating or would start and then want something different and having a wide selection of homemade stuff just helped with that aspect. but we’ve continued it even though I’m through that now, so relaxing just knowing when we don’t fancy cooking there’s a delicious homemade meal in the freezer, got a huge variety and all very delicious, we use cardboard type containers which I think look quite good tbh 😂 nothing sad about them

I like to cook my evening meals from scratch in under 20 mins during the week so wouldn’t cook curry from scratch during the week. But on a weekend we will make things that take longer and that have leftovers but it would take an age to make something with 10 extra portions for my household and I’d need a massive vat and massive freezer. So just don’t bother as not practical.

I’m single so if I didn’t batch cook I would never eat lasagne, casseroles, cottage pie etc! There’s no point in me making 1 portion of lasagne

I batch cook - but I don’t do a week of meals at once, I do a large pot of 1 thing and freeze it in single person portions (I use Ikea ziploc bags) to use as part of the mix of dinners over coming weeks. I have just used my last country sausage ragu for pasta, chicken and mushrooms in creamy white wine sauce and butter chicken from the freezer this week. I still have a veggie chilli, some lamb rogan Josh, chicken vadagam and lamb bhuna to use. And a couple of packets of roasted Mediterranean veggies to use in plain tomato sauce.

I plan to do a proper spaghetti Bol sauce (the kind with half a bottle of wine in the pot) next weekend, and some of that may become a couple of lasagnas too.

I don’t have a microwave and it makes it so much easier to cook a decent healthy meal quickly after work as I’ve put lots of good stuff into it when cooking. Most of my curries need long slow cooking. And in winter, I do some lovely slow cooked stews/casseroles as well.

I love it and it means I can always send DC back to uni with a couple of pre prepped after a weekend visit home.

I hate cooking so the few times I've batch cooked it's been miserable and exhausting. I seem to spend my life eating leftovers.

As soon as this house is finished I'm only going for are things to chuck in the oven.

I only batch cook for others and use glass dishes with nice lids
I don’t mind taking leftovers to work next day but they have to be in a decent container and have something fresh to accompany

It's weird to assume that it's batch cooking or takeaways/ready meals/Pret sandwiches as various posters have done.

It's neither for us.

We are in a rhythm where on a day when I have a bit more time, I make a more elaborate meal. On days when I have less time, I make a quick meal - e.g. salmon and vegetables, stir fry.

For lunches, if I am WFH, I will throw together something quick from left overs - e.g. an omelette with left over veg. If I am in the office, a salad or I might roast some extra veg with dinner and then make it into soup.

There are some meals that freeze well but not that many and I just prefer freshly cooked food and don't find it takes all that long. Before anyone assumes I have loads of time on my hands, I work full time, have primary age children, volunteer etc, I just don't personally like batch cooking - of course others should do what they prefer

I’ll cook a curry for 4 - 6 ppl that we will have that evening and just double it. we will only eat 2 portions (kids take from that) leaving 6- 10 portions for the freezer, frozen in tubs if two large portions.

Many are quick (and I now know how long various ones take) so it’s not a lot of extra chopping in reality.

There’s almost always some cooking or chopping involved even if I’m using something from the freezer.

Pasta sauce - cook the pasta
Curry - the rice
Chilli - rice, baked potato or bake on tortillas with cheese to make nachos
Soup - bread for the side, herbs/seeds/croutons for on top, cream added

And side veg or salad with all of these

Also a batch cooked meal is so much less depressing than a ready meal or crap takeaway.

Yes, batch cooking is always more enjoyable - and looks so much more appetising - after a trip to TKMaxx to stock up on some glass containers. 😄

Lentil bolognese, vegetable burgers and bean chilli freeze well

Agree most vegetables go mushy if frozen

I think if you enjoy the process of cooking then it takes the fun out of a part of the day that you like. But if, like me, you do a lot of cooking and don’t like it 😂 then it’s useful to do. I think it also depends on what you’re cooking and whether it’s delicious/something to be excited about. You can plate the food before you heat it if it’s not frozen.

I know a couple of people who will go to the shop everyday to get what they fancy that day and I think they would find batch cooking too prescriptive and restrictive. But I’m happy to eat the same thing several days in a row and the boxes don’t bother me unless there’s not enough in them!

I think it’s interesting that recipe boxes were really popular a few years ago but now I get ads for healthy meals that are already cooked for you. Supermarket “Ready meals” have been around for yonks and I think a lot more people would buy them if they were healthier and less processed as many of us want the convenience

Yes soulless at the time so I prefer to think of it as making extra. Today I don't feel like cooking a roast so have just taken two lovely portions of beef stew out of the freezer to have with Jacket potatoes and steamed broccoli - my today self is thanking myself from last week that I thought of doing this.
I have tons of soup in my freezer which never lasts long either as the kids and I demolish it.

I voted YABU because I find all cooking soulless.

Worst thing about being an adult IMO is having to think of what to eat every night, and then cook it, for the rest of your life.

I don’t batch cook but really should because it would mean more nights off.

You can always ‘pretty’ your food up before serving eg batch cooked chilli then add a quick guacamole, black rice and salad.

I have lots of different patterned and coloured microwave tubs to counteract this.

and a number of thermos flasks in different sizes and colours too.

It adds joy to my batch cooking.

I like batch cooking and producing colourful meals and do one each week so I have a freezer of food to rotate.

I leave the house at 4.30am and get home at 7.30pm so for me it’s necessity and the colour and variety or tubs and thermos flasks adds the joy for me.

I look back fondly of batch cooking. I used to do chilli for my teenage sons hot lunch flask. When I was about to go into hospital for my c section I cooked a few days worth of meals in advance. Now it's baby food I'm batch cooking

God I love having a freezer of lovely cooked food.

my “sad” little desk lunch of a lovely homemade chili with rice and dollop of sour cream on top or a curry or something vs a pret sandwich - I know which id prefer.

Or opening the freezer in the evening to pull out tomorrows dinner and know I don’t have to cook tomorrow can just come in and heat it up and life is easier.

I hate batch cooking because it’s meant to save time during the week but then you waste your whole Sunday doing it. No thanks. I make quick and healthy dinners/lunches and make use of leftovers if there are any.

Ah thank you for voicing this. I just think it's a bit boring. You have to try and make it interesting I think - like can I batch X meals in 1 hour (challenge), or try a new meal every time you batch etc.

Thaw it, and then, depending on what it is, put it in a pan, or into a glass dish to put in the oven. I might start off the thawing in the microwave.

I batch cook a couple of different meals. I live alone and eat small portions and this makes it affordable for me. It does mean limited choice of meals especially as I have food allergies which limits me anyway.

I hate cooking. My batch cooked meals are a source of joy. Something lovely I’ve made ready to go without the faff of cooking it, total win.