Batch Cooking

[HermioneSnape42]

Can someone tell me the basics please.

I can’t cook. I cook from tins and jars. Ie. An Asda chicken curry jar with some pre cooked frozen chicken is how I make a curry.

I’m starting college in 2 weeks and my DH is starting a new contract at the same time which he will only be home weekends for 8 weeks at the same time. We have 4DC. Although no little ones. Youngest is 12.

I’m intrigued about batch cooking but don’t even know how to reheat it? Do I defrost? Do I pan cook it or microwave it?

Not a clue :)

Thanks.

Ps we don’t eat spicy food as DH has heart burn and I have IBS. The curry is for the DC we usually have an omelette.

I get it out to defrost in the morning and microwave it.
I batch cook and I have to admit I do a lot of things out of a jar that I then freeze. It’s more about speed of cooking for me though, if I have the time I like doing it from scratch
If your DC are older can you not get them involved in preparing the meal though? They prep the vegetables and you come in and do the rest? Or even try them cooking (with supervision), I learnt to cook as a teenager for similar reasons

The way I batch cook is I generally just make double or triple of the dish I want to eat that night if its a freezable type.

Ie bolognese sauce, I would make triple quantities one evening, eat one batch with pasta that night, and freeze the rest into another two nights meals. When we want it again its just a case of heating and cooking pasta fresh.

To heat it depends on the dish. I take out in the morning or night before and leave in the fridge to defrost. Then something like a sauce or soup heat in a pan generally (or microwave), and something frozen into a oven dish like a lasagne would go in the oven to heat.

Things like lasagne i would assemble and freeze before they had gone int he oven point, so would be int he oven the first time on reheating for say 45mins. I freeze these type dishes directly in an ovenproof dish.

If you want simple recipe ideas, bbc good food generally has easy to follow recipes for your basic meals.

Thanks both. I will have a look at the bbc website. DC are out too though. Eldest works shifts. Middle 2 are at university and have part time jobs.

Cooking and dinners really are the bane of my life at the moment tbh.

They must be in at some point though.
So even if they can't help on the day, prepping the veg as suggested, they could help batch cook.
If they are working or at uni they should also be responsible for their own food, or if you eat as a family, partipate in preparing it. It shouldn't be one persons responsibility.

I was given a student cookbook years ago when I went to uni and I still use it a lot. They tend to stick to simple ingredients and not too much fancy equipment needed and it's a good way to get into cooking.

What about thebatchlady.com/ it was recommended by a friend

Www.thebatchlady.com

All DC that are at home should take a turn at cooking each week, it's a good time for them to learn and even the 12 YO can do something like baked potatoes. If you start them off in the microwave and then put them to crisp up in a hot oven you can do a batch in 15-20 minutes.

Another book to look at is the Roasting Tin series

www.amazon.co.uk/Rukmini-Iyer/e/B071V6JDK7?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1567663626&sr=8-1

You put all the meat and veg in a tray and stick it in the oven for about 20-40 mins and you can do prep earlier in the day and leave it in the fridge.

A slow cooker would be another option.

www.5dollardinners.com/13-freezer-friendly-breakfast-recipes/
A lot of great meal plans and easy batch cooking that can be pulled out of the freezer and cooked quickly :)

Thanks everyone I take on board they should be helping but reminding them over and over adds another job to my list and stresses me out. I’ll have a look at a slow cooker too.

If they won't help with food preparation (or do some cleaning/laundry and basically pull their weight and prepare for adulthood) I'd just get a load of canned soup in and point them towards that when they complain about the lack of dinner. You shouldn't be trying to do it all yourself when there's a houseful of people capable of doing their share.

I also find meal planning helps as I’ll plan easier stuff/reheated food on busy days and when I know I have more energy I’ll do more cooking.
Things like chicken kebabs, one tray bakes, casseroles, pasta bake are all my easy go to meals