Never waste an oven!

[Pilotlite]

I heard this phrase a few times on MN threads about batch cooking/energy prices/organisation type things and I just wanted to say it’s been SUCH a helpful
motto.

if I’m oven cooking chicken nuggets and chips endlessly for DC then I make myself find a couple of other things that could usefully be cooked. Usually it’s either roasting random veg wilting in the fridge or unloved from the Fruit & Veg Box that I can use for lunch or sides, stews or curries that can go in the freezer, or things like granola, oat bars, simple biscuits.

Anyway, it’s massively cut down on food waste and makes me feel really organised! I struggle to find time for batch cooking or home made baking otherwise.

thank you Never Waste An Oven quoters! And also please does anyone have any other go-to non oven wasting recipes?

Pecans with a couple of tablespoons maple syrup over them. 15 mins at 180.

I agree but by the same token I feel a bit sad at no longer being able to justify putting the oven on to do a bit of baking

That recipe sounds good!
I am doing this too. I do not put it on at least I have three trays to go, one for each level.
Today I am going to cook breaded frozen fish and chips, chicken and veggies for tomorrow and an individual cottage pie that I have in the freezer, again for tomorrow. I may chuck in some bananas/apple/ custard in as a desert, as I will likely have space.

If you find yourself doing lots of small things like a few chicken nuggets, you might benefit from an air fryer. They're revolutionary for things like that.

@Nothingbuttheglory I got a load of cashew nuts reduced in Aldi, but I didn't realise they were the unroasted ones. I found a recipe for roasting them with a bit of honey, salt and spice on and OMG they are the most delicious thing I've ever tasted.

I did bake cookies this Sunday, just before the batch cooking. It costed me close to £1.5! Not doing it again, sadly.

@MissPoldark

I put mine on today to do baking but roasted veggies at the same time ready ti make a lasagna. I then put the lasagna in and baked bread at the same time.

@Nothingbuttheglory Great idea! A better snack for me than reaching for the biscuit tin too. That reminds me of a nice nigella recipe for almonds I think - rosemary and honey or something. Really good!

@BarbaraofSeville I’ve been thinking about those. I’ve got an instant pot which I really like and I’m thinking when that needs replacing I’ll get one with an air fryer integrated lid. Although I might miss this thrilling sense of satisfaction I get from using my oven so efficiently 😉

@MushMonster Nice dessert!

@MissPoldark I know what you mean, it is a shame.

I do this.
I freeze and portion off savoury and sweet muffins and cookies and pop them in when the oven is heating up.

I have recently discovered that baked potatoes freeze beautifully (in separate ziplock bags), and are very much nicer than merely microwaved ones.

Now I just bung in a batch whenever the oven's a suitable temperature.

Obviously let them cool right down before freezing, or your freezer is will be working harder than necessary.

Because they need microwaved to reheat, I don't think this saves hugely over merely microwaved ones, but I really don't like merely microwaved.

Some of us have always done things like this. My parents were young adults in WW2 and frugality was ingrained in them. They passed it on to me.

Also: if its safe to do so when you have finished cooking leave the oven door open. It will help heat the house

Banana bread, I make one with mashed banana, butter, flour, spoon of honey, water, flour and chopped nuts/dates/blueberries used up soft bananas whatever nuts/fruit going spare, double just when the oven is already on and a sweet snack without any refined sugar. Almost virtuous 😁

Banana bread, I make one with mashed banana, butter, flour, spoon of honey, water and chopped nuts/dates/blueberries uses up soft bananas whatever nuts/fruit going spare, double use when the oven is already on and a sweet snack without any refined sugar. Almost virtuous 😁

Nigella's forgotten cookies. They go in the oven after it's been switched off but is still warm, overnight. They are light and meringuey iirc.

Good for you? Some of us had to learn these things by ourselves.

You could make something like tiffin instead. Just need to melt chocolate, sugar and syrup, so in microwave or over a pan of hot water. No oven required.

This is a good recipe, I just use a couple of the cheap 30 p chocolate bars that most supermarkets sell.

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chocolate-tiffin

I tried that as my kids are teenagers and so old enough to know not to touch it, I didnt think about the bloody cats until I went to close the door hours later and there was my little white cat curled up on the oven shelf!!!

I was brought up to never waste oven space. I think it’s why I always cook a pudding alongside a roast. But this works for other days too. Rice pudding, bread and butter pudding, crumbles etc. all good for using stuff up to and all equally delicious eaten either cold or warmed in the microwave.
plus, if you have a decent stodgy pud, you don’t need the heating on (warm from the inside)!

Very sensible kitty.

I suspect that it was posters who were raised like this who I originally got the idea from. I see it as standing the shoulders of giants 😉thank you!

@Crikeyblimey oh yessss and we are just getting into warm stodgy pud season!! My favourite.

@RewildingAmbridge Sounds delicious. (Love your username btw!)

@squishee omg. They sound amazing. And perhaps a lovely one for those among us who long for a good excuse to bake!

Not only do I try to utilise the inside of the oven, but I hang my washing around the outside of it! I had a bunch of facecloths on the line earlier that were still a bit classy so this is where they're hanging having just baked 2 trays of chicken drumsticks in the combi oven!

@ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou that is next level!

Classy? No, they're not classy face cloths. Clammy.