To think batch cooking and freezing is bleegghh

[Notgotajarofglue]

FT working busy mum trying to follow all the tips and hints on getting through these hectic years.
One thing always comes up:batch cook, freeze and reheat.
AIBU thinking that everything comes out Not envy
Watery sauces, soggy veg and dry over cooked meat in all the favourites recommended for this. Husband said it was like prison food. I don't know what I'm doing wrong as I'm a fab cook and it seems from mn that everybody loves batch cooking.
Can't just be me, they've got to be settling for eating horrid food just to save time right?

Breakfastatsquiffanys - if I eat out or at a friends house etc I’m happy to eat it and I occasionally eat frozen ready meals, it’s if I personally defrost the food and eat it. I know it’s irrational but it’s really not a problem because I don’t have the freezer space for 3 extra portions of macaroni, curry, lasagna etc etc. I can go months without eating the same meal so my freezer would need to be HUGE

I don’t batch cook. I think I am a reasonable cook but everything I batch book looks revolting and I just don’t want to eat it.

I usually just make what I want to eat, or make a casserole/pasta sauce thing and eat it over several days.

I only batch cook pizza dough and tomato sauce. Maybe the odd curry.

Tomato sauce is then massively useful for the base of pasta dishes, meatballs (for meatball wraps) or pizza

I cook everything else from scratch unless I’m lazy then I’ll get a takeaway. But my dcs don’t like takeaway so it’s hardly an option

If you make a pasta sauce thing and eat it over several days that’s batch cooking....

I am another one who batch prepares Tomato sauce for the freezer, and then uses it for everything.
I also freeze cottage pie, curries and smoothies (in refillable pouches).

I also batch prepare slow cooker meals and then freeze. Then you just defrost and pop in the slow cooker. Loads of Pinterest meals. Family favourites are beef adobo, coq au vin, and teriyaki chicken.

I also batch make Oxtail soup from scratch as that takes two days

I agree op, I'm vegetarian and everything just kind of goes mushy. I can whip up a fresh stir fry in the time it takes to reheat a meal from my freezer 🤷🏻‍♀️

OK, then I do batch cook

I don’t freeze anything though. It’s that bit which puts me off, although I have to say I don’t always fancy my two day old casserole either...

mummyoftwo same for me and tomato sauces. They don’t take long!

Actually I agree OP. I batch cook a lot. And none of it is EVER as good as fresh.

Hi OP, husband and I work a lot, I have a freezer full of homemade batch cooked food. It’s so useful if DH is working late or if we both get home late, as I still have a decent meal for the kids without having to chop, cook, wait etc.
I freeze curries, pilaf, stews, chilli, bolognese etc. They all come out as they were fresh! Although I use Pyrex containers which I think helps as they don’t absorb that taste you get with plastic.
We tend to cook everything from scratch, and as we work so much, it really helps to freeze. We don’t eat any ready meals or takeaways.

That’s the beauty of freezing it - you don’t have to eat it again straightaway if you don’t fancy it.

Like I said, we don’t freeze often either, because it’s just the two of us so there’s no need to - no afternoon stress or children’s clubs/homework/dinner/bedtime to sort, and we enjoy cooking from scratch so it’s no hardship.

Even when we do batch cook, we don’t tend to eat the same identical thing two or three days later - we use it as a base snd make something different with it.

Aria you probably eat it in restaurants without even realising!
My freezer is full of leftover sauces, loaves of bread, breadcrumbs, veg incl peas, runner beans, broccoli, sliced peppers, cauliflower. MIL ‘can’t bear’ frozen veg but enjoys my cooking because we tell her it’s fresh. Gives me a little laugh 🤭😂 It’s all in the mind.

@redspider1 - I know, I did say I eat out and I’m aware it’s frozen sometimes. I know it’s irrational I just prefer fresh food or leftovers from the fridge.

I do use frozen bread for toast if I have some bread leftover that I freeze and I use frozen veg, especially steam bags because they’re a good portion and quick to quick in the microwave rather than having huge bags of 8 different vegetables taking up ice cream space in the freezer 😆

Sniffy about frozen food and but not about microwave.💥

Vegetables you can tell immediately if they’ve been frozen. But meat - you really can’t.

Obviously not sniffy about frozen food as I was talking about microwaving frozen food 🤔 I just don’t like cooking loads of stuff and having it hanging around my freezer for months taking up space I need for the frozen things I do eat 🤷🏻‍♀️ I haven’t said everyone who eats frozen food are mingers or anything so I’m not sure why some people are so defensive not everyone does.

I’ve now bought CB’s macaroni cheese for dinner tomorrow after all this talk about it I am craving it. I haven’t found a recipe anything like as good.

Anna Mae’s Mac N Cheese: Recipes from London’s legendary street food truck www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0224101218/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EqB5CbFPYR7TD?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

You’re welcome. Best Mac and cheese ever, and the Trailer Park Pie is officially the food of the gods.

You can’t eat it often though as there’s enough cheese in each recipe to kill a man.

I agree you're doing it wrong. Reheated chilli leftovers tastes far better the next day.

Lorraine Pascale’s Glam Mac is a million times better than CB’s macaroni cheese.

www.bbc.com/food/recipes/glam_mac_and_cheese_92848

The mince freezes well. I can freeze the Bolognese sauce, cottage pie filling, chili con carne, etc. Then on the day that I'll use, I just make fresh spaghetti, mashed potatoes or rice to complete those meals.

I won't be home until 7 tonight so wouldn't start cooking a macaroni cheese then anyway but would be happy to try more recipes in future.
Sinkgirl - can you share the recipe?
Judy's - blue cheese in macaroni cheese =

Oh blue cheese in a macaroni cheese is lovely, gives it a great depth of flavour. Little bit of mustard, too. Mmmmm I wish I wasn’t lowcarbing right now!

You're doing it wrong.

Assuming you've cooked the stuff properly, and frozen it in appropriate containers, then re-heated it well, there's zero reason why it shouldn't be just as good as the original.

Do you mean it looks revolting defrosted emmapeel? I dont like the look of batch cooked stuff then either, taste and appearance need work. I have to heat it in the pan with some water and seasoning to revive it!

Anything mince-based works really, really well. Just batch those - chilli, burritos, pie mix, bolognese.....