to ask for your help with batch cooking?

[Icantthinkofanynewnames]

Going to have a baby soon and have been reading that a lot of people batch cook and freeze in preparation of that first crazy month or so! Sounds like an amazing idea because with my first I didn’t even think of this and organizing ourselves enough to cook was tough. So I need your advice for batch cooking recipes!

I am currently living abroad in Asia and so can’t get any pre-prepared sauces or any freezable meals (people just don’t use them here) so everything has to be made from scratch. Beef is crazily expensive and they don’t seem to eat turkey or lamb so only meat options are pork or chicken, but we try to only eat red meat once or twice a week so would love to have veggie or chicken options. Can obviously get endless supplies of veg, noodles, rice, pasta, as well as beans and lentils, chickpeas, etc!

What are your favorite batch cooking recipes?

Pork goulash. Any sort of stew. Curry. Anything in a sauce or gravy - basically!

Spaghetti Bolognese (with or without meat)

Vegetable & Lentil Curry

Mushroom Risotto

Soups, lots of soups!

Chicken Stew

Vegetable and Prawn Rice

Is it just you and baby or is it a bigger family?

I batch cook a basic tomato sauce and freeze in portions, just google tomato pasta sauce. I can then use this as a base for pasta, chilli, etc.

I often use Turkey or chicken mince as an alternative to beef mince, and a bolognese or chilli with turkey can go down well. We, too, don't eat much red meat now.

I am due in a few days and I've frozen some marinated drumsticks so just defrost and cook in oven. I've also frozen cooked chicken strips ( the breast meat part) for children's lunches or to eat in wraps. I've frozen loads of chappatis, Bolognese mix with mince meat but you could probably do the same with chicken mince. Pie mixes.

And I agree with a pp who writes about tomato based sauces. They're easy to batch cook and freeze well. Then just lump them into microwave or in a pan to defrost.

Veggie lasagna.
Macaroni cheese.

I did 3 lots of chicken tray bake last night - we ate one and froze 2. Chicken thighs, bacon lardons, new potatoes, peppers, green beans, courgettes, cherry tomatoes (with tomato puree, garlic, chillies, paprika, thyme etc. ).

As there's only 2 of us, every time we make lasagane, chilli, bolognese etc. we tend to freeze some so there's always something ready in the freezer for a quick and easy meal.

Any tomato based sauce should freeze well, as does white sauce, also curries, stews, chilli etc. I often make a big vat of bolognese sauce and freeze in double portions. Can use for spag bol/lasagne/moussaka or bulk out with a tin of beans to make chilli (adding fresh chilli) or with lentils or baked beans to make a cottage pie.

Before DC I'd make some sauces etc and freeze in microwaveable containers for quick defrosting and make a few meals eg lasagne, moussaka in a foil container that could go straight in the oven.

Veggie chilli, potato and cauliflower curry, lentil curry, sweet potato curry, shepherds pie /veggie shepherds pie, frozen mash, par boil veg and freeze.

I would recommend buying microwaveable tubs so you can microwave straight from the freezer. Or for things like shepherds pie, chicken pie, lasagna - freeze assembled but not cooked in a metal pie dish so you can stick it straight in the oven to bake.

I did
individual fish pies
Soups for quick lunches
Lasagne
Satay sauce for stir fries
Lots of cake
Pulled pork. Do a whole pork shoulder in slow cooker or in a low oven, make a bbq sauce with ketchup mustard soy sauce and honey, pull it and freeze it in individual portions. Can eat with baked potato, buns, quesadillas, nachos, noodles

Bolognese
Chicken Curry
Sweet n sour chicken
Stew
Chile con carne

Those are staples in my freezer!

Chicken with mushroom in a creamy garlic sauce
Chicken with peppers, mushroom, courgette, aubergine etc in a tomato based sauce
Anything you would make with mince eg chilli or bolognaise or lasagne but made with pork turkey or chicken mince