To ask whether you fill the freezer with batch cooking and then don't eat it?

[SpudsandGravy]

Just that. It's embarrassing, and obvs a waste of money and effort :-(

From time to time I'll make stews or risottos or things like that and freeze them in tubs. When it comes to the crunch, though, I look forward to dinner so much during the day that I tend to make a daily plan (which might well be sandwiches, which I love with fresh crunchy bread) and never get round to eating what I've frozen.

Not only is this a waste of money and effort, the freezer then fills up with all this stuff and there's no room for other interesting items like ice cream (though maybe that's a blessing, right?)...

Lol sorry but if you don't ever eat it then you've probably got money to waste on fresh food/stuff you "fancy" when you already have a suitable meal in the house - my freezer is full and then I'm skint and have to eat what I have prepared...

I batch cook once a week. Make eight individual portions and freeze in metal 'takeaway' cartons with lids. At the moment I've got
Coq au vin
Mash with cheese and bacon
Fish pie
Lasagne
Chicken, sausage and veg in bbq sauce
We eat something from the stash about 3 times a week

This is why I don’t batch cook because I wouldn’t end up eating it. So it’s a waste of freezer space, time and money for me. The thought of eating a meal that’s been in the freezer for about 3 months doesn’t appeal to me. I’d rather just make it fresh.

I only batch cook things I love. Maybe you could eat them for lunch during lockdown? Things are always a bit more pressured at lunchtime so I quite like a quick freezer lunch.

I also spent a LOT of time making a Dishoom chicken curry which is DELICIOUS and I wouldn't throw it away if someone paid me - cook and freeze food you actually like!

No. We eat from the freezer all the time. I'm struggling to grasp why you don't.

We used to batch cook like mad, and we did eat it. I am happy to leave stuff in the freezer for a while though so would quite happily eat a mystery meal that had been in there a few months. More recently though I have started using the freezer for bean burgers, fish and and frozen fruit and veg, and so on, and if we have leftovers of anything it will usually be eaten for lunch the next day.

Strongerthanilook it's allllll about the inventory. I have lists of what is in every cupboard and cross it off when I run out.

This used to happen to us too, we learned that we actually prefer to just use any leftovers within couple of days so it's easier to leave them in the fridge. They seem to hold their flavour better that way too.

I also spent about three hours making Katsu curry sauce. Then all you need is chicken breasts, panko breadcrumbs and rice or veg - you have to be sensible about what it worth freezer space imo

Staggered, literally staggered that so many of you threw freezer stuff away, or stopped batch cooking.

Well I never. Bloody hell. I am truely shocked. And it is very very rare for mn to shock me.

We love batch cooking and it comes in very handy for lunches when I'm on my own and looking after the LO. Cottage pies, chilli and lasagnas are firm favourites in our household.

I agree Oblomov20 imagine if tomorrow you lost your job and you'd actually thrown edible, good, gone-cooked food away?!

*home-cooked

The other thing I do is prep raw meat and freeze. So buy loads of chicken and put into freezer bags with different marinades. Currently loving red miso garlic ginger and lime.

Or I pressure cook a whole shoulder of pork in mixican spices and freeze for pulled pork. I only have a small freezer so it has to earn its keep. I’m. Not going to save half a portion of average stew - that would be a leftover lunch special here

I always ate all the batch cooked meals years ago, and miss it now, as only have a small freezer section in the fridge I have now,as had to down size the stuff in my life over the years.

I batch cook and freeze whole dishes e.g. lasagne, fish pie, cottage pie, frozen in an oven proof dish, taken out and defrosted during the day I want it then bung in the oven to cook. Completing the cooking process first time makes a big difference I find. If I over cater other stuff (occasionally it's actually on purpose!), Left overs get fridged and eaten for lunch the next day

@Royalbloo

Lol sorry but if you don't ever eat it then you've probably got money to waste on fresh food/stuff you "fancy" when you already have a suitable meal in the house - my freezer is full and then I'm skint and have to eat what I have prepared...

Well, no. I just don't cook more than we eat! I don't batch cook any more because, for us, that CREATES the waste. I've been awfully skint and lived on my own and had to batch cook in the past. I don't have to now. I'm not going to make myself miserable to suit MN! I cook enough for a family of 4. I cook soup for one (in the Soup Maker). I work too hard not to eat food I "fancy" these days! I'm not hair shirting about it!

Batch cooking - always eaten.

Leftovers - never frozen. Put in the fridge and eaten the next day.

No food is thrown out.

It's a combination of the two.
I cook two meals-worth of whole dishes such as bolognese, lasagne, stew o e of which will go into the freezer. We eat one of these 2/3 times a week.
And I have another shelf of bits and bobs, single leftover servings of things, which will do one or two people if stretched and a couple of sides added.
Every so often we have a 'fall out of the freezer' week to clear out the bits and bobs - the first thing that falls out of the freezer is that night's dinner!

Phew! Many thanks for your reactions, all, and I'm glad it's not only me!

I think I will have to put a stop to it though. Some very good suggestions on here, thanks, e.g. making and freezing basics (sauces etc) rather than a pile of stewy things. It's not that I don't actually enjoy them when I do get them out and eat them, but more that on any particular day there always seems to be something else that I'd prefer more (normally something simple, btw - not expensive or complicated). I also freeze stock, and that's always good.

Also a good idea to make and freeze a few things I know I'd love to eat, rather than simply be able to eat. Maybe some nice fish pies, lasagne, cottage pies etc.

Part of the problem has prolly been that there's only me here, now, so really I've become used to only having to please myself when it comes to meal times.

Thank you again for all the thoughts - it's very interesting to read about how others deal with this stuff!

I used to be like this but have completely changed my ways and now actually really enjoy using up food I've already made. I guess I always felt that freshly made food is better but just tonight I have fed the kids a chilli con carne that I made too much of a month or so ago and froze. It worked out brilliantly.

I think it's something you have to train yourself into doing.

I only batch cook regular meals we enjoy. We like bolognaise, certain soups, pies. The type of thing that warms up nicely and doesn't seem like leftovers and only food that we eat regularly. I generally only batch cook parts of dishes so we have fresh cooked food too (so no frozen pastry/mash/cheese) We don't waste food. I cook dinner and DH will eat whatever's in front of him (he's not picky, I don't just not give him choice!) so we eat whatever needs to be eaten and if there's something we fancy we just have it the next night.

Why adults choose food they fancy over food that's going in the bin is beyond me. Put down the chicken nuggets and chips and eat the stew you spent 7 hours cooking.

I used to end up throwing things I froze, because I froze things to avoid waste so would freeze things that had lots leftover because no-one liked it. Now I am careful to only freeze things that were delicious. I'm also on a diet so instead of going back for seconds I prepare a freezer portion as I plate it out and then am left wanting more and look forward to it. I also always label things in an inviting way "delicious coconut and lemongrass dal, you loved this" to remind myself. I used to forget to label things and throw them away rather than risk pot-luck food. It maybe helps that I hate cooking and on weekdays my kids eat at the childminders (pre-covid) so it feels like such a treat, like someone has cooked my favourite dinner for me.

I batch cook for the week then keep it in boxes in the fridge. Use it from there, quicker to reheat and it always lasts fine. No waste.
Having said that, I do have about 5 boxes in the freezer, just in case of emergencies.