What food do you make weekly just to have to hand?

[GreyWasp]

I always make:

batch of soup for lunch (not in Summer)
a couple of loaves of bread in bread maker
sandwich filler for the kids - tuna mayo, coronation chicken etc
green juice for me (on a weight loss kick)
overnight oats for teen daughter
used to make breakfast muffins but fallen out it
Chinese style pickled cucumbers - we make a massive batch which my daughters have with almost every meal think it is a social media thing

Just has become part of my routine and does make life easier

Curious what others do

On a good week I'll make bread, shortbread, cookies or gingerbread, cakes/banana bread, mac and cheese as one of my children will eat it everyday if given the choice but tends to have it 2/3 days, soup, homemade burgers and a huge batch of american style pancakes for breakfast/snacks. On a bad week it'll be birds eye chicken dippers or deliveroo at the ready. All about balance

Lots of similar things to others, but current fave is beetroot, apple and ginger soup - the colour and warmth are very welcome right now (I wfh)
I regularly make a sort of soup base: sofrito of onion, celery, carrot/swede/other root + garlic & some herbs; add lentils or cooked pulse and a grain (barley/spelt etc) & water/stock & cook till tender. Then freeze this in batches. When I want to eat it, I can add anything from gochujang, some kind of green leaf; a bit of black or smoked garlic, cheese, a pickle or fermented veg, etc etc.
Also about once a month I make a batch of dukkah - love this on almost anything.
Homemade yoghurt in the thermos is brilliant if you cook it on low for about 30 mins to break down the protein - it goes thick and yummy & really cheap if you get reduced milk

@pearbottomjeans I’d love to see your seed cracker recipe. I spend way too much on supermarket versions and really should knock up some of my own

I made a big pan of lentil soup today, I had some for lunch, and the rest is in the fridge for lunch on Saturday.

Tomorrow's dinner is going to be lamb ragu from the freezer, that I made 2 weeks ago. We'll have it with either pasta or rice and some veg.

It all just makes life easier when I'm busy. 🙂

Copy cat recipe for Chipotle chicken, it’s perfect for tacos, salads or basically anything. Easy to freeze, but this is the one thing we all could happily eat for three days.

@MissyB1 i really like this website too for recipes / ideas ! And fancy oat pancakes right now ! I live alone but I do like frozen broth / stock ready to go in the freezer. Soup always a good bet to freeze a portion.
I am just hopping on to ask if anyone has a fail safe way to keep herbs - as in freeze them. The amount of parsley and cilantro that goes in the bin is shocking 😳 I read you can freeze them in oil in freezer trays but that didn’t work out …..😩

I make a big batch of pancakes once a week - daughter has two for breakfast that day then I freeze the rest in sandwich bags to defrost on other days for breakfasts.

Chop up potatoes into cubes and roast with olive oil and salt. We have them as a side dish that night then I eat the leftovers with scrambled eggs for a couple of days in the mornings.

Overnight oats
Apple compote
Roast chicken for the fridge

I have a lot of fresh basil during summer. I put it in a freezer bag, let the leaves freze, take out the bag and just crumple the bag to crush tve leaves. Then keep refilling the bag. Takes no room in the freezer and smells divine when put in food.

Soup and pasta bake/bean stew for DH's lunches (out the door at 5.30am and no way is he clattering about looking for stuff at that time!). Often make more of a curry or casserole to freeze, don't have spaghetti bol or chilli much as DD is at uni. I regularly have lots of eggs to use up, can anyone tell me if the breakfast muffins freeze? Apologies if it's already in the thread, I've just picked it up.
Love the idea of pasties too, might give that a try seeing as it's likely to be bloody freezing still for a while 😭

Thanks @MissyB1 ! Cilantro is so fragile I don’t know but will try…often get big bags of basil here so def going to try this bag method, so handy for pastas / risottos 👍

In the winter: Roast chicken or lamb leg or similar bone-in joint on a Friday or Saturday, then make a broth from the bones on a Sunday to turn into a stew, curry or soup with whatever veg/meat we get from Able &Cole on a Monday. Roast leftovers used in sandwiches/salads, and if I have a decent size piece of fish (side of salmon or similar) I'll portion it up in the freezer to stir-fry with veg box odds and sods.
Will usually do a batch cook Ragu or pasta-destined something or other later in the week that goes in the freezer for lazy days, or if I CBA to even bother defrosting something it's straight to Uber Eats!

I’m not @MissyB1 😅 but yeah, I use it in sauces, bolognese, risotto etc and then it’s fine.

During summer I just buy one of those small pots of fresh basil from the food store and plant outside in a huge plant pot. It grows absolutely out of control!

I’ll be making bone broth for the first time this weekend. It’s something I’d like to keep in the freezer for soups and casseroles if it goes well.

Depending on what needs using up in the fridge or veg rack, a batch-cooked stew (basically unblended soup minus the fat) and will use it as a basis for meals in the week.
Hummus (if lemon needs using) or cheese (if milk needs using up).

Not much as there's only 2 of us here now the kids have left home and I only work PT. But I do make a big bowl of mixed salad which I use for my work lunches and teas, rather than having to chop it all at the time. It lasts a few days in the fridge. We're both dieting so having salad on hand is helpful!

I make homemade chilli sauce - west african stew style. It goes with everything.

Absolutely nothing,recently widowed,family grown,just myself to look after,only thing I do,is freeze any left overs from cooking evening meal for those can't be bothered to cook days.

Chicken soup
Baked oats
Jacket potatoes ready to warm through

I simmer it on very low heat for about two hours, with garlic, green onions, carrots, sprigs of rosemary, plus peppercorns and salt. I leave the skin on, skimming off froth occasionally. I take the meat off immediately (it often falls off the bones) and wrap it in foil along with the veg from the stock, then it goes into a container in the fridge. The 'Cornish hen' is a very small bird, so there isn't a lot of meat, but enough for DD and me.

@OnyourbarksGSG - please can you share your jam and coconut sponge recipe? Not had that for years. I could just eat that 😊

Big flapjack’s . We all grab one for breakfast as we go out the door in the morning. We’re too lazy to get up early and be more properly organised. Batch lasts all week and saves so much fuss.

The majoritynof what people are posting is just normal every day food though. What is it that is bewildering you? I haven't seen anything particularly unusual.

OH makes a Sunday roast most weeks...while oven is on put Jacket Potatoes in also to use later in the week,he also makes flavoured Wedges at same time too that will go in the freezer.(just fill the oven while it is on)
We also plate up four portions of the roast so easy microwave dinner on Monday.
Left over meat for lunches with salad or sandwiches.

I make a crustless quiche to keep in the fridge.Lovely with salad and get some of the wedges out the freezer which take one minute in the microwave.

Boiled eggs to add to salad or for egg mayo.

Raw cabbage,carrots,beetroot grated to make into coleslaw.

Scrambled Egg

Cooked sweetcorn or cob.

Always have a big bag of homemade oat pancakes in the freezer which I microwave when needed...blitz the oats before making.

We bought a soup make a couple of years ago,so quick and easy for using up veg so there is always a box of soup in the fridge.

I don't spend a long time batch cooking but I always double up recipes so some for the plate some for the freezer...so there are always stews,curries,pasta sauce,pies and fruit crumbles or cakes.

If you have a slow cooker make up some dump bags.The Batch Lady is very good

I chop up a melon and wash some grapes. There's always bread cheese, milk, cereals, hummus and maybe a couple of boxes of left over curry, stir fry or pasta. There's always tons of fruit n veg. My son lifts so pre cook chicken stuff which stinks is there too. Always ready meals in the freezer, cook from frozen chicken breasts and a couple of pizzas
Don't think tnis counts, the 'made' bit is the effort I make to make sure put into theses things always available.
Failing that take out !