to think batch cooking is a bit soulless?

[iCod]

I get the logistics practicality, time saving etc ...
but apart from that (!) when you see the sad plastic boxes it seems to reduce food to fuel rather than joy

I prob am unreasonable, obseity prob etc but YANNOW

I don't care for it either

I prefer recycling food from one meal to another - e.g. yesterday's left over vegetables become tomorrow's frittata or egg fried rice

Leftovers from the day before are great. Beyond tha with the exception of one dish that freezes and reheats well I'd rather have eggs or sardines on toast

I honestly don’t care. Food is fuel to me. I get a .com delivery on a Sunday, do a load of food prep and then clean the house/ change towels and linens etc. I LOVE not having to do any proper cooking during the week and the kitchen doesn’t get trashed.

I’m happy to do some ‘proper cooking’ at the weekend and absolutely when we’ve got people coming but I LOVE a tub of preprepared, calorie-controlled, healthy, upf-free goodness during the week.

I don't mind batch cooking but we freeze a lot of it so it's not eaten in the same week.
It's a bit depressing when eaten day after day as you get bored.. However I am very much a food addict so look forward to my dinner every night.
So I'm 50/50 on this one.

I don’t have a microwave. I defrost in the fridge and heat in a saucepan on v low heat, adding a bit of water or tomatoes to stop sticking.

I only ever really make stuff to freeze and I don’t spend a whole day making lots of meals, we just do larger portions when we make something freezable.

I’ll only really leave leftovers in the fridge a day or two. If there’s a bit left from dinner for lunch or a day when one of us is out.

I wouldn’t want the same meal twice in a week generally.

Depends. You can have a tasty stew cooked for hours and made with love on a Tuesday 10 mins after you get in with meal prepping

I love the idea but how do you heat it up to eat it? Whenever I’ve put it in the microwave it just dries out 😭😭😭
It depends what it is. I agree microwave can dry things so I use the hob, oven or airfryer to reheat.

Same
I love having a freezer full of different meals.
The joy of a lovely homecooked meal in minutes on a winter evening.
I am a very good cook and I use things within certain time frames.
Crap food doesn't get any better if frozen

I also take to work .
My colleagues always comment on how nice it smells.

Yesterday I did a huge batch of roasted homegrown plum tomatoes with garlic .
Now waiting in the freezer

I batch cook as saves time and money plus by time i’ve finished work and collected a tired 4yr old just warming up a nutritious filling meal makes the end of the day bearable. If you don’t like batch cooking don’t do it but you surely understand the reasons why some people do batch cook

I am single, widowed, live alone, love cooking and have fab china, glass and silver.
Why would I not batch cook, say wild boar in red wine, some to eat now, some for later?
Oh and I sometimes have a tall, dark, handsome guest, so time saving is a good thing 😉

Switch to glass for freezing.

If I'm honest, it is. There is something a bit off putting about food I cooked and froze a while ago. But... it's balanced and healthy and has loads of veg in it, and is way better than eating ready meals or takeouts.

Reading the batch cooking lady’s book. It’s a bit weird, like why would I want to freeze convenience foods like frankfurters and shop bought dough ? The whole point is that you at least get to eat healthy!

I hate it. I’ve tried it and I end up just transferring the freezer contents to the bin. I don’t know what I feel like eating in the morning or night before to get it out in time to defrost. I like cooking though, so I don’t find it a chore. I can’t eat gluten so am used to keeping the fridge stocked with nice things to eat immediately or cook quickly.

I’m not a big fan of stews, and often I crave something fresh (you can’t freeze a salad or stir fry). I tend to shop for what I want to eat on the day (the fridge and cupboards are usually stocked with basics). Grilled fish or a steak takes minutes to cook.

I batch cook lunch for every day of the week at work on a Sunday. Makes my life so much easier. I don’t really care about eating the same, it makes my life easier and saves me a fortune (and tastes nicer too, win win).

What are you talking about?! I only freezer really good stuff and then it’s like defrosted a little box of joy!

I, on the other hand, feel like a domestic godess eating great and healthy food at the end of a day when I didn't have time to cook. I feel accomplished, organised and healthy.

I don't understand this at all. Stews, curries, chile, bolognaise sauce, etc. all taste perfectly lovely out of the freezer. Love having a freezer full of nice dinners to look forward to on a weeknight when I don't feel like cooking. Maybe it's the food inside rather than the plastic tubs putting you off OP?

I love a rainy afternoon of batch cooking, radio burbling away. I don't use plastic boxes but freeze things in Pyrex type dishes or nice bowls. I even have some LeCruset dishes that I bought in charity shops (who gives them to charity shops!) That feeling of having meals squirreled away in the freezer is so satisfying.

Knowing there is a prepared lasagne/chilli, casserole just ready to put in the oven when I come home cold, tired and hungry is a joy for me.

I’m one of those who just cook extra. I can’t believe anyone can tell the difference between chilli or bolognaise that’s been frozen, also frozen curries. You cook fresh vegetables, rice, pasta etc to go with them.

Are you saying you’re keeping the cooked food in the fridge for five days?
Doesn’t most meaty/ cheesy food start to go off after 3-4 days in a tub?

Every Sunday I cook lunch for the week and eat it until Friday. Been doing this well over a year (when I started I made another batch mid week) and never been unwell.

I think things like bolognaise / chilli / curry taste better when left a few days.