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

YANBU
I made a batch of some sort of stew that I saw a recipe for that used red cabbage (was growing it... I have no idea why when they cost about 50p in shops).
It was bland and horrible, and my freezer has 5 more tubs of the stuff that if I am honest, will still be there in 2090.

I also do this all the time too. I ate a soup today that I made last Friday. Was fine.

@iCod? You're back!! 🥳👋

Agree if you're making vast slabs of lasagne and bags of identical stew. I batch-cook components, say a joint of beef which I cut up and freeze in bags, then separate bags of roasted vegetables, sauces and what have you. I gave this example because it's what I've cooked today, but the only 'batch dish' I make nowadays is spag bol. You could use some of that to pre-make some lasagne: at least then you'd get two choices from your mega pot of mince.

For me it takes the grind out of cooking. I do batch cooking for the week, which is a chore. I then don’t cook Monday-Thursday and can enjoy cooking Friday and Saturday.

I don't like it either. Lots of stuff doesn't taste as good defrosted & don't like the monotony of eating the same thing.

To me batch cooking is different to meal prepping. I rarely make enough just for 3 so why would I bin left overs? We had delicious slow cooked pulled pork for dinner, cooked with ginger beer, some, onions, various spices. There was loads of it so there are portions in the fridge. It can be eaten with rice and veg, jackets, in crusty bread, tacos etc. Coming home after finishing work late and being able to have home cooked food easily, is far from soulless!

I don't think leftovers is the same as batch cooking is it?

I sometimes cook a side of salmon and freeze a lot of it in portions. They’re great for an instant dinner, with a pouch of mixed grains or rice and veg or salad.

Of course it is, I could've made enough pork today for 3 but I didn't I made enough for a good 9, so 3 portions got eaten today and the rest is left over so split in half and frozen for two future family meals. I don't have a batch cooking day where I fill the freezer as some are saying, just when I cook the type of meal where left overs are easily frozen (curry, casserole anything fairly moist), I make sure to cook plenty. Some people here are cooking one batch of one meal on a Sunday and eating it all week, I can't think of much worse and wouldn't want to eat like that.

The only thing I batch cook when I'm not planning on eating some of it there and then is apples, PIL have a number of fruit trees and we get given a huge glut of apples and pears, I peel, chop, add cinnamon and a vanilla pod and stew them, then freeze in silicone ice cube trays and turn out into ziplock bags. Great for porridge, overnight oats, making crumble etc.

leftovers for me is a bit extra that isn't eaten and then eaten the next day. Making lots of additional portions, freezing, defrosting is batch cooking to me so we will have to agree to disagree.

I sometimes make a massive salad. Lasts for weeks.

I think I know what you mean OP. I'm in favour of batch cooking full meals or batch prepping even.

But reheating food doesn't have the same feeling or senses as cooking from scratch does.

I enjoy the process, chopping, cooking, the smells, the anticipation.

Reheating doesn't have the same vibe. Eating the same food on repeat is also dull so its necessary to switch it often.

We tend to just cook two extra portions when cooking and freeze them so it’s not an overwhelming amount of the same thing . DH did do a big curry cook a couple of weekends ago and made 3 types of Indian curry (Al’s kitchen is great) and 3 types of Thai curry and made and froze portions of rice. I think curry tastes much better after it’s been frozen and they’ve been a godsend recently for quick evening meals served with some fresh veggies or a quick flat bread and some fresh coriander

😆

You making a huge amount of an untested recipe that you ended up not liking, isn’t a decent argument against batch cooking! Make something nice that you can cook, that doesn’t come to any harm in the freezer.

For those who don't batch cook/haven't tried, what about doubling up the quantity of one meal (that you actually like!) you cook. Then you can stash the extra portions in the freezer for when you're too knackered to cook. Maybe do it once a week. It means you have something to hand for the future.

I'm about to head off to work (and I won't be finishing work until 8pm, if I'm lucky). I'm taking my breakfast and lunch with me. Breakfast is overnight oats with some fresh fruit. Lunch is a thai chicken and veg curry with freekeh (instead of rice) that I got out of the freezer. Buying food at work would set me back £5-10 each day. For me/my family, it's a no brainer. :)

A friend at work does it and I feel she does it with love. While a couple of days a week my family get something ina box out of the freezer, hers her delicious home cooked meals and she brings in a home cooked lunch which smells amazing every day.

I have nice glass containers for my meal prep. They are oven and dishwasher proof - so say, I heat up lasagna in it, it gives it a nice golden crust on top. There nothing sad about them or the food that’s kept in.

I always cook extra if doing curry/chilli/bolagnaise/cottage pie/ stew or casserole for my husband to freeze, I don’t eat reheated food though, but it’s ideal for him when I’m at work on his days off

Like self made ready meals. Wouldn't work for me, if I actually bother to cook something, I never feel like eating it. Odd.

Yes, all the oh-so-nonchalant bunging and chucking,... Makes it sound like the batch cooking Olympics. Much as I love my slow cooker.

Aww, it’s iCod!

I suddenly have the urge to sling a dress over some bootcut jeans and party like it’s 2005 😀

Hello! Long and lean are back in gap!

I’m in the routine of cooking a range of vegan curries with loads of different flavours. I’ll do 6-8 meals for two out of one curry. 3-4 batches then lasts about 6-8 weeks as we have them 3 days a week. Dh and I have these on not much time days while I cook the kids something else.

each child now likes a different curry so can have some with us. We add meat to them as we go - I don’t but dh and eldest do.

we add fresh herbs and spinach etc so it’s doesn’t feel any different to a fresh cooked meal

ew! Weeks?