Batch cooking ideas

[Sleepglorioussleep]

Have started batch cooking again. Wondered what you all cook in bulk as I am wanting to vary my range. Am on a budget, like most, but not beans on toast yet!

Stew - beef or something like Butternut Squash
Bolognese
Chilli
Mash potato
Pie
Tomato sauce for pasta
Soup
Fruit that's in season - berries etc over summer for example that can then be warmed and served with yoghurt etc. Or made into crumble and stuff.
Cakes - handy for invites to friends etc.
Pizza bases - make a batch in our breadmaker then freeze.
Bread.

I do;

Stews
Beef in red wine
Lamb shanks but shred the lamb off the bone
Ham joint - freeze in slices with a little gravy and can then bung in oven with roasted veg/ potatoes
Lentil and bacon soup
Loads of other soups....
Lasagne - veggie and meat
Basic tomato sauce to use in all manner of dishes
Mashed potato - sounds odd but saves shit loads of time
pork and apple casserole
Chicken casserole
Lemon chicken casserole
Spanish chicken

Umm, loads really

Miniwedge-love the sound of pork and apple and the lemon chicken. Can I ask what recipe if any you use, please. Thanks for ideas.

Chiclayo-good plan to do components like mash etc. I'm just about to make a batch of pastry tops to turn casseroles into pies, but will def do some pizza bases too. To go with the tomato sauce I'm planning! Need bigger freezer!

Sorry-chocoroo! That's how your name auto corrected!

meatballs - mince (I use pork), breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, an egg, garlic, pepper. Roll 'em up and freeze the little buggers! When defrosted, brown them, cover in a tomato sauce (onion, garlic, tin of toms, white wine vinegar) and stick in the oven for 20mins at Gas5. We have it with cous cous. So easy, and might as well make a shedload of them as one meal's-worth. I also bulk cook the sauce.
Ratatouille freezes well, and is cheap if you get your veg in season or grow them.
Curry

Pork and apple; the recipe is just one I made up really based on one my mum does.

One pork loin steak for each person or half of one for a child.
1 cooking apple
Handful of mushrooms chopped
1 onion finely chopped
1 large carrot finely chopped
3 slices streaky bacon chopped finely
About a pint of chicken stock
1 small can of cider (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Table spoon of creme fraiche

Heat a frying pan and brown the pork steaks
Put the steaks in a casserole dish
Turn the heat down, throw in the bacon and the onion and carrot
Cook until the onion is just starting to colour
Bung in the mushrooms
Cook for another minute
Slowly pour in the cider if using and deglaze the pan.
Tip all into the casserole dish and add the chicken stock
Season to taste, I normally throw in some sage as well.
Cover and cook on around 180 for about an hour and a half
Take lid off, stir in creme fraiche and put back in oven but turn the oven off and shut the door.
Then cook some green veg to serve with.
When veg is cooked take casserole out of oven and serve.

It's nice with either baked potatoes or crusty bread depending on time. Really really nice with rice as well.

Sorry, will post lemon chicken tomorrow, off to bed now.

sounds delicious miniwedge

Some chicken dishes (all work well with a pie topping, mash, pasta or jacket spuds etc.)

• creamy chicken & asparagus (tinned so bit cheaper. Sounds blerugh but works)
• creamy tomato chicken
• savory mushroom & chicken
• chicken, sweetcorn and mushroom in a white sauce

• Ratatouille is also great for freezing as is lasagna.

All of the above and curries.

Great thread! I feel inspired to cook now!

my best batch cook at the moment is chicken thighs cooked in slow cooker. 2 packs from Waitrose is £5 and does us for 3 meals.
Once it's all cooked, I take out the bones etc, and use either for casserole or chicken pie, and there's always enough liquid for a good stock for soup.

Thanks miniwedge! Will add it to my list-yum!

Not got any useful ideas but will be watching this thread with interest.

Do you all have massive freezers?

We pretty much live on bulk cooked food and have done for years. I trawl cook books and have found the things that work best are wet things eg pasta sauces, stews, pie fillings; marinated things; filled or topped things eg chicken breast stuffed with Boursin, salmon with pesto crust and things that you prep then cook eg meatballs, burgers.
BBC good food has a section on things that freeze well. I've just tried their homemade chicken kievs and they're awesome.

Gincognito-not massive at all. Four small ish drawers. We plan to get chest freezer, but actually I think I might over do it then and forget what's in it! At the moment we have various pack of frozen veg, seventeen family meals, lots of fish fingers and a few other things. I plan to batch cook every three weeks-dh has agreed to provide childcare! I do the meals in foil trays then they go straight in the oven when defrosted. Or do people cook from frozen?

Just found BBC good food one pot recipe app! Lots of good stuff

You could try this you could adapt to cook in a oven if you don't have a slow cooker.

I also make Lasagne and Shepherds Pie in these and freeze in single portions I get about 12.

I use these for soup and things like spag bog/chilli

Bolognese
Chilli
Kheema (mince and pea curry)
Other curry!
Casseroles
Corned beef and potato hash
Soups
Cottage/shepherds pie (the meat part)