Does anybody REALLY do batch loads of cooking and then freeze? and if so- what kind of things do you cook?

[Tiredemma]

I am returning to work (full time) in four weeks after 7 months Maternity Leave. I have two DS aged 13 and 10 and DD who will be 6 months (and DP)

The past few months obviously everyone has been returning from school/work to a cooked evening meal, because I am here in the day and have time to prepare it etc.

When I return to work I will be doing 37.5hrs over 4 days so will be out of the house from 8am until around 6pm.

Dp will be getting in from work at around 4pm boys similar time.

Im thinking about doing a batch of cooking that is easily frozen on a Sunday afternoon for the coming week- just to take the pressure off on the evening.

Any suggestions what freezes best? Never done this before and dont want to waste time and money doing stuff that wont satisfy come dinner time!

[googietheegg]

I do mixed bean chilli in the slow cooker (roast or fry the onions first) and then freeze, defrost and use in wraps or as nachos.

Also spinach and chickpea curry freezes well.

Falafels are good too.

Also spicy bean burgers - good in buns with cheese or on salad with nuts/Parmesan and balsamic

[MaureenMLove]

I do extra mash and extra cheese sauce. Also when there's some left over bread, like a baguette or something, that's going hard I cube it and freeze it. Or maybe turn it into bread crumbs and freeze. Swede and carrot too.

[SuckItAndSee]

I work Tues-Fri

I try to cook double on Sat and Mon, to give us a couple of extra weeknight meals.

I tend jsut to leave leftovers in the fridge rather than freezing. we do

chilli - to serve with rice or stuff in a burrito
curry
saffron chicken with rice and peas
chunky soups - i do one with lentils and bacon, with pasta cooked into it, and one with cod, leeks, potatoes and saffron
kedgeree
cassoulet
steak and mushroom pie
chicken, leek and ham pie.
moroccan lamb with couscous
fish pie

[frogs]

Mind you, there are people on (mainly) US frugality websites who spend an entire weekend cooking a month's worth of dishes. They are scary, and presumably also have very large freezers.

[senua]

Every now and then I will do a batch-cook of pulses (mixed beans, chickpeas or lentils, etc) so if I need some for a dish then I can throw in a handful instead of opening a whole can.

[Clutterbugsmum]

senua Tue 04-Feb-14 19:28:11

get some decent freezer dishes No it's just I tend to make family size pies/lasagne in my china dishes. Then I can't find my serving dishes .

[LoveIsTheDrug]

DH does - lasagne, ragu sauces, soups, chilli, curries.

[missinglalaland]

Yes!

Spag Bol
Mac&cheese
Shepherds pie (the mash on top freezes fine)
Chicken mushroom/leek etc pie
Lasagna
Tuna noodle casserole
Beef a la Flemande (beef slow cooked in beer with onions)
Chilli con carne
Soup (but not with potato chunks- they don't freeze well)
Black bean stew
Meatloaf
Raw chicken breasts in ziplock bags frozen in their marinade (chuck in kitchen sink to defrost in the morning, come home and place in roasting pan ready to go, no messy prep work)

Baked goods freeze particularly well. I never make just one cake or tea bread. I always make a double batch and "feed the freezer."

What absolutely doesn't work is prepping a bunch of vegetables and meat, tossing them in a freezer bag with sauce and cooking later in a slow cooker. Not frying of the meet onions etc. really ruins the taste for my family. For us, it works better to cook the dish properly but double it and freeze half.

Hope that helps!

[SomewhatSilly]

Ooh frogs, I'd like to read some of those blogs - do you have any recommendations?

[Tiredemma]

ah this is great. Thanks so much- plan to hit Aldi over the next couple of weeks and stock up.

[Back2Basics]

I don't batch cook or really freeze meals. I do however love my slow cooker, nothing nicer then going to work knowing dinners already sorted.

[Back2Basics]

Oh I do season up my meat before I freeze so the night before I feel like my oxtail I just take the container out and the next morning bung it in slow cooker.

[AnUnearthlyChild]

I do ,the cook double or triple quantity of whatever I am eating that night. Lots of curry, chillies, savoury mince that could be a shepherds pie or just a mince n beans dish. Sausage casserole. Vegetarian curries and stews. Beefi in beer, Pasta sauce that sort f thing.

I also make bubble n squeak fritters and freeze, defrost and have with fried egg. Also freeze mash in portion sizes.

[Slipshodsibyl]

Like several others have said, throwing things - don't bother to fry or brown - in the morning into a slow cooker is a really good habit to get into.

[shoom]

Another freezer tip is to freeze leftover ingredients, e.g. extra chopped onion can be frozen for next time you're cooking, leftover passata or tomato puree can be frozen in an ice cube tray...

[sharond101]

Turkey mince enchiladas (also keep some filling free to top nachos with for another meal)
Shepherds pie
steak pie
Chicken Cacciatore
Ratatouille
Vegetable strudel
Chicken tikka
meatballs
soup
scones
Chicken fried rice

[BeaWheesht]

I don't but I should. My issue is I don't eat meat and I'm nervous about reheating it correctly

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

I do a lot of bolognaises, chillies, curries and casseroles. I freeze them in tubs then decant them into freezer bags with the contents written on (when I remember). That saves space in the freezer.

I also use my slow cooker a lot to cook when I'm at work. Joints of meat, whole chickens, casseroles etc.

Your DH will be home early enough to cook as well which will mean you can have a bit more variety!

[frogs]

Somewhatsilly:

I'm not really up to speed with what's currently going on in the frugal blogosphere! But good blogs that I drop into occasionally are:
A Girl Called Jack (UK)
Frugal Queen (UK)
www.thefrugalgirl.com/ (US)

They're not batch cooking ones specifically, just ones with good recipes and ideas.

But there are loads of sites that talk about batch cooking - you can kill hours browsing around for recipes and tips. Google things like 'frugal living' 'batch cooking' etc. Be warned though, there is some overlap with the US prepper movement, and some of them are seriously scary. They tend to go for canning rather than freezing though, in preparation for the end of the world as we know it.

[Mrswellyboot]

Probably repeating here

I am a fan of taco shells, gnocchi (aldi), ready to wok noodles etc

Mince . Then add chilli if fancy that

I buy a lot of rump steak and casserole with lots of onion, carrots and parsnips etc

Goulash is lovely for a change

I also do curry, batch cook pork chops cooked stock and veg then add gravy on before reheating

[Tiredemma]

Thanks again- got some great ideas (strangely even looking forward to doing my first 'batch'- sure that feeling wont last!)

[Hopelass]

I do; started when I was heavily pg with DS and now 5 months on still do it, it's like someone else has cooked for you! As long as you remember to take it out of the freezer; I regularly forget
My faves are:
bolognese sauce, chilli, lamb tagine (hairy dieters recipe), beef stew, lentil and bacon soup, veggie curry, ratatouille, chicken tikka masala.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Yes. I have a generous-sized pressure cooker which makes short work at the weekends of slow-cook stocks, stews, curries, sauces etc. These get parcelled up into serving-sized reusable plastic tubs and labelled (nerd alert) with a Dymo tape showing what it is and the date. Weekdays we either assemble something quick or nuke a few portions of something frozen.

[Spaulding]

Those of you who freeze bolognese and chilli, do you just make the sauces and freeze, then add it to the mince on the day? Or do you completely cook the bolognese and chilli, mince and all, then freeze it?

I freeze lasagne ragu sauce but have never frozen it with the mince in.

[Tabby1963]

"Work soup". I do a big pan of soup and freeze it in containers then take out each evening for work next day. Soup contains all sorts of left overs plus a handful of lentils.

Do a huge lasagne and portion it out into containers for freezer for meals unless son is home in which case he eats it all for supper.