How do you batch cook?

[BaublesBubblesBobbles]

I want to start batch cooking. But how do you do it?

If I make a large cottage pie, do I cook it in the usual dish, or something special /different so that it can go straight to the freezer?

If the usual dish, how do you decant it into a freezable container without it ending up a mess of potatoes and meat??

Feeling a bit clueless!

I cook in the usual dish, then decant into tupperware containers (if I want it to have a top and a bottom, e.g. cottage pie) or freezer bags (for more liquid things like tomato sauce, ratatouille, soup, precooked veg). I batch cook everything, but then there are only two of us so it's easy to reduce e.g. a roast chicken into portions.

With shepherd's pie I usually put in an ovenproof dish and then put it in the freezer. If I'm short on dishes I would put it in two Tupperware containers, one potato, one meat.
With stews etc I use tupperware or foil. Tupperware is better if I might defrost in the microwave.

What's defrosted mashed potato like?

For pies etc I buy those foil/cardboard containers from pound land or similar and make separate portions.

For bolognese, chilli etc I pour into strong plastic freezer bags as they take up less room.

Cook, package up, freeze, defrost, pop in oven/on hob . Simple

I use the little foil trays about £1 for 6 from asda. Make the food put in dishes, Chill it then bung in freezer usually have about 4 trays of 4 different meals in freezer

Generally if I do things like Shepherds Pie I freeze the mince bit and just do the mash on the day.

When I am making casserole//savoury mince/soup I triple or quadruple all the quantities ( you need to be careful with seasoning ) , eat one meals worth and then portion up the rest into either plastic bags or boxes to freeze . I then defrost/reheat in the microwave and cook fresh rice/pasta/potatoes/vegeatbles on the day.
Bolognese I tend to do a big load (enough for maybe 10 meals) but do the same re freezing.

Defrosted mash is absolutely fine. Boiled or steamed potatoes don't freeze well however.

I put the mince bit into pyrex dishes and freeze. Go into fridge night before and on my way home from work I buy twovtubs ready made mash and top it before it goes in the oven.

Sauces go in ziplock bags. I lie them flat to freeze so they store easily.
Baked stuff like lasagna gets assembled in the ceramic baking dish and put in the freezer. When frozen, I take it out and run the bottom of the dish under hot water to loosen it and the lasagna (or whatever) comes out and gets put in a ziplock bag. The dish gets washed and put away so I can use it whilst the food is in the freezer . When I want to eat it, I just pop the frozen food straight back into the original dish to defrost/cook.

Oh and make sure you label everything!

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Thank you Yika, I'm absolutely made up with that! Less days to peel spuds!

Thanks very much everyone - so helpful.

Brilliant idea to freeze in dish and then decant into bag!

If you assemble and freeze the dish in a silicone pan (eg loaf pan or square cake pan), it's even easier to pop it out once frozen.