I love to cook, but there are some days when it sounds like the most tedious task in the world. That’s when I walk over to my freezer and survey the goods. Do I feel like Pasta? Pizza? Chicken and Dumplings? Chili? Thanks to Batch Cooking these are all options, saving me time and also removing the temptation to run out for Chinese take-out.
What is Batch Cooking?
Batch Cooking is simply cooking larger quantities that you package and freeze in individual or family-size portions to enjoy at a later date. You can accomplish this by doubling or tripling recipes when you’re cooking or by setting aside some time to cook up big batches of food that will go straight to the freezer.
Preparing meals in batches allows you to:
- Make double or triple the amount of food with the same amount of effort as cooking just one meal
- Take advantage of sales at the grocery store
- Eat cheaper, healthy alternatives to packaged frozen dinners or take-out
- Save time when you’re too busy (or tired) to cook
What type of meals can I freeze?
Many meals lend themselves to freezing:
- Soups, Stews, Curries and Gumbo
- Chili
- Casseroles
- Burritos
- Enchiladas and Tamales
- Pasta
- Pies (sweet and savory)
- Breads, Muffins
But you don’t have to limit yourself to fully cooked meals. To give yourself more flexibility you can also freeze meal components such as:
- Meatballs – just toss frozen meatballs into sauce and simmer 15-20 minutes
- Chicken cutlets – I love to pull these out and make a quick Chicken Piccata
- Grilled chicken breasts – Great for sandwiches or salads
- Pizza and Pasta sauces – You can have a meal on the table in the amount of time it takes to boil pasta
- Pizza dough – We can indulge our pizza craving without the guilt (and grease!) of take-out pizza
- Burrito filling – My husband loves to take burritos to work for lunch. One of his favorites is shredded beef which is cheap and easy to make in the slow cooker.
How do I package meals for the freezer?
My favorite way to freeze food is using Ziplock freezer bags. Especially for soups and stews, they minimize freezer burn and save space. Make sure to lay the bags flat in the freezer. Once the contents freeze they can be easily stacked. Also be sure to use a Sharpie marker to label the contents of the bag and the date.
Other items should be frozen individually and then packaged in a freezer bag. I wrap breakfast burritos in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer bag. Lasagna should be cooled overnight in the refrigerator and then cut into portions to be frozen. If you try to do this with a warm lasagna you’ll end up with a big old mess on your hands. I don’t recommend it. Chicken cutlets, grilled chicken breast and meatballs should be individually frozen on baking sheets before being stored in a freezer bag.
Since I started Batch Cooking I’ve saved myself a lot of time and money. And it’s taken a lot of stress out of cooking for my family.
What do you do in advance to save time preparing meals?
Hi, I’m Cathy! I’m a former career-driven professional turned stay-at-home mom. Living on one salary has its challenges, but it is possible to live the good life while spending less. Cool to be Frugal is all about how we’re thriving, not just surviving, on a single income.
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I batch cook all the time, however I have a habit of just eating the same food for 3-4 days… bad I know. I really need to get in the habit of freezing and making a variety of dishes.
Batch cooking saves my life, especially in the winter. That’s when I make a ton of spaghetti sauce, pea soup, chicken soup, chili, and more. I try to plan my menu for the week on Sunday and defrost accordingly. Plus, it is so easy to just double or triple a recipe and store it. I love the extra freezer I have.
Great post!
oh i just love cooking and eating. i love to cook pasta recipes and the like.;`-
me and my sister loves to cook foods at home and we always love homecooked meals’.*
Hi Cathy, love your blog, loads of good ideas, please keep it up!
I tried batch cooking but actually found that the family didn’t like the taste and texture of re-heated food from the freezer. What was a beautiful dish first-time around simply wasn’t as nice once it had gone through the freezer. I also found that getting the food hot again from the frozen state took as long as cooking it fresh, so no real time-saver, either. Instead, I make a plan for the next two weeks, looking at what I have in the pantry/in the garden/ in the freezer (eg meat, vegetables/fruit frozen from the garden) and cook fresh food every day. Left-overs are integrated into the next day’s lunch or dinner, so there is no waste. Good planning means I can easily go for three weeks or more without having to go shopping.