Jump to content
Guest Poet

batch cooking suggestions

Recommended Posts

I am going to start filling the freezer with meals so i don't have to cook every night.

 

I can make soups, a mean bolognese sauce, chilli and variations on stews. I can also do shepherds pie, pies with stewing steak in and lasagne but I want some more ideas and preferably the recipe to go with them please.

 

I made a big batch of scouse once but i tend to find that stews with potatoes in don't freeze very well so I need some more ideas.

 

They need to be able to provide about 4 to 6 meals to go into the freezer at a time.

 

Thanking you :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I batch cook virtually everything I make. To add to your list:- Cannelloni (i sprinkle more parmesan when I cook from frozen.) Sweet and sour pork,

Liver and bacon, cassoulet, Boston baked beans. Recipes hmmm I have been making them all for so long I don't measure anything :roll: I can give you the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce if you want.

 

Tessa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lamb with beans

 

i put roasted lamb, cut into chunks (I use the cheap cuts) together with a mixture of tinned beans - chose from kidney beans / butter / flagolet / chick peas - whatever floats your boat - togethe rwith lamb stock, pepper (salt if you need) a dash of worcester sauce and stew it all up together.

 

 

 

Chicken and bean hot pot

 

Chicken mixed with baked beans / kidney beans and chick peas (2xbaked, 1xkidney and 1xchick peas), bacon / gammon; a splodge of ketchup and a splodge of brown sauce. When you get it out and defrost it you can heat it in an oven proof bowl and then put doritos on top with melted cheese - back into the oven for a few minutes till the cheese melts. Serve with potato wedges.

 

 

As well as batch cooking - try this for a quick / easy meal (we are having it tonight)

Cook some rice with a fish stock cube.

Chop tomatoes and spring onions and fry with a little balsamic vinegar.

Then put in the rice. Stir round and fry for a bit.

Then stick on two salmon steaks. Put a lid on the pan and leave for 10 mins or so until the steaks are cooked.

Serve with peas / sweetcorn / whatever you like :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet and sour pork.

 

Pork fillet

2 green peppers

2 onions.

 

Cut the pork into cubes. De-seed the peppers and cut into slices. Chop the onions not too finely. Lightly fry all of the above until the veg are softened

and the pork is sealed. Put into large casserole dish.

 

Sauce.

 

Pure orange juice

Vinegar

Tomato puree

Soy sauce

small amount of sugar to taste

Cornflour

 

Put orange juice, vinegar and tomato puree in a saucepan. Mix the

cornflour with a little OJ or water and make into a thin paste, and

pour into saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until it starts to get

thick and almost see-thru. Add a few dashes of soy sauce and

sugar to taste. Pour the sauce over the pork and veg in the

casserole and then put in the oven at about 200 for about half

an hour.

 

I serve it with cous cous and frozen sweetcorn, don't know why.

T'was the first meal I ever cooked DH when he was a mere

boyfriend (long time ago) he told me months afterwards he

disliked couscous :oops: I still serve it with couscous for

old time's sake :D

 

Sorry I can't provide measurements, but the sauce is easily

made by tasting and rectifying and if it doesn't go thick just

add more cornflour.

 

Tessa.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks Tessa, I always wondered what made a sweet and sour sauce.

 

thanks for the suggestions so far, the more the merrier. I'm going to cook up a storm next week and fill the garage freezer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Question - Can you reheat all these meals in the oven as opposed to a microwave? As I dont own a microwave. :?

 

I don't have a microwave either. If I remember to unfreeze the meals in

advance I just heat them up in a saucepan. If, I heat them up from frozen

I put the containers in the top of my very old steamer, belonged to my mother, and just steam them, takes longer but works brilliantly.

 

Tessa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

right, made a start on filling the freezer :D

 

Tuesday I made chilli for tea and froze 6 portions

 

Weds i made morrocan lamb for tea and froze 5 portions

 

Thurs i made chicken chasseur and froze 1 portion (the chicken thighs were smaller than i thought they were so what i thought would make 6 meals, only made 3 :oops: )

 

Tonight i made cottage pie and froze 2 portions plus some of the mince mixture (I didn't have enough potatoe to make 3 pies so will freeze the filling and make one another time)

 

Tomorrow i'm doing pizza so will do extra topping and freeze that, the dough is easy as it's done in my breadmaker.

 

i'm going to try lasagne next week with homemade pasta as i managed to get the 00 flour :D

 

chickencam- unfortunately the only fish DH will eat is tuna mayo on a sandwich or chip shop style fish, he hates other fish. My special treat is peppered mackerel as the only time I can have it is when he's at work and I have to wash all dishes and utensils and open all the windows before he comes home or he complains about the smell! :roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do soups and stews and also basic mince with onion, celery and tomatoes and tom puree and use this for spag bol, adding to make cottage pies etc and everything I make I make at least double so loads in freezer - only prob is now I am trying to down the freezer to clear it out and its difficult to do as take out 2lbs mince and cook it and put back 5 tubs of various stuff - takes up more room!! So its a never ending job

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:D Welcome to my army catering corps kitchen! As well as my own family, I cook for my Mother.

This has to be in batches or I'd never have time to take her out etc as well. Her meals have to be stored in lock & locks ( :D ) then heated by her in a casserole dish in the oven, she can't stand & stir. She has to have measured carbohydrates (diabetic) so I do a lot of meals which use 2oz of uncooked rice as this is a handy base ingredient for me.

 

I don't use a recipe but mix & match 3 or 4 ingredients,

 

which I chop & fry;

 

onions, peppers, courgettes, mushrooms, bacon

 

or slice & boil;

 

carrots, celery

 

or add rinsed from a can (quick method :wink:);

 

chickpeas, red kidney beans, mixed beans! lentils etc

 

So, you get the idea, choose 3 or 4 & then add a carton of passata (sieved tomatoes) and several dashes of Worcester sauce.

 

I often cook 8 oz rice & divide equally between 4 boxes, then stir in a portion from the mix, making one theme of ingredients, perhaps onions, carrots, mixed beans, then do another batch with a different combination.

 

Sometimes she adds a bit of water for reheating if it needs.

 

Probably about half the meals are this one method :oops: , but I call them different things;

mushroom surprise, bean feast, carrot surprise (the surprise here is if it has no carrots that day :roll: )

 

Er, it's no good if you don't like or can't eat tomatoes! :lol:

 

Hope this gives you some ideas, of course you'll be doubling up the rice for each box.

 

PS...for a bit of protein I sometimes make it chicken surprise, adding a portion of chopped & fried chicken breast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We've got a large quantity of leftover Haddock Rissotto, can I portion it up for the freezer, or having rice in it does it become a "no no" for reheating?

 

Rice can be dodgy for reheating. Do make sure it is kept chilled until the last minute then heat it very thoroughly. One of the worst culprits for food poisoning! :shock::D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...