Do you want to save time in the kitchen while still serving delicious, home-cooked meals? How can batch cooking transform your weekly meal preparation routine?
According to Suzanne Mulholland’s book The Batch Lady, batch cooking meals is a game-changing approach to kitchen efficiency. From hearty meat dishes to vegetarian options, this cooking method helps you create delicious main courses, sides, and even desserts that can be frozen and enjoyed later.
Keep reading to discover practical tips and techniques that will revolutionize your cooking routine and save you countless hours in the kitchen.
Batch Cooking Meals: Main Dishes
Mulholland presents an extensive array of basic meal preparations, covering poultry, beef, seafood, and plant-based dishes. Batch cooking meals in your home kitchen provides a satisfying way to nourish both yourself and your loved ones. Let’s explore how to prepare various main dishes across different categories.
Poultry-Based Main Dishes
Poultry, being a lean protein source, is versatile and widely used in various diets. When batch cooking chicken dishes, you can secure meals for future nights, simplifying weekday dinner preparations. After cooking large batches of chicken and onion, divide them into portions suitable for various recipes such as Balti and Enchilada. Storing these prepared meals in the freezer enhances their longevity and convenience.
To maximize efficiency, consider cooking multiple dishes simultaneously that share ingredients or kitchen appliances. For example, you might prepare Moussaka while assembling cheese-enhanced lamb burgers, or combine the preparation of Potato Dauphinoise with a Spanish Omelette. Dishes like Chicken & Broccoli Tikka Masala and Chicken, Okra & Pepper Jalfrezi can be efficiently prepared together, ensuring all components are ready when needed.
Meat-Based Main Dishes
For meat lovers, options range from hearty stews to succulent roasts. Batch cooking techniques work particularly well for meat-based meals like chili and classic meat pies. Some dishes can be cooked completely before freezing, while others are best assembled and frozen before cooking. For instance, you might prepare a shepherd’s pie for freezing or make a large batch of chili divided into single portions.
Bulk cooking is especially versatile with ground meat recipes. The versatile mixture can be shaped into meatballs or burger patties, or combined with various sauces for dishes like chili and Italian meat sauce. Remember to portion the cooked meat appropriately before freezing.
Fish-Based Main Dishes
Fish dishes offer a lighter option and are suitable for bulk preparation and freezing. Seafood meals such as fishcakes, chowders, and fish pies can be frozen and reheated while maintaining their flavor. Adding vegetables enhances their heartiness and substance.
To make fish dishes more substantial, incorporate potatoes into chowders or combine fish fillets with bold seasonings. Vegetables and flavorful sauces can be added to create dishes like Thai-inspired fish cakes with potatoes or Katsu-style fish curry.
Meatless Main Dishes
For those reducing or eliminating meat consumption, numerous vegetarian options are available. Preparing veggie-rich Bolognese or chili-spiced bean burgers involves combining various vegetables with plant-based proteins like lentils and beans. Cook these in large batches, divide into portions, and freeze for convenient access.
For non-vegan vegetarians, create satisfying meals incorporating diverse vegetables and dairy products, enhanced with various seasonings and herbs. Suzanne Mulholland’s book includes recipes like spinach and ricotta cannelloni, along with guidance for large-batch cooking and freezing.
Batch Cooking Meals: Side Dishes, Sauces, and Desserts
Suzanne Mulholland provides a comprehensive guide to preparing and freezing various meal components, including side dishes, sauces, and desserts that can enhance any meal.
Side Dishes
Planning and preparing side dishes in advance is an efficient way to complement batch-cooked meals. When making large quantities of sides like roasted potatoes, specific techniques can streamline the process. Begin by boiling potatoes until tender but firm, then toss them in hot oil and roast until crisp and golden-brown. Using non-stick parchment paper and infusing the oil with rosemary simplifies the preparation and cleanup.
Many side dishes are freezer-friendly. Creamed corn made with frozen vegetables can be prepared in bulk and portioned for freezing. Traditional dishes like rumbledethumps maintain their quality when frozen for up to three months. Other options include oven-roasted vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower, and cheese bakes. These dishes are specifically designed for easy reheating from frozen, helping to reduce food waste.
Sauces and Condiments
Having a variety of pre-prepared sauces and condiments can expand your cooking possibilities. You can prepare large batches of essential sauces, including cheese-based ones, which can enhance numerous dishes. These can be frozen in portions and labeled, serving as versatile bases for dishes like calzones, noodles, or flatbreads. Both green and red pesto varieties can be incorporated into dressings or baked dishes.
Specialty condiments like enchilada paste can transform simple meals into impressive dishes. For example, when making cannelloni, arrange the stuffed pasta over a layer of tomato sauce in a baking dish and top with additional sauce for a delicious result.
Desserts
Batch preparation makes enjoying homemade desserts convenient and accessible. Many baked goods and confections are suitable for freezer storage. Items like Apple & Blackberry Plait and Chocolate Raisin Slices can be prepared ahead, arranged on parchment-lined trays for freezing, and baked directly from frozen. The Victoria Sandwich is particularly well-suited for long-term storage.
For quick dessert assembly, use pre-made pastry to create treats like calzones filled with banana, marshmallow, and chocolate. Store these in labeled freezer bags for up to ninety days. Keep a stock of pre-frozen cookies and vanilla ice cream on hand for easy dessert preparation that satisfies any sweet craving.
