Recipes for batch cooking

Quantumcat on 31/07/2020 - 14:31

Can anyone share their favourite recipes for batch cooking?

Thinking of something I can put two serves in, and stick in the oven or microwave and also steam a pile of fresh veggies to have with. I have a slow cooker if that helps. Plan to cook each Sunday.

All I know how to do really for batch cooking is mac and cheese, and pasta bake with mince or tuna. I am sick of cooking every night and takeaway every night isn't economical or healthy. Have thought about lite n easy but it is too expensive.

If it is healthy and low in fat etc so much the better!

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 31/07/2020 - 14:39
    +2

    Hire a chef 😉

    • beeawwb on 31/07/2020 - 14:47
      +3

      I'm willing to pay under $300 for 3-4 nights/week.

  • jjjaar on 31/07/2020 - 14:40
    +4

    I tend to do curries. Thai green curry or butter chicken are my fave but I’ve also done Rohan josh, and some dahls.

    Back before wfh I would make a new one each Sunday and it would make about 8 portions so I would single serve it with rice and freeze the whole meal to make work lunches easy. I would have a good rotation of different meals in the freezer too.

    If you’re not really worried about freezing them, stir fries, pies and pastas also work well.

    Have thought about lite n easy but it is too expensive.

    And there’s so much waste!!

    A Thai green curry portioned with rice would usually cost me about $2-3 in ingredients per serve (depending on how much I bulked it up with veggies, the kind of veggies and their seasonality and how much chicken I would put in).

    • life is suffering on 31/07/2020 - 16:48

      agree with items. they tend to get better as the days go by

  • sharkyoz on 31/07/2020 - 15:13
    +4

    make a big batch of meaty pasta sauce.
    use some to make individual lasagnes in ramekins, some bagged and frozen for spaghetti

    • Ghost47 on 31/07/2020 - 21:01

      +1, spag bol is really easy to meal prep. 1 pack of pasta, jar of sauce, 1 pack of beef. Keeps pretty well too.

  • Tovers93 on 31/07/2020 - 15:17

    Mexican chicken is one I make on Sundays, as take to work lunches
    Brown some diced chicken (or chop up a Coles/Woolies cooked chicken), fry up some onions, capsicum and mushroom.
    Transfer to slow cooker, add 2 tins of tomatoes, a cup of water, some chilli flakes, and a sachet of taco/fajita/burrito seasoning.
    Inexpensive, simple, nutritious and versatile (eat with pasta, rice, jacket potato, quesadillas etc)

  • 87percent on 31/07/2020 - 15:25
    +2

    check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/

    • [Deactivated] on 31/07/2020 - 17:42
      -1

      This is actually real, bizarrely popular and cringetastic 👍

  • iampoor on 31/07/2020 - 17:35
    +4

    https://www.recipetineats.com/asian-beef-bowls/

    Give this a go - freezes well if you want to really make a huge batch.

    Don't bother steaming veg, just pile a bowl with salad leaves first, beef over that and rice at the top.

    The juice/sauce from the beef and heat will make the salad yummy.

    If you want to be really healthy use extra lean mince, but if you have it with the salad as per above 3 star mince is healthy enough

    • Quantumcat on 31/07/2020 - 17:38

      That looks delicious, I'll definitely be making that!!!!

      • iampoor on 31/07/2020 - 18:13

        Any particular cuisines you are after? I just went on a health kick during this lockdown so can probably recommend some nice stuff, didn't have take away for over 2 months.

        • Quantumcat on 31/07/2020 - 18:40

          I like chinese food, I've been looking at other recipes on the same site and they all look super tasty but easy (or not necessarily Chinese but the sort that's a little sweet, with oyster sauce, hoisin etc flavour). Don't mind thai/Malaysian curries but probably not for every meal in a week. Don't like Indian food at all. Really like plain comfort food like mac and cheese, fish and chips, and tuna pasta bake. Really like steamed broccoli and beans.

    • Quantumcat on 20/08/2020 - 21:12

      Thought you might like to know, I have made the Asian beef like 3 weeks in a row as it got the big tick of approval from my partner who is very fussy. It's absolutely delicious. I have been eating it on top of a salad of butter lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, snow peas and avocado. It is so juicy you don't need any salad dressing or anything. And so tasty I would prefer this for lunch than the schnitzel chips and salad I used to get every day at the local café.

  • [Deactivated] on 31/07/2020 - 17:39
    +1

    Giant pot of stew, can have meats n vegetables

    Freeze it too

  • nakahanap on 31/07/2020 - 17:46

    https://happymoneysaver.com/homemade-hot-pockets-scratch-fre…

    If you like calzones….these freeze well. Just make sure you roll the dough fairly thin.

    ETA. Most soups and curries freeze well, too.

    • Quantumcat on 31/07/2020 - 18:48

      That looks really yummy! I have a bread maker so the pizza dough part will be really easy

  • revheadgl on 31/07/2020 - 19:29

    An easy one for the slow cooker. My cheats version of chicken corn soup.

    A cooked chicken from a supermarket etc. Shred about half the meat, throw that in the slow cooker, eat the rest for dinner and lunch.

    Add a can each of creamed corn and corn kernels, finely diced onion, a bunch of shredded coriander and a sprinkle of Chinese Five Spice. Optional is any Asian green chopped.

    Add enough chicken stock to cover everything, more if you prefer it it more 'soupy'. I prefer powdered stock personally and you may have to add more powder to get it to taste right.

    Get to a simmer and cook for 2-3 hours on low to get the flavours through. Add salt and pepper to taste at the end. Pour over sliced spring onions.

    Freezes well too.

  • ihbh on 31/07/2020 - 19:54

    Do you like stews?

    Whole Food Plant Based (vegan) version
    Soak dried beans overnight and add to pressure cooker with leftover veg if you have any and in season veg (aim for a rainbow) chopped up into small chunks - I usually add finely chopped broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, red onions, a jar of tomato pasta sauce, garlic, ginger and herbs and spices (e.g. cumin) to suit, add water as necessary. Pressure cook for 1 hour or so depending on your pressure cooker.

    I make a big batch for around 5 days and leave in the fridge and microwave for 2 minutes. I store it in 2 large glasslock containers and have never had to freeze.

    Non-vegan version
    Add diced beef or other meat of choice to above veg stew.

    • Quantumcat on 31/07/2020 - 21:01

      That sounds quite tasty

  • miruku on 01/08/2020 - 00:44
    +2

    Some good winter food options:

    Braised pork spare ribs or pork belly, which can be done in a slow cooker (I usually use a pressure cooker). Brown your meat and then season with:
    - (dry) 1 part ginger, 3 parts garlic, 2 parts five spice, 1 part ground coriander, pepper, and 3 parts brown sugar
    - (wet) 5 parts Chinese cooking wine, 1.5 parts soy sauce, 1 part dark soy, <1 part fish sauce
    Add water until covered and then cook.

    Beef bourguignon. I liked this recipe.
    You can use this as a starting point for a generic beef stew recipe and mix it up with different veggies, trying different herbs/spices/seasonings. e.g. remove the bacon, add miso paste, soy and mirin.

    Coq au vin. Similar to beef bourguignon but with chicken. Can be done with white wine instead of red as well (coq au vin blanc).

    Pastry-less shepherd's pie. Similar to the stew-y flavours above but using beef mince, and topped with mashed potato and melted cheese. example recipe

    Chickpea and chicken curry. I know you said above you're not a fan of Indian curries but I think this one has a pretty gentle comforting flavour.
    - Brown chopped chicken thighs in a pot, and then brown onion and garlic. You could also add in other veggies like pumpkin.
    - Add a spice mix of: 2 parts coriander, 2 turmeric, 1.5 paprika, 1 cumin, 1 curry powder, and a sprinkle of garam masala, black pepper and cayenne pepper (really spicy). Stir it all up.
    - Add a can of diced tomatoes, water or chicken stock to cover, and simmer for 10 mins.
    - Add a can of chickpeas and some spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt (or other creamy ingredient). Simmer for another 10 mins.
    - Add a cornflour slurry to thicken, and season to taste.

    Stir fries are quick and easy and reheat fine over the next couple of days. You can take the beef bowl recipe above and use that as a starting point for other stir fry recipes. e.g. Make it more veggie heavy, replace mince with diced chicken or pork, replace hoisin and oyster sauce with a bit of miso paste (it's great stuff), etc.

    Fried rice is another quick, easy and reheatable option (but better to use day old cooked rice to make it).

    • elgrande on 01/08/2020 - 07:45

      Plus 1 for the detailed breakdown

  • littleburrito on 01/08/2020 - 15:33
    +1

    I like making a big batch of pulled beef/pork/chicken in the slow cooker and then freeze it in ziplock bags. I use it for tacos, nachos, burritos, wraps and sandwiches.

    This is a very simple and yummy recipe -
    https://natashaskitchen.com/slow-cooker-bbq-chicken-recipe/

  • freemoneyhunter on 02/08/2020 - 17:39
    -1

    I have a 10 cup ricer cooker from Aldis, just cook up lots of rice, you can also use the rice cooker to boil potatoes and turn them into mash.

    My recipe for mash is simply to boil the potatoes, mash then and add Continental Curried Sausages seasoning, Recipe for rice is to add Continental instant fried rice in with the regular rice, tastes great. BTW Continental is on special at Coles.

  • feesie on 20/08/2020 - 21:28

    I find it better to make up the slow cooker meals uncooked then add to the slow cooker each day as food seems to hold together better. Try here for some inspiration, but really many casserole or curries can be modified to work.
    https://www.bestrecipes.com.au/easy-dinners/articles/make-1-…

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