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Batch Cooking

New to batch cooking? It’s one of the easiest ways to save time, cut food costs, and get more veg into family meals.

Whether you’re cooking for a busy week or trying to make food go further, batch cooking helps you stay organised without spending hours in the kitchen.

The brilliance of batch cooking

Batch cooking is all about headspace. Cook once, eat twice (or more), and take the pressure off busy evenings! It saves time, cuts food and energy costs, and helps reduce waste.

Batch cooking doesn’t need to be complicated. Try simply doubling a meal you already make and freezing or chilling the extra for later in the week.

In the videos below, batch cooking expert Suzanne Mulholland (The Batch Lady) shares simple, realistic tips to help you get started.

What is batch cooking?

Batch cooking simply means making extra portions of a meal. That could be one extra portion for later in the week, or a family-sized batch for the freezer. One for now, one (or more) for later. That’s it.

Watch the quick guide

How do I get started?

Start simple: double a meal your family already loves.

Keep the extra portion in the fridge for later in the week, or freeze it. Do this regularly and you’ll quickly build a stash of ready-made meals.

See Suzanne's tips

What equipment do I need?

You may already have everything you need!

A large pan, a wooden spoon, and some freezer bags are enough to get started. Freezing food flat in freezer bags is a real space-saver, especially if your freezer is small.

Let's see what I need

What if I don't have a freezer?

No freezer? No problem. Stick to doubling portions and storing meals in the fridge for a few days.

Freezing flat in bags helps you stack meals neatly in a small spacecan also freeze fillings and components separately.

Show me what to do

Do you need special freezer bags for freezing flat?

No! Standard supermarket freezer bags work well for a batch cooking beginner.

You can also wash and reuse them several times. Reusable zip-top freezer bags are an option if you prefer, but they’re not essential.

Find out more

How long will it last?

If you are storing in the fridge, aim to eat batch-cooked meals within a few days.

In the freezer, most sauces and stews keep well for up to 3 months. It is edible beyond that, but the texture will deteriorate.

Label everything with what it is and when it was made, cool fully before chilling or freezing, and always defrost and reheat food thoroughly until piping hot.

Watch the video

How do I know how much to freeze?

Using a mug or measuring cup makes portioning easy.

As a rough guide: one mug per adult, about half a mug for younger children, and a little more for teenagers, but adjust for your own family.

Let's see it in action

What if I get bored of eating the same thing?

Batch cooking doesn’t mean eating the same meal on repeat. Just a small twist or a few simple additions can turn it into a new dish.

A single sauce like bolognese can be served in different ways: with pasta one night, beans and rice as a chilli the next, and scooped over jackets with cheese the next!

How to keep it interesting

Can I add more veg into my batches affordably?

Frozen veg is a great budget-friendly option and helps reduce waste.

You can also buy fresh veg and fruit on offer, prep it at home, and freeze it flat to add easily to future meals. Not used a whole tin of beans? You can freeze the rest, too!

Show me how
Suzanne Mulholland (The Batch Lady)

Suzanne Mulholland

Suzanne Mulholland (The Batch Lady) is a Sunday Times best Selling Author of The Batch Lady series of Books.  Suzanne is an expert in modern day Batch cooking and freezer friendly meals. Originally a time management expert, Suzanne realised that the same methods could be applied to give busy working people advice on getting homecooked meals on the table with minimal effort and time spent. The Batch Lady has a huge online following across social media and can be found @thebatchlady on all socials.

thebatchlady.com/

For all information including how to defrost your batched meals and everything above in more detail head to my website www.thebatchlady.com where you will find lots of free recipes, resources and so much more!

Let’s get started

These family favourites are ideal for batch cooking – simple, freezer-friendly meals that can easily be doubled and enjoyed again later…

Spaghetti Bolognaise

Spaghetti Bolognese is one of our nation’s favourite dishes. If you love this meal but want to know if there are ways to make it a little healthier, tastier and add more veg without upping the cost, this is the place for you.

See Recipe
Chilli con carne

Chilli con carne is simple, cheap and delicious. It is easy to adapt, simple to add veg to, and can be batch cooked to save time and money for the future, too! We’ve gathered some expert tips and small steps to help you take your current chilli from good to great.

See Recipe
Stew

Stews and casseroles are classic comfort food, great for filling bellies and batching to cook once and eat twice. Plus, they are affordable, simple, adaptable and easy to add more veg to! We’ve gathered some expert tips and small steps for you to take your stew from good to great.

See Recipe
ShephErd’s pie

Shepherd’s pie (or cottage pie, which uses beef mince instead of lamb) is cheap and filling and tasty, so it’s no wonder we love it in this nation! We’ve got together some expert tips and small steps you can take to move your shepherd’s pie from good to great, making a balanced meal and increasing veg slowly over time to make it easier for everyone.

See Recipe
Mac & Cheese

Mac ‘n’ cheese is classic kid food, perfect for filling up hungry bellies! It is cheap and tasty and easier than you think to add veg to. We’ve gathered expert tips and come up with small steps you can take to bring your mac ‘n’ cheese from good to great!

See Recipe
Pasta Bake

A pasta bake is a classic midweek family meal, as it is cheap and easy to put together, and usually goes down well with everybody! We’ve brought together some expert tips and simple steps to take your pasta bakes from good to great.

See Recipe
Lasagne

Garfield isn’t the only one who loves lasagne! We eat loads of it in the UK, and despite its reputation, it doesn’t have to be difficult to make, depending on what shortcuts you take. But if your lasagne is currently a ready meal or a few jars, we have some simple, affordable steps to tweak your lasagne to help it become healthier, cheaper and higher in veg!

See Recipe
Curry

Curry is our favourite takeaway, but is remarkably easy and affordable to make at home! The strong, sweet flavours of curry are very forgiving, allowing you to add more veg and less meat easily with less chance of people noticing since it changes the taste very little. Follow our simple tweaks and tips to make your curry even better.

See Recipe
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