Batch Cooking

Batch cooking, or cooking in bulk, simply means cooking larger quantities of food so you can store some for later.

Invest some time cooking one weekend and you will have healthy Meals for months!

Imagine being able to have Dinner readily available every night for a month - or for that time - when you just don’t have the time to cook a proper, healthy meal.

We've selected the best recipes from our Godfreys Recipes Digest - for batch-cooking, meal-planning and freezing, so you can make easy, quick and/or Thrifty Lunches and Dinners.

Save time, money and energy!

Portioning up dinners for another day will save you time, money and energy, meaning it’s better for the planet too. 

Whenever you need them.

Following Godfreys Guide to Batch Cooking Recipes and Methods will show you how to make fast, simple, homemade, portion-controlled meals, that can be prepared in advance then frozen for whenever you need them.

Cook when you want to

So you cook when you want to not when you have to. If you want to save time and money, get healthy, organised and in control of your weekly Meals, then this is the method for you.

Healthy meals

If you don’t If have time to cook every day, it’s a great way to make sure you have healthy Meals ready when you need them.

Batch cooking is both cost-effective and means you can ensure your diet remains healthy and balanced, even when cooking in advance.

Reduce food waste

These freeze-friendly, batch-cook recipes and tips have been created with both small households and families in mind and will help you prepare ahead and reduce food waste.

What does Batch cooking involve?

The main idea of batch cooking is to double or triple up on ingredients when you’re cooking a Meal. The extra two or three Meals can go in the fridge to be eaten during the week or in the freezer for a later date.

What’s good to batch cook and use for Leftovers?

Soups, casseroles, stews and curries can all easily be made in bulk and stored in individual portion containers or larger family sized containers in either the fridge or freezer.

If you are Batch cooking freezer Meals, remember that the safest way to defrost food is in the fridge.

Core ingredients

You can also Batch cook ingredients that take a while to cook and can be used as core ingredients for meals, such as Brown Rice, Quinoa or Lentils. These can be used in different meal combinations during the week.

Foods that freeze well

Here are some foods that can be stored in the freezer:

Most Fruits freeze well

Most Fruits freeze well - just make sure to peel and chop them into individual servings and you’ve saved yourself a lot of potential food waste!

Most Vegetables can also be frozen

Most Vegetables can also be frozen, just chop up into servings. Now they’re all prepped to go. Vegetables that do not freeze well are Cabbage, Cucumbers, Celery and Potatoes.

In terms of household staples, Milk, Bread and Butter can all be frozen.

All Meat and Fish can be frozen

All Meat and Fish can be frozen. Freeze them in portions so you can just defrost what you need.

Fresh Herbs, cooked Rice and Grains

Fresh Herbs, cooked Rice and Grains, and even whole Meals can be frozen and defrosted as needed.

Fried foods do not freeze well.

Low on freezer space?

• Buy staples that can used across a range of dishes such as Mince Meat or Diced Meats which can be used for Spaghetti Bolognese, Lasagne, Shepherd’s Pie, homemade Burgers and so on.

• Remove foods from their boxes and store them in small freezer bags and containers instead to make the most of the space you have.

• Don’t bulk store. There is no need to have three loaves of bread in the freezer if you won’t use them in the next week or two. Only buy and store what you need and will use.

Consider the Cons

However, it's important to consider the cons, such as limited variety, adequate storage space, and the potential for waste.

Following the FIFO (First In First Out) method can ensure you eat food before it is no longer safe to eat.

Batch cooked food left in the fridge will need to be eaten within a few days and

Meals that are frozen usually need to be eaten within three months.

So there you have your Godfreys Guide to Batch Cooking and Batch Cooking Recipes

Now what is stopping you starting to enjoy fabulous tasting dishes - whilst saving time, cost and energy - plus more than enjoying a balanced and healthy diet

Just one more way Godfreys Help you Bite Back on Costs - with no compromise on taste or Premium Quality

Do have a browse through some of the following Recipes to start to get a taste for the benefits of Batch Cooking - and do let us know what you think!