Ready meals/prepared food

maman · 28 September 2017 at 11:35PM

I don't think it's necessary to batch cook for all meals. Surely ready meals whether bought or HM are only needed when you're in a hurry and haven't time to cook.

To answer OP'S question: Yes, there is a fair bit of preparation and clearing up. The benefit of batch cooking is that you have one busy session when you have the time and then 6 or more meals that you only need to ping and maybe do some veg with. I only do batch cooking in my slow cooker and then freeze.

Other days I make fairly simple meals like baked fish in foil or chicken or stir fry. They don't take long either.

tori.k · 29 September 2017 at 6:09AM

Just start slowly, replace one meal at a time until you find your happy medium, lasagna is a great one to start with, a oven dish can easily be found in most second hand shops then divided a freeze the remaining portions, they can be reheated the same as any frozen ready meal, keep it simple we have a something on toast night and a soup and sandwich night on our busiest days as it takes less than 15 mins to get dinner on the table.

jackyann · 29 September 2017 at 7:29AM

I agree with Pastures New. I would add that if you are not used to cooking meals from scratch, you may try something, not like it or get in a muddle, and abandon the idea. So, small steps.....
One 'batch' idea that a lot of like is to do a basic mince, such as Mallygirl suggested, divide into say, 6 portions (you'll get used to this!).Do something like this:
1 lasagne for 2 or 3, eat one portion, freeze the others.
Add kidney beans in chilli sauce (my cheat, but you can add the chillis separately) to 2 portions - I actually add sweetcorn as well and really bulk it out to make 3 portions. Freeze as individual portions.
Divide the rest into individual portions, and there you have the building blocks for say, a cottage pie.
One day when you make, say sausage & mash, make extra mash and use the next day on top of the mince.

One day, roast 2 chicken legs to eat with potatoes & veg, save one back, and over the next couple of days you can make a curry or risotto - or in warm weather, a coronation chicken.

Remember, you can keep something for 3 days in the fridge. I'd also invest in a meat thermometer so you can check you have re-heated thoroughly and safely.

You will find out what works for you and what doesn't.

coffeehound · 29 September 2017 at 8:46AM

maman wrote: »

I don't think it's necessary to batch cook for all meals. Surely ready meals whether bought or HM are only needed when you're in a hurry and haven't time to cook.

For many people (especially those with a longish commute) there isn't much time between getting home and going to bed on a weeknight. So cooking a proper meal from scratch each night isn't a realistic option.

I'm too disorganised to batch cook so just visit a supermarket every other night and pick up discounted convenience meals. Less than £2 a night usually and I'll sometimes boil up a portion of mixed veg from the freezer to bulk them out.

vodkawitch1 · 29 September 2017 at 9:46AM

You could just cook the main ingredient, for example a small chicken then you can just add what you fancy on the day.

McKneff · 29 September 2017 at 9:49AM

Fish takes only minutes to cook.

Ooh, I lurve fish pie...

trailingspouse · 29 September 2017 at 10:19AM

Does it really take a long time to cook fresh food?

Potatoes take about 20 minutes to boil, or 10ish for jackets in a microwave. 10 minutes for pasta.

Chops/sausages etc take 15-20 minutes under the grill. Fish even quicker.

Green veg takes about 5 minutes.

Stews etc can be cooked when you have more time and then microwaved.

I can have a proper meal on the table within 30 minutes of walking in the door (that includes taking my shoes off, putting the kettle on and feeding the cats). Much better than having to come home via the supermarket on a dark and rainy night!!

If you don't want to do it, that's a different matter - but it absolutely is possible. Add in the fact that portion size and ingredients are totally within your control - why wouldn't you?

SamsReturn · 29 September 2017 at 9:27PM

Eric_the_half_a_bee wrote: »

Yes it's healthier and cheaper. Buy yourself a slow cooker for £21 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-Accents-48703-Cooker/dp/B00888X526/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1506545026&sr=8-2&keywords=slow+cooker) and save yourself loads of money.

Check out this slowcooker at Asda, reduced to £9. Although it does say out-of-stock
https://direct.asda.com/george-home-3l-slow-cooker-stainless-steel/001585477,default,pd.html
Have to see are they getting more in

maman · 30 September 2017 at 1:49PM

coffeehound wrote: »

For many people (especially those with a longish commute) there isn't much time between getting home and going to bed on a weeknight. So cooking a proper meal from scratch each night isn't a realistic option.

I'm too disorganised to batch cook so just visit a supermarket every other night and pick up discounted convenience meals. Less than £2 a night usually and I'll sometimes boil up a portion of mixed veg from the freezer to bulk them out.

I think meal planning, shopping to your list (either online or in person) and batch cooking saves time. I just think about what we'll have once a week and then it's all sorted. I find a session some weekends (it's my plan for this afternoon while listening to my team on the radio) to get HM ready meals into the freezer works well for me. I'm quite greedy and prefer a larger portion than the average ready meal and I like to be in control of the ingredients.

I can put a piece of fish or chicken in the oven with veg alongside and leave it to cook while I'm doing other things. I rely heavily on the kitchen timer to call me back when needed.

It's each to his (or her) own of course but I've always found being organised saves me time ...and money.:money:

queengoth · 30 September 2017 at 5:54PM

I batch cook so I can take a meal to work. About once a month I do a big shop then spend about 2 hours to cook and put away the meals. I have three massive pans. I split the cooking into rounds and wash the pans between. I buy a big box of chicken two large boxes of lean mince and whatever veg looks nice, minimum is mushrooms, peppers and onions and a largish bag of spuds. I cut up all the veg to start then prep the rest while the first lot is cooking.
Round 1 I usually make something like

Smallish pan Mince with onions carrots mushrooms and stock, hendersons relish
Big pan of spuds for mash (sometimes add carrots swede or sweet pots)
Mince with peppers onions mushrooms and tinned tomato, garlic, tomato pur!e.

Takes about 1/2 hour, then I make individual shepherds pies,
And some portions of mash to freeze
I split the mince with tomato in two and freeze half as bolognaise or starter for a lasagne (lasagne is usual the only ready meal I buy as I think it's a faff to make)
And the rest I add kidney beans and chilli give it another 20 minute then portion and freeze.

While this is cooking I divide up the chicken, freeze some as butterflied breasts and some as fillets or chunks to use as stir fry or fajitas
Round 2 is cooking the remaining chicken
Pan one chicken and veg stew
Pan two chicken curry
Pan three is chicken and mushrooms with noodles (garlic and ginger)! Or sweet and sour (slimming world style)

I bought a job lot of takeaway boxes off eBay and I reuse them either 2 or 3 times before binning, before that I used to use food bags but I found boxes stack better in the fridge and I can just drop one in my cool bag for work.

Round 3 is to cut and parboil the remaining spuds into chips so I have my own ready oven chips.

I live on a boat so I have a tiny galley kitchen so I have to be organised and a small under the counter freezer so I bought a small chest freezer which sits in the spare room, and contains frozen fish.

Hope this gives you some ideas

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