What can I batch cook?

littlenicki

Hello, its been a long time since I posted here but know that you guys are brilliant at stuff like this so fingers crossed you've got some ideas. Due to ill health my mum's no longer able to cook and I recently found out that when I dont cook (I live with her) she doesnt eat. Im a nurse so work long hours but would like to start batch cooking when I get a day off so that I can leave meals for her to heat up while I am away. Except, what on earth can I batch cook?! So far I've thought of chilli and bolognese. Any other suggestions?

jools27_2

A load of mince can turn into cottage pie, bolognaise, chilli, mince and tatties, what about making stews, curry, soups, if I cook a brisket or suchlike I freeze with gravy in portions so that I can take one to work or family can have one, I'm a nurse too and have a 14 hour day so there needs to be something ready for the family, I don't eat once I get home so have my dinner at work! Most meals I try to get even an extra portion from and freeze it so I have an instant meal.

shebangs

Hi Nicki

how about casserole or stew you could even leave these in the slow cooker to cook then freeze the portions so once they are in they take no looking after and are less work for you. Chilli and Bolognese are options how about a mild curry? it obviously depends on what your mum will eat i.e. mine doesnt really like "foreign" stuff but will eat macaroni cheese and bolognese (which I also batch cook and freeze in portions) I leave full meals so a takeaway tub with a portion of pasta and a portion of sauce in.

You can make various types of casserole/hot pot using different meats. If your mum is ok carrying hot liquids then maybe soups could be a good idea. My nan couldnt cook at all at one point so whole meals were the lifesaver we would leave a whole roast dinner frozen so it just needed to be taken out defrosted and microwaved.

if your mum is ill she may not be hungry as such so will need to "fancy" something to eat it so why dont you have a brainstorm with your mum to see what her favourite things are then figure out what to batch cook from there. I found that for my mum having something so simple as bacon cooked in the fridge meant she could microwave it and make a bacon sandwich which was one of the things she was really missing

zippychick

we have a batch cooking thread with loads of ideas as may cooking for the freezer

ill merge this later for you. That's a lovely thing to do for your Mum

Zip

Floozie

Cottage pie, people of all ages seem to like a homemade version which is far nicer compared to the rubbish shop versions.
A fruit crumble for pudding such as apple or you can add additional fruit such as raspberries or blackcurrants if you want to ring the changes.

Nicki

You can make a variety of different meals just by popping a chicken breast or a similar sized piece of meat raw in a marinade and freezing in a foil container. When she wants to eat it, she just pops the foil container into the oven straight from frozen and cooks for an extra 10 mins to make sure it is hot all the way through.

There are loads of OAM cookery threads (once a month) which will give ideas for suitable marinades. Mine are usually just onion, garlic and a splash of wine, or a bottled sauce such as teriyaki, but they do make the meal very tasty.

meritaten

almost any meal can be frozen and then popped into the microwave or oven to heat up. I used to batch cook for my OHs uncle and then for MIL when she was terminally ill.
I just made her favourite meals! take one out after asking her what she fancied for next day and leave it in fridge to defrost overnight - when she was well enough she would then pop it in oven. otherwise whoever was caring for her would usually put it in the microwave!
works for most meals except fry-ups!
she particularly enjoyed
roast dinners with all the trimmings
braised lamb hearts with mash and peas and gravy
Cheese and potato pie
shepherds pie
stew
Fish pie

She didnt like highly spiced food and indeed had stomach cancer so I had to be careful with seasonings and the food itself had to be tasty if you see what I mean. even tho she never thanked me - she did tell friends that her meals were lovely!

anrutpea

Hi

You can make a big tray of lasagne cut it into portions and freeze them.

You can also make a pan of chorizo in tomato sauce and freeze with pasta - that's really delicious and cheap.

Hearty soups freeze well too.

Happyscrimper

I agree with everyone above

I have never frozen pasta, I have heard mixed reviews on how successful that is but you can make all the sauces and whip a batch of pasta to go with it. Takes 15 mins.

But I would make a roast chicken with veg, then turn that into a soup and any left over I freeze until I want it again.

The slow cooker is also your friend. Now I have spoken to people who think there are certain recipes to follow, I don't necessarily agree.
The main points you have to remember about a slow cooker is that it is there to help you be no fuss. With some prep work it will cook the meal for you.
Chop up your meat or whatever, make sure it has water but not too much (unless you are making soup) throw in your veg and leave it to cook.

I usually do stews, soups and the guts to cottage pie, chili. But if you think it might work, it probably can.
I once roasted a chicken or duck(can't remember which) in the stock pot. It was a tight fit but it was really good!!
I tend to check in a small glug of wine into the mix as well. Red wine for red meat white wine for white, mixed herbs and whatever veg you fancy.

Hope this helps!