Batch cooking ideas for freezer

MrsSippi

Firstly apologies if there is already a thread for this - I did have a look but couldn't find anything specific.

I am expecting baby number 2 in a couple of months and will be having a c-section so will be in a hospital for a few days. We also have a 4 year old who will be mainly looked after by my husband when I am in hospital. I have got a couple of days to myself (when daughter is at nursery) between starting maternity leave and baby arriving so wanted to use the time to cook up a load of meals that I can freeze so that my husband can just heat something through in a saucepan/bung in the oven and I know that he is eating properly! Our daughter tends to have packed lunch style teas so that is easy for him to do. I also thought it would be helpful to have for when I get home and we are both too tired to cook.

I have got a slow cooker so thought I can do a big batch of mince and divide up for spag bol, cottage pie, chilli, meatballs etc. I am also going to cook a chicken and make up a curry mix, jambalaya mix and stew mix but after this my mind has just gone blank. I will also bag up some portions of sausages so he can get these out of the freezer and defrost during the day ready for cooking in the evening.

Anyway I would really appreciate some ideas of what I can cook and freeze (and also what freezes well - I have never had much luck freezing mashed potato etc - seems to go to sloppy when it defrosts).

Thank you

EDIT - just spotted a very similar thread further down the page - oops! I've taken ideas from this but any further suggestions would be appreciated.

Linda32

Well you have got 9 variations there so I think you have a pretty good idea

Make mash whilst the rest of the meal is cooking, so that solves that one. All of those freeze perfectly well. I take meals out of the freezer teatime the night before and defrost in the fridge, then I re heat in the oven at gas mk 6 for 30 minutes.

This gives you the time to cook mash or rice etc.

carriebradshaw

how about making some pie fillings like steak and mushroom/onion gravy (or whatever you like in a pie) then you can thaw pop in a pie dish,add a pastry lid andbung in the oven (keep some frozen ready made pastry in there as well. i batch make crumble mix to top stewed fruit with for puds as well

Ilona

Big pans of stew, (mine are veggie) freeze in margarine tubs. Zap in microwave when needed. I do it all the time when I buy up yellow sticker veg.
Ilona

f0nz

Homemade Chicken nuggets/kievs
soups (soooo many you can make)
Cheese scones (to have with with soup or for lunch or just because you fancy one )
Frittatas or mini egg muffins (same mix just either cook in a silicone cake mould or muffin mould)
Taco seasoned mince
Homemade burgers
Pancakes
Loads of types of cakes/loaves
Chicken and ham fried rice
Tomato based pasta sauces (can also be used as topping for pitta or homemade pizza)
Homemade pizza bases
Curries
Homemade healthy kebab meat (slimming world recipe)
Meatloaf

Hope there's a few new ideas in there for you