Batch cooking for a family

MoodyMel

Hi,

I need some help and I just know you lot will have some suggestions for me.

Firstly, to let you know, we are a family of 6: 2 adults, 2 teenage boys, 2 junior aged kids.

My husband and I are about to start new jobs, both full-time and both within the next few weeks... So, I want to start giving batch cooking a go. I know we will both be tired and hungry when we get home, as will the kids.

I am an ok cook and am not worried about making huge batches of food, but I am stumped as to what to store and freeze the food in, that doesn't involve large spends.

All I can think of is pyrex dishes with lids, but these are very expensive or the foil trays with lids, but these will need continual replacing, or plastic tuppaware, but this will mean transferring it to a different dish prior to putting in the oven.

What do you recommend? It has to be big enough to hold large portions for 4 adult servings and two decent sized kids portions.

Thanks for all advice given x

Rolandtheroadie

Slow cooker so it's ready when you get home?

greenbee

I freezer stuff in the dishes I cook/serve in (as long as they are both oven and freezer proof), wrapped in foil/greaseproof and cling film.

jayII

I freeze meals in a variety of containers.

Meals like lasagne go in cheap square pyrex dishes, with the whole thing either covered in foil or put into a large freezer bag (I got cheap pyrex dishes and large freezer bags from Wilkos). The lasagne (or similar) is taken out to defrost during the day then goes straight in the oven when I get home.

Meat sauces (for shepherd's pie or spaghetti bolognaise) are cooled then portioned into large freezer bags or old ice cream containers. Then I just need to cook cheap pasta or put supermarket frozen potato on top of the meat sauce in an oven proof dish and pop the dish into the oven.

Remember to label with date and contents before freezing. Good luck with it all.

rosie.j7

Hi, I cook like this and it is great finishing work and just having to reheat something that i've already batch cooked. I generally make a huge amount of something and then put it in tupperware containers. You can get the containers from IKEA or places like B&M cheap and the containers are big enough to hold a few portions.