Reducing cooking costs

Janey1a

Due to the rising costs of electricity, I'm looking at different ways to save on cooking for the family.  
My eldest and my husband will eat pretty much anything(!) but I am vegetarian and my youngest is very fussy, only liking certain chicken, pasta etc which the rest of us don't always eat. 
I've started cooking two roast joints on a Sunday so I have cold meat to use through the week but I'm wondering what else to do - batch cook for my husband and my eldest and freeze meals? If so, what are good, easy ideas for meals?  Or invest in something like an air fryer if that uses less electric than an oven but I can still cook our different meals? 
Any ideas/suggestions would be appreciated.

ouraggie

We hardly use our gas cooker nowadays, since getting a 17 litre halogen air fryer. It will cook a whole chicken. Uses far less energy to cook, plus quicker/ not so dry. It cooks anything you would cook in the oven or under the grill. Cost £33 but has prob already paid for itself. I love it. Plus it is clear glass so you can easily keep an eye on whatever is in there.
When using the hob I  turn off the gas once the spuds, pasta, rice etc has boiled for a couple of mins. With the lid on it carries on cooking with no gas. Always cook a double portion, then just reheat a couple of days later for a quick dinner.
Definitely batch cook. Saves loads of time and fuel. Mince is esp useful. A big tray or bag of meat or veggie mince will make spagbol, lasagne, chilli, burgers, kebabs etc. Just divide up and make different meals. 

Mnoee

Here's a good starting point for batch cooking ideas: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/batch-cooking-recipes

I'd say 5/7 of our weekly dinners are batch cooked things pulled from the freezer - defrost in the fridge the night before and microwave. I tend to freeze sauces seperately, cook off pasta each time, but batch cook rice and reheat that straight from frozen, that's mostly personal preference as I find it's a nicer end meal. 

I do individual portions as we're a veggie/omni couple, so I use 600ml food saver tubs from Tesco. I keep track of what's in the freezer and how long it's been there in a database. I use coloured dots for things I cook a lot of/often, and for everything else, masking tape and a sharpie to label. 

You can just use any old tub and not label anything, but my freezer is much easier to nagivate now I have uniform stackable tubs and a system. Your system may not be the same as mine, there's many ways to organise - just sharing what's working for me! 

sheramber

Consider a slow cooker for casseroles, mince and stews.

I have a small one for small meals, for one or two people, and a large one for family meals.

 Cheaper cuts, like brisket , can be cooked in a small amount of water to keep it moist. 

TripleH

Cut vegetables up into small pieces (so cook quicker) or s microwave steamer.

In my student days I would crush cheap pasta with a rolling pin before cooking do it cooked quicker (it might not work and was years ago).

Also use as little water as you can so not heating excess.

maisie_cat

We have two multicookers, one with an airfryer lid. We rarely use the cooker at all now. It does help that we eat the same things. When I cook anything I actually make 4-5 meals worth. I freeze the extra as ready meals. If we ate different meals I would just freeze smaller meals for individuals to pick their own.

jemz0001

Mnoee said:

Here's a good starting point for batch cooking ideas: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/batch-cooking-recipes

I'd say 5/7 of our weekly dinners are batch cooked things pulled from the freezer - defrost in the fridge the night before and microwave. I tend to freeze sauces seperately, cook off pasta each time, but batch cook rice and reheat that straight from frozen, that's mostly personal preference as I find it's a nicer end meal. 

I do individual portions as we're a veggie/omni couple, so I use 600ml food saver tubs from Tesco. I keep track of what's in the freezer and how long it's been there in a database. I use coloured dots for things I cook a lot of/often, and for everything else, masking tape and a sharpie to label. 

You can just use any old tub and not label anything, but my freezer is much easier to nagivate now I have uniform stackable tubs and a system. Your system may not be the same as mine, there's many ways to organise - just sharing what's working for me! 

Can you tell me how you do the rice and then freeze?

Also how would you portion it?

Mnoee

jemz0001 said:

Mnoee said:

Here's a good starting point for batch cooking ideas: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/batch-cooking-recipes

I'd say 5/7 of our weekly dinners are batch cooked things pulled from the freezer - defrost in the fridge the night before and microwave. I tend to freeze sauces seperately, cook off pasta each time, but batch cook rice and reheat that straight from frozen, that's mostly personal preference as I find it's a nicer end meal. 

I do individual portions as we're a veggie/omni couple, so I use 600ml food saver tubs from Tesco. I keep track of what's in the freezer and how long it's been there in a database. I use coloured dots for things I cook a lot of/often, and for everything else, masking tape and a sharpie to label. 

You can just use any old tub and not label anything, but my freezer is much easier to nagivate now I have uniform stackable tubs and a system. Your system may not be the same as mine, there's many ways to organise - just sharing what's working for me! 

Can you tell me how you do the rice and then freeze?

Also how would you portion it?

I usually cook 8 portions (600g uncooked rice) in the normal way, serve up two to eat right away and get the rest cooled quickly by chucking it in a sieve and running cold water through it. Then I just put the remaining six portions into three tubs, straight into the freezer - a 1L tub holds two portions with a bit of room to spare. You could do more, I just don't have the freezer space due to all the other batch cooking! 

Whatever you're using to store it, portion before freezing. I know some people use bags they flatten out, freeze, then stack, all sorts of ways - I just like the convenience of bunging the tub straight into the microwave. Reheat directly from frozen with about a tablespoon of water to stop it drying out - about 4 minutes, depends on if there's something else in there too, what wattage, how many portions... 

If you're asking how I'd divide up 8 cooked portions into 4 lots of two - eyeballing and practice. Using the same size and shaped container helps keep it even. Weighing before cooking is accurate enough for me. 

Rice can be dangerous if left at room temperature (anything between 8c and 60c), so the idea is to take it from very hot to very cold as quickly as possible - but the running water does that in seconds. Just do it before eating your dinner, not after! 

Katiehound

Cook rice in the microwave
One portion of rice to 2 portions of hot water.
On high for 10 minutes
I leave it uncovered but I see Jamie Oliver puts a cover on
This is cheapo rice- longer for basmati

(I am cooking rice for the dog so can't tell you the portion size! but I use a mug as a measure)

As soon as pinger goes I take rice out, sieve under cold water.
Box up and put in fridge.
It will keep safely for 2 days
If it was for keeping I would freeze

oliel

I can highly recommend an air fryer and slow cooker and also follow bored of lunch on instagram, he does all slow cooker and air fryer recipes and is just about to bring a book out - his slow cooked pulled beef is to die for and feeds a family of 4 for 2 nights