Batch cooking recipes for the week (with grams and °C)
Batch cooking recipes that freeze and reheat well, with UK-friendly measurements: a big pot of chilli, a curry, a soup and a bolognese for the freezer.
Photo by Kratky Jaromir on Unsplash
Batch cooking means cooking a few large recipes at once and portioning them for the week or the freezer. In the UK it is the more common name for what US readers call meal prep. The best batch cooking recipes are the ones that improve after a day, freeze for months and reheat in a few minutes: chillis, curries, soups, stews and pasta sauces. The recipes below all do that. Each recipe page lists cups and °F; the conversions are here.
Which recipes are best for batch cooking?
- Big-batch turkey chilli: eight portions from one pot, freezes for 3 months. About $2.64 a portion by our estimates.
- Coconut chickpea curry: no meat, six portions, freezes for 3 months.
- Black bean soup: one of the cheapest pots on the site, freezes for 3 months.
- Lentil bolognese: freeze the sauce, cook fresh pasta on the day.
- Chicken enchilada bake: a traybake that cuts into six squares.
- Baked turkey meatballs: freeze in their tomato sauce.
How do the measurements convert?
- 1 cup of dry rice is about 185 g; 1 cup of rolled oats about 80 g; 1 cup of dried lentils about 190 g.
- 1 pound (lb) is 454 g, so 1½ lb of mince is about 680 g.
- A 15 oz can is a standard 400 g tin; a 28 oz can is a large 800 g tin.
- 1 tablespoon is 15 ml; 1 teaspoon is 5 ml.
- 425°F is 220°C (200°C fan); 375°F is 190°C (170°C fan); 325°F is 160°C (140°C fan).
"Ground beef" in the recipes is beef mince, "zucchini" is courgette, and "cilantro" would be coriander.
How do you plan a batch cooking session?
Cook two or three recipes in one afternoon. Start the longest one first, usually the chilli or soup, and let it simmer while you cook rice and prepare the second dish. The order is laid out in how to meal prep a week in one afternoon.
How long does batch cooking keep?
UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is to eat cooked leftovers within 2 days, keep the fridge below 5°C, and eat rice within 24 hours; US guidance allows 3 to 4 days. In the freezer, most dishes are at their best within 2 to 3 months. For rice, see how long cooked rice lasts. More in how long meal prep lasts.
How do you freeze batch-cooked meals?
Cool them first, portion into single servings, press the air out of bags and label everything with the date. Freeze bags flat so they stack and thaw quickly. See freezer meal prep for beginners and how to prevent freezer burn.
Is batch cooking cheaper?
Usually, because you buy in larger packs and waste less. The costs on this site are estimated in US dollars; the method for working out your own in pounds is in how to work out the cost per serving.
Sources
More budget guides
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How to work out the cost per serving of a recipe
Charge each ingredient for the amount you use, not the whole pack, then divide by the servings. A worked example.
Meal prep for $50 a week: a plan for two
Breakfast, lunch and dinner for two people, Monday to Friday, from six recipes. The costs come from each recipe's workings.
How to use up leftover ingredients after meal prep
Half a can, a handful of spinach and a spare pepper can all go into next week or the freezer. Where each common leftover goes.