Meal ideas to cook up in batches
When it comes to your batch cooking meal choices, the possibilities are almost endless and will largely depend on the preferences and dietary needs of yourself and whoever you are cooking for. With that being said, there are some recipes that seem made for batch cooking and many of them are slow cooked dishes, such as chilli con carne or beef ragu.
We’ve rounded up our top five batch cooking meal ideas, including some slow cooked meals and have linked to some recipes, so you can get started on these delicious dishes. Remember though, you can batch cook almost any meal you like, and as long as it can be frozen or refrigerated, you can store it to enjoy later.
Slow cooker beef chilli
This easy-to-prep chilli dish is so delicious it will ensure that vegetable shy children get plenty of their five a day. It’s a hassle free meal too, with only 10 minutes prep time plus 6-7 hours cooking time on a slow cooker, so you can whip up as much as you need, then leave it to slowly simmer.
This recipe serves 4 adults and 2 children but you can always double up on the specified quantities, if you want to store some more. It’s a great dish to have tucked away ready to spice things up on cold and rainy winter days but we think it would be equally tasty served on summer evenings, with a nice cold glass of chardonnay.
Vegan lasagne
Almost everyone loves a tasty lasagne but as we don’t want our vegan readers to feel left out, we thought we’d go one better with this meat and cheese free marvel. Though this creamy and fulfilling dish doesn’t contain any meat or dairy at all, we guarantee even hardcore carnivores won’t wind up feeling they’re missing out, when they tuck into this one!
With mushrooms and soya milk in place of meat and cheese and a touch of yeast to give it an extra cheesy flavour, plus a deluxe dash of vegan red wine, this is the ultimate meal to tuck into when you want some comfort food. This recipe walks you through how to whip up this simple yet tasty meal – you can make this one in the pan and then the oven and with only 25 minutes prep and 2 hours cooking time, you’ll have a dish that’s ready to feed 6!
Soy and ginger garnished slow cooked gammon
Check this one out for an ultra-luxe feast with a twist of Asian flavour – a mouthwatering slow cooked gammon joint marinated with zingy soy and ginger. This meal is extremely versatile, as any leftovers can be used in salads or wraps – and you can choose to slow cook the entire thing, or cook it partially in the oven to cut down on cooking time.
This recipe walks you through both methods and lets you know the ingredients you’ll need to stock up on, to make this delicious dish. With aromatic cinnamon, pungent garlic, orange zest and exotic star anise, this would make a great meal to serve around Christmas time, paired with some jasmine rice.
Super quick vegetarian stilton and broccoli soup
This cheesy and satisfying soup is just perfect for all the gourmets out there – but as it doesn’t contain any meat, it’s also a great fit for vegetarian taste buds. If you have just 25 minutes preparation time spare, you can make this meal up, then pop it on to simmer for just 13-14 minutes before it’s ready to serve! It’s perfect for those days, when you’re a little short on time but still want to batch cook some dishes.
The quantities in this recipe will serve 6 but you can make up as much as you want – so why not try making multiple batches, then freezing and storing it for later on? With punchy, creamy stilton, leeks, celery, and broccoli florets, it’s both tasty and healthy – and if you want to make it extra rich , you can even add in a dash of double cream. This one’s truly flexible – it would be ideal served as a starter or great as an entire meal in itself, paired with some soft and doughy bread rolls.
Batch cooked traditional french style coq au vin
Here’s a classic dish that’s sure to warm many a stomach – a hearty French style coq a vin. An ideal dish to simmer in a slow cooker, this is easy-to-make but tastes anything but, as the rich and complex flavours of the burgundy, cognac, shallots and mushrooms combine with the chicken to perfection.
This recipe will walk you through making the perfect traditional French coq a vin in just 5 simple steps, so you can delight the palate of even the fussiest eater – and it even tells you how to make your own home-made bouquet garni for flavour! Superb to serve up at dinner parties, or for a romantic meal for two, it will taste amazing paired with fresh parsley, on a bed of mashed potatoes and baby salad leaves.
