Batch Cooking Saves Time and Money
Cooking once and eating four or five times is the closest thing to a cheat code. Batch cooking lowers the cost per meal, reduces waste, and creates a freezer full of ready-made dinners for nights when cooking feels like a chore.
Key points
- Cooking larger portions costs almost nothing extra in time or effort
- Soups, stews, curries, chilis, and pasta sauces are easy to make in large quantities
- Freezing single-serve portions creates meals as convenient as take-out
- Labeling every container reduces guess work
- Batch-cooking does not always require 'cooking'
The reason behind batch cooking is simple. It matches the minimum practical quantity of most ingredients with the amount one person can eat in one meal. The marginal cost of making twice as much is low. The shopping is done, the cutting board is already out, and the pot is already heating. There is a bit more chopping to do, but the washing-up is the same.
The cost per serving is lower when doubling the amount of inexpensive staples but keeping the amount of pricier ones the same. A ham bone can flavour a large pot of soup. A sausage can be sliced so that it stretches across several portions instead of just one. A large pot of chili does not need much more ground meat than a small one to taste good.
Another aspect to consider is the ever-increasing cost of energy. Batch cooking makes the most of the heat that is already being generated on a cooktop or in an oven. Slow-cookers, which are much cheaper to operate, are especially well suited for batch-cooking.
Batch-cooking works best when there is a reasonable amount of freezer space available. Otherwise eating the same thing for a week gets old quickly and may lead to waste when leftovers ‘go off’.
Not everything freezes and reheats well. The best candidates are dishes with a sauce or liquid base. Things that do not freeze well include dishes made with cream or milk, which can separate. Labeling ensures the containers in a freezer don’t become mystery meals that end up being thrown out.
Not all batch-cooked ingredients need to be frozen for a meal in the distant future, or actually 'cooked' either. A large batch of hard-boiled eggs and chopped veggies prepared in advance can speed up lunch-box prep for several days.
Easy meals for batch-cooking ‘novices’:
- Lentil soup: A large pot costs very little, takes about 40 minutes, and produces six to eight portions that reheat perfectly from frozen.
- Chili: Made with canned beans and tomatoes, it is cheap and endlessly variable, served over rice or a baked potato, with pasta or a slice of bread, or as filling in a burrito.
- Chickpea curry: Built around canned chickpeas and canned tomatoes it is one of the most economical batch-cooking dishes, tastes even better the next day, and freezes for up to three months.
- Bolognese or tomato meat sauce: A slow-cooked tomato sauce with a small amount of ground meat makes enough for six to eight portions of pasta at a very low cost per serving.
- A big pot of chili: One of the most budget-friendly meals, built around canned beans and tomatoes.
- Vegetable soup: A thick vegetable soup made from whatever is cheapest or on hand is among the most economical meals. Blended or chunky it reheats in minutes.
- Rice and lentil pilaf: Cooked with onions and spices into a complete and filling meal ready to be portioned and frozen.
Sources for inspiration:
- 98 Batch-Cooking Recipes by good FOOD
- Batch-Cooking Recipes by the BBC
- Tips for Cooking in Batches by Dietetic Directions