The batch-cook base dishes that save hours in the kitchen and £s in the supermarket
Batch cooking needn’t mean eating repetitive meals that get boring quickly. Here’s how to make the most of batch cooking to save time and money while keeping dinner time exciting. At this time of year, when the days get shorter and colder, we crave cosy, filling meals that leave us feeling nourished and comforted. Think curries, pies, stews and casseroles. These dishes often take time, so making big batches to fill our freezers and fridges with is a no-brainer. All those homemade ready meals will make short work out of dinner for days to come. The only snag is that that eating the same meals two, three, four times in the space of a week quickly becomes boring (who knew?), meaning that batching perhaps isn’t the long-term solution to busy weeknights that we’d like it to be. Home cook turned recipe book author Suzanne Mulholland, aka The Batch Lady, would disagree. The key, she says, is to batch cook ‘base dishes’ that can be used in lots of different ways. This keeps meals varied and exciting while still limiting the time we need to spend in the kitchen. “I have been batch cooking since the kids were young – about 18 years. I was fed up with feeling like I was always chasing my tail when it came to mealtimes. “In the last 10 years, I’ve really got into batch cooking base dishes. They are great for staple family meals and can be adapted easily to serve with different ingredients. They also don’t break the bank, which helps when trying to keep in budget to feed a whole family – especially teenagers!” Here’s Mulholland’s advice on turning batching from boring to brilliant. Key batch cook ingredients Before you get started on making your base dishes, you’re going to want to have a few key ingredients on hand – ones which are both budget friendly and versatile, says Mulholland. “My favourite budget ingredients are frozen chopped veggies. They are super cheap and convenient – I add them to just about all my meals. You can use what you need and pop the rest back into the freezer for another time, and they frequently work out cheaper than buying fresh. “Frozen chopped onions are my absolute favourite. They cook quicker than fresh as they are already softened by the freezing process and there are no tears involved! Frozen peeled and chopped butternut squash is always a winner too. Squash can be hard to cut, but when you buy it frozen someone has done the hard part for you.” Another staple ingredient Mulholland is always stocked up on is red lentils. “They are a great way of bulking out meals such as stew, curry and chilli, saving you money by reducing the amount of meat needed. Plus, you’re adding nutrients to your dish, making it that bit healthier. “I also love dried mixed herbs. I always have a big tub of them in the cupboard. It is such a versatile ingredient that can add flavour to so many dishes, rather than having to keep multiple herb jars that take up space in the cupboard.” The base dishes which make batch cooking easy Bolognese Potential uses: 8+ dishes “For me, the most versatile base dish is definitely bolognese,” says Mullholland. Take mince, tinned tomatoes or passata, some onions and carrots, and you have your basic bolognese sauce. And while it’s great with spaghetti, there’s so much more you can do with it. “You could easily turn it into a lasagne, or even a chilli con carne just by adding some peppers, kidney beans, chilli powder and cumin. “Then, you can then use this to make enchiladas, fill jacket potatoes, use as a nacho topper or stuff into tacos. You can make so many different meals from bolognese, so I always make sure I have some in the freezer.” You could make a lasagne with your bolognese sauce Lentil stew Potential uses: 5+ dishes “I love lentil stew as a base dish. You can enjoy it as it is with some potatoes for an easy midweek meal, then add some curry powder and a dollop of yoghurt to create a dal that you can serve with naan bread and rice. You can add some stock to water it down too, so you have a lovely lentil soup for lunch.” Perhaps top with mashed potato and bake for an easy veggie cottage pie, or if you want to keep meat on the menu, how about a rich sausage and lentil ragu served with pasta? One of the benefits of lentil stew is that it’s so versatile – you can pack it with whatever veg you have in the fridge. Also, you’ll be getting a good hit of fibre and protein without the cost of expensive meat. Chicken in a creamy sauce Potential uses: 6+ dishes If you’ve roasted a chicken for Sunday lunch and have a few veggies left too, the addition of a creamy sauce gives you the perfect filling for a pie. But there’s no need to wait until after your next roast lunch to make a creamy chicken base. Cook up a big batch of chicken thighs then mix with a creamy sauce and you’ve got the start of lots of different – and all equally comforting – dinners, says Mullholland. “This is such a great base. You can stir through some peas, scatter over breadcrumbs and bake for an easy midweek meal with potatoes. You can also serve over pasta or with rice. I like to loosen the sauce with stock and add some veggies for an easy soup, too.” Basic Italian-style tomato sauce Potential uses: 8+ dishes Blitz tinned tomatoes (or use passata) along with some dried Italian herbs (either a mix or just oregano, perhaps), onion and maybe garlic and you’ll have an effortless tomato sauce. “This sauce lends itself perfectly to pasta, either on its own or perhaps with meatballs (which could also be served in sub instead of on spaghetti). “You could also use it as a pizza sauce or, by watering it down and adding a vegetable stock cube, turn it into tomato soup.” Then there are possibilities for risotto, chicken parmigiana and sausage casserole – we could go on. So, instead of filling your freezer with finished dishes this winter, consider making base recipes that you can bring back to life in different ways. It will still save you time in the kitchen and hopefully money on your groceries, but means the dinner rotation can stay fun and varied. Originally published October 2023