Do You Cook Large Batches of Food?

Diane Lane

Diane Lane

Veteran
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Texas, United States
I don't like cooking just a small amount of whatever I'm cooking, because it seems like a lot of time and energy for a small result, so I often cook in larger batches, then freeze much of what I've cooked. I also enjoy knowing that I have healthy home cooked meals available, rather than store-bought ones full of who knows what.

I do this with many different types of dishes, but always do it when I make pancakes and french toast, because they're particularly easy to re-heat, and taste just as good as freshly cooked. I don't even recall when I started doing this, because it's been so long, but I buy a lot of freezer zipper bags, as well as keeping a good supply of storage containers.

I'm getting ready to make a large batch of french toast, which makes me happy, because I love the smell of it, and I enjoy knowing that I have a supply on hand in the freezer, in case a craving strikes. When I have unexpected company, I can just toast it up in the morning, and it makes breakfast feel more special than just a bowl of cereal or a piece of plain toast, but is just as quick to prepare.

Do you cook in large batches? Are there particular things that you enjoy having on hand more than others?
 
I usually cook large batches because I don't always nuav time to cook very much. That way I can just warm up a meal and eat it and it doesn't take much time also save electricity not using He stove so much every day.
 
The idea of cooking in large batches is a good one. It reduces the amount of time that one spends in the kitchen from day to day. However, I do not usually do this. Most of the time I would just cook for the day at hand. Sometimes though, I would cook for 2 days at a time. Sunday is a day that I would always cook for 2 days, so on Mondays the only thing that is cooked are the vegetables, since I do not like to cook vegetables and put them up to warm up the next day. I prefer to have them freshly cooked.
 
Caribbean girl said:
The idea of cooking in large batches is a good one. It reduces the amount of time that one spends in the kitchen from day to day. However, I do not usually do this. Most of the time I would just cook for the day at hand. Sometimes though, I would cook for 2 days at a time. Sunday is a day that I would always cook for 2 days, so on Mondays the only thing that is cooked are the vegetables, since I do not like to cook vegetables and put them up to warm up the next day. I prefer to have them freshly cooked.
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You just helped me realize when I started cooking in batches. I started doing it when I was working full time and going to school full time. I would cook large batches on weekends, and put the food up in fridge/freezer for the rest of the week. I'd do the inside cooking, and the guy I was with at the time would barbecue up a lot of meat on the grill. There just wasn't time during the week to do much of anything other than go to work and school, so we knocked it out on weekends. I hadn't thought of that in years!
 
I used to cook in large batches but then started to notice nobody really wanted to eat the left overs, and everyone wanted me to make something fresh every day. So nowadays I usually cook just enough with maybe enough for a small plate extra. I've always wanted to cook food that I could portion off for freezing, but it just turns out most of the thing I choose to cook aren't great for freezing and would just be better off made fresh.
 
we tend to freeze bases for dishes i.e. pots of bolagnaise to turn it into lasagnes or with spaghetti,we will cook a whole gammon and divide it up and freeze it ,it is cheaper and hundred fold better than plastic packets
at work if I'm making boudins ,i have to make quite a few and freeze a batch as the work that goes into them is quite skilled and takes time,some left over cake type desserts we will make extra to freeze and use it for petit fours at a latter stage
 
A great way to save he leftovers is so out hem in small containers and freeze them. You can buy nix containers that are made for individual meal sizes, or save and reuse things like old cottage cheese containers.
 
It always depends on how many people are eating, and much each of those people will eat.
If I'm making spaghetti, then I'll make enough that everyone gets a very full belly, if they want it. And if they want, there's left overs.
If I'm making hamburgers, waffles, blts, etc ill cook exactly what everyone wants, and can, eat.
 
We do cook in larger batches but not for freezing purposes. We cook larger batches simply to make the next couple of nights meals. We will pick a meal that says serves 4 or 6 and it will do 2 or 3 evening meals for us. Sometimes I will do up a larger batch of something tasty and freeze it, but only if I know that we are coming up on a busy week or something like that. At the moment though the freezer is full of sourdough bread which I had been making to cover the period I was in hospital and then recovering afterwards.
 
Berties said:
we tend to freeze bases for dishes i.e. pots of bolagnaise to turn it into lasagnes or with spaghetti,we will cook a whole gammon and divide it up and freeze it ,it is cheaper and hundred fold better than plastic packets
at work if I'm making boudins ,i have to make quite a few and freeze a batch as the work that goes into them is quite skilled and takes time,some left over cake type desserts we will make extra to freeze and use it for petit fours at a latter stage
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I love the idea of doing that, having the base ready to go for another dish. I've never made boudin, but I buy them when I'm heading east, where they're more prevalent. I can sometimes get them at the grocery store here, but they're not always available.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
We do cook in larger batches but not for freezing purposes. We cook larger batches simply to make the next couple of nights meals. We will pick a meal that says serves 4 or 6 and it will do 2 or 3 evening meals for us. Sometimes I will do up a larger batch of something tasty and freeze it, but only if I know that we are coming up on a busy week or something like that. At the moment though the freezer is full of sourdough bread which I had been making to cover the period I was in hospital and then recovering afterwards.
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I usually freeze about half, and use the rest for that day and the next few days. Cooking large batches takes a lot of energy, so I definitely don't want to cook for a couple of days after a big project. Sourdough bread sounds delicious. I hope you're all recovered now. :eek:
 
I sometimes make a large batch of something, like spaghetti sauce or marinara, and put half of it in the freezer. That way, I only have to make some every other time. :wink:
 
At home we make soups and freeze when we have a produce glut
Also reduced stocks for sauces ,freeze in ice cube trays
Tomato sauce when we have tomatoes getting soft,freezes very well in portions
We freeze portion sized fruits like apple ,rhubarb ,we cook a big batch
 
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