How Often Do You Make Several Dishes For Future meals?

[CraigC]

We sometimes make meals like lasagna or stuffed shells in a couple of batches. One for the week and one to freeze for another meal. Most gumbos and stews develop better flavor if made ahead and kept in the fridge for a day or so.

 

[TastyReuben]

Almost never. I'd say never, but you're never supposed to say never, so I'll say almost never.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

All the time! I have to maximize my productivity when I do have time to cook, so it's standard practice for me to heat half of what I make and freeze the other half. Sometimes, I do find time to cook multiple days in succession, and I will continue doing this. Then, by the end of the week, I might have another 2 weeks of meals that are ready to be thawed in case I don't have the time to prepare something new.

 

[Morning Glory]

I'd say never, but you're never supposed to say never, so I'll say almost never.

 

[Morning Glory]

Almost never but it does happen by accident - when it all doesn't get eaten at one sitting. In fact I really hate cooking more than is needed for one meal because I like to cook from scratch every day and so those extra portions invariably end up in the freezer where they join the forgotten graveyard...

 

[CraigC]

Almost never but it does happen by accident - when it all doesn't get eaten at one sitting. In fact I really hate cooking more than is needed for one meal because I like to cook from scratch every day and so those extra portions invariably end up in the freezer where they join the forgotten graveyard...

You've got to rotate them into your menu.

 

[cookieee]

Same here. I don't think DH does it intentionally, just, sometimes he gets carried away and makes more than we can handle at one meal. Most of that goes in the fridge as "leftovers" and we try to eat them before they go bad. But....... you know how that goes. Sometimes, if we're lucky, some of that makes it to the freezer before it's too late.

 

[CraigC]

We can't eat 25lbs of sausage at one time and pork butt, no matter the style, is always for multiple meals.

 

[Morning Glory]

You've got to rotate them into your menu.

This assumes I have a menu! Every day is a cooking adventure for me.

 

[Morning Glory]

We can't eat 25lbs of sausage at one time and pork butt, no matter the style, is always for multiple meals.

Yeah. It really makes huge sense to cook in bulk if you are making charcuterie etc. But they aren't a whole meal, so I'd see it differently if I did that ever. I mean, those are 'ingredients' for future meals that you are making, rather than whole meals.

 

[Mountain Cat]

When I was working.... and had 10-11 hour days, and a commute of 30 minutes in, and nearly one hour home... yeah, I made food in bulk on the weekend. I did try to vary the sides and such.

There was a cafeteria at work, and they made awesome asparagus and spinach... but otherwise, I pretty much rather wanted to eat my own recipes.

Sometimes I do make bulk, but not like then. It is just because a whole chicken will last a few meals - although I'll adapt to different flavors as I go.

 

[detroitdad]

We do this all the time. We save those "extra" meals for when we both work and won't have time for proper prepping/cooking.

 

[ElizabethB]

Frequently.
It doesn't take much more time or effort to cook a large batch than one meal.
G loves to cook rib racks and large roast. I
freeze in meal sized portions. Gumbo, soup, stew, braised meat. Always large batches.
A baked or roasted chicken will be multiple meals. Eat as is, make chicken salad and use the carcass for soup or stock.
I do more batch cooking in the cooler months. More soups, stews and gumbo.
Most of the time I cook single meal portions.
We buy whole rib eyes and cut them ourselves. Average 1 lb. steaks. A single, thick steak is a meal for both of us.
We also buy ground meat in bulk. I make and freeze 6 oz. patties.
Love Costco. Choice meat at reasonable prices.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

All the time. I'll often increase the quantity cooked or run a simpler dish alongside with the sole intention of it going to the freezer. I know my health doesn't always give me the ability too cook. My back or my leg don't always allow me to stand to cook and so on.

So the freezer is the back up. Plus I need to pace things living in chronic pain. Having options in the freezer makes life much easier.

 

[ElizabethB]

When I was young and single I cooked on Saturday. Usually 2 meats and an assortment of vegetables.
I had a number of Tupperware devided plates with lids.
I made and froze a weeks worth of meals. In those days we did not know about not microwaving food in plastic.