Batch cooking. It’s a great way to save time and money.
And I am terrible at it. Terrible!
Of course, part of the problem is that it’s just me cooking for myself. I’m not cooking for anyone else. So a casserole that serves 4-6 people is going to last me for a week. If I’m willing to eat the same thing everyday, anyway.
Over the weekend, I made my favorite eggplant parmesan recipe. It’s light and healthy and freezes exceptionally well. And I love it. So I probably will finish it by the time the week is over. It’s been great coming home and knowing that there’s good, nutritious food for dinner, and all I have to do is pop it in the microwave. Clearly, I should continue this trend of cooking on the weekend, maybe even cook two or three things, and then freezing it so that I have options for the next few weeks. And yet, I never do it.
I think part of the problem is that I always make the same few recipes when I try to cook for the week, so I just get bored with them. Sure, I can eat eggplant parm for a week, but I don’t really want to eat it next week too. I have a lot of cookbooks at home, and I’m tempted to take two of my favorite healthy cookbooks (Crazy Plates and Looney Spoons) and try to make every single dish in them. Maybe not the appetizers or desserts, but everything else. I’m sure I won’t actually accomplish that, but instead of always making the same dishes, this way I can try new things and batch cook all at once. And be healthy – that’s key for me.
I’m in awe of people who cook one day a month and then feed their families for the next four weeks. I don’t know how you do it. But I’m sure it frees up a lot of time and saves money too. I suppose it helps if you have a big freezer, but either way, it’s definitely an accomplishment. Maybe someday. For now, I’m happy to feed myself for a week.
When I was cooking for myself I’d sometimes use 2 smaller casserole pans instead of a 9×13. That way you can make one now and freeze one for a few weeks later.
I think about freezer/once a month cooking all the time, but I can never seem to get things together.
There are a few things that my wife batch cooks, usually about once a month or so. We use one of the vacuum seal bag systems and it works well. One of the main things that she batch cooks is pancakes especially during the school year. She cooks a huge batch, freezes them on a baking sheet and then puts two in a vacuum bag. Then all you have to do is reheat in the microwave or stick them in the toaster. Great quick breakfast for the kids before school.
I’m more of a batch cooker in the cooler months. I wish I could get into it in the summer, because it really is a great time & money saver…
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