Do any of you have any favorite recipes for batch and freeze cooking?
I'm looking for some tried and tested favorites that I could fill my freezer with so that on work nights instead of grabbing take out pizza or fat filled fast food rubbish, I can just heat a yummie precooked home made meal.
I'm not a very experinced cook but I am very good at following a recipe, but would need very, very clear instructions including what size and type of dish to freeze it in, how long it will keep in the freezer and reheating instructions.
Thanks so much in advance!
p.s yes, you are right I'm trying to replace the ready meals from M&S and Tescos that used to fill my freezer back home!
Spag bol and chilli are always good standbys. Curry too, in fact almost any sort of meat in sauce will freeze ok.
Whenever you make it just make about four times as much as you need, then portion up the leftovers and freeze.
Then you can nuke your frozen delicacy while you cook the pasta or rice.
We also do individual shepherds pies and fish pies sometimes, which freeze well in those little throwaway cake tins. Just bung one in the oven when you get home and once you've walked the dog and had a good long soak in the bath it'll be ready.
casseroles freeze quite well too -keep some nice chunky bread in the freezer too to mop up that yummy gravy.
Thanks for the suggestions Jim & Monster.
Spag. Bog and Shepherds pie I already do, chilli I'm not very keen on but do you have a recipe for fishermans pie? I know its supposed to be very easy but I'm culinary challenged and really need step by step distructions! I'm a bit scared of fish!!!
Anyone else got any favorite easy peasy receipes I could use, nothing fancy just stuff you really like that freezes well
Deb,
I'll dig out my books and see what I can find.
I have a good beef in beer recipe that freezes well, and I just remebered that lamb hotpot freezes well too.
Also, how about some homemade soup, excellent for the winter and also dead easy.
I'll get some stuff together for you.
Thanks Jimbo, much appreciated! Delia will have nothing on me soon!
Debberooney!
Not sure how well this would freeze as I've never tried freezing this type of pie before....anyway......variations on a fish pie theme coming up.
Base - you need a thickish white sauce for this OR a can of Campbells condensed mushroom soup.
Fish - Either use canned, drained tuna, or you can bake or steam a bit of haddock, cod, whatever.
Veggies - I use frozen peas and sweetcorn and maybe a bit of blanched diced carrot for added colour.
Potato topping - must be creamy but firm.
Mix together the base, fish and veggies. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Place into an ovenproof dish.
Spoon or pipe (if you're feeling all culinary and adventurous) the creamed mashed potato on top. Rough up with a fork if you've not piped it.
Sprinkle with a couple of handfulls of grated cheddar/red leicester.
Bake in the centre of a moderate oven - 350f for 30 minutes-ish until topping is browned and crispy.
Yummy! I'm going to have to make this soon myself! D
Debs x )
Cornish pasties always freeze well. You'd have to put a bit of ready mixed salad in your lunch pail too as obviously they're a bit heavy.
I like the helen Watson site
http//www.hwatson.force9.co.uk/
P.S...I would put a tried and tested proper cornish pasty recipe that had been in the family for years in but my Grandma died last year and foolishly never left me her recipe. (
Thanks Deb, sounds good!
Love that web site Dianey!
For the fish pie, if you're freezing it, leave out the final baking in the oven with the cheese on top. That's what you do once you get it out of the freezer! (Same for shepherds pie too!)