Batch Cooking is the process of cooking or preparing a large quantity of food ahead of time so that you can either freeze it and have it readily available at a later date, or for you to eat throughout the week. I often find myself batch cooking on the weekend so I’m fully stocked for my week ahead or if it is a breakfast or lunch item for the kids, I will do it while they are at school and I only have my youngest home with me, so I can have him help me bake or cook and have some one on one time.

Some items that I regularly batch cook/prep: banana muffins, waffles, breakfast wraps, mini, quiche, oatmeal, trail mix, mini pizzas, quesadillas, corn dog muffins just to name a few.

Once I’ve made the item, I let it cool on racks and then label freezer bags and freeze in bunches. If it’s something like banana muffins (which don’t last long), then I will keep some Tupperware on the counter with some in it for everyone to grab as they please in the morning.

Breakfast items aren’t the only thing I like to batch prepare. If there is a sale or Flash Food deal on something like ground beef, then I purchase 2 or 3 trays of meat and make homemade hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaves and taco meat. Having these items readily available in the freezer gives me peace of mind that I can quickly grab something when needed. As I make these items, I also write them down on a dry erase board so I know what pre-made food or leftovers I have waiting in my freezer. Again, this allows me to save money and time by purchasing the meat when it’s on sale and making it into what meal I want and then freezing it.