Back to school fills many parents with dread at the thought of having to rustle up home-cooked meals every night. Don’t worry – The Batch Lady, aka food blogger Suzanne Mulholland, is here to help with her top tips for batch cooking meals, saving you both time and money.
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The mum-of-two, who has been branded the Mrs Hinch of cooking, prepares all her meals on a Sunday night and swears by simple freezer storage hacks to feed her family every week.
The Batch Lady freezes all her meals for the week ahead
Scottish mum Suzanne, who lives on a remote farm near Selkirk with her husband and two children, saves time by cooking up to 10 meals in one hour using similar ingredients – and then storing them in flat bags in her freezer. Impressive!
She told HELLO!: “I started The Batch Lady to save time. I don’t like cooking for my family every night – the beauty of the method is you cook only on certain nights. If you just spend 20 minutes of your week meal planning, it’ll save you hours!”
Read on to discover Suzanne’s top tips…
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The Batch Lady’s freezer storage hacks:
Tip 1
Have a clear-out. Go through your freezer and eat everything out of it. Used as a proper machine, your freezer can save you a fortune! The more you store in it, the more efficient it is to run.
Tip 2
Store like a pro. Get some silicone or freezer bags and start storing your meals flat, like books, they fit in really well. You can get 15 or 16 meals flat in one drawer rather than using Tupperware.
Suzanne’s tips will save you time and money
Tip 3
Be space-savvy. With pizza and cake for example, it’s easier to chop them into slices and freeze in a bag rather than in the cardboard boxes they come in.
Tip 4
Keep things organised. Sort your freezer into one drawer for pre-made meals, another for ice cream and then your frozen veg and meat.
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The Batch Lady’s store cupboard staples:
- Long-lasting baking potatoes that can sit in your store cupboard are great for every occasion
- Frozen fruit and frozen veg is perfect; you can use it for smoothies, side dishes, soup and it can sit in your freezer for months. People think it’s better to buy fresh, but frozen is picked within 15 minutes and it’s really good for you, whereas fresh might have been hanging about for a long time
- An easy jar of pesto – both green and red. Use it with pasta, put it over the top of a salmon fillet or stuff it with cheese in a chicken breast
Intrigued? Pick up The Batch Lady’s second book, The Batch Lady Meal Planner on Amazon for just £6.72.
The Batch Lady Meal Planner, £6.72, Amazon
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