Kitty Coles Shares Time-Saving Batch-Cooking Recipes

The more the merrier to freeze for when you need it …

You can tell a lot about a person by their freezer. Some are organised batch-cookers with neatly labelled containers stacked like Tetris blocks with protein-filled post-gym meals. There are those with chaotic freezers, crammed with forgotten tubs of ice cream, four half-full bags of frozen vegetables, and a mystery bolognese from 2019. And finally, there’s the minimalist – a bag of peas, maybe some ice cubes, and not much else.

I am, somehow, all three. One drawer is filled with glasses and ice because my dad always insists on serving beers in frozen glasses like they do in Mallorca – a tradition I’ve happily adopted. Another drawer is chaotically packed with various bags of bread: parathas, sourdough, corn tacos brought back from Mexico. And the third is neatly filled with chicken stock in varying shades and flavours, a selection of dubious leftovers from cookbook shoots, and a container of tomato sauce I simmered for hours a few months ago.

I had friends over for dinner at short notice recently and reached for that container to make a sauce for pasta. I was reminded how batch cooking is, unfairly, so often written off as boring or repetitive. We tend to think of it as rows of beef stew containers, foil-wrapped breakfast burritos, or vats of bolognese to be eaten five nights in a row. But really, batch cooking is about making more than you need now, so that in the future you, or someone else, can eat something delicious without the hassle.

I am a writer and food stylist by trade, but first and foremost, I am a cook. As much as I love writing recipes and styling beautiful shots for cookbooks, I work in food because I like to feed people. Whether they have just had a baby, lost someone, moved house, are ill, or are simply having a tough week, showing up to a friend or family member’s house with a few prepared meals feels like one of the best ways to show you care.

I have just spent the last five hours batch cooking for my sister, who is about to have her second baby. I’ll be honest – I’m exhausted and the kitchen is a mess, but her freezer is now full of things she can reach for in those blurry newborn weeks when cooking feels impossible.

My approach with batch cooking is to give variety without overwhelming – food that doesn’t feel like leftovers in disguise. For my sister, I made some of my classics: sausage ragù, meatballs, a big batch of tomato sauce, ginger chicken soup (plus an extra container of shredded chicken), little cubes of my green sauce (a sort of green veg-packed pesto), a stack of breaded chicken, Thai green curry sauce, and a selection of fruit compotes for breakfasts.

The trick is portioning things into various container sizes so you’re only defrosting what you need. I love using 250ml pots for single portions or sauces – ideal when you just want a quick lunch or dinner base.

These dishes can be accessorised and stretched across the coming months as autumn settles in. Take meatballs, for example: of course they’re perfect with tomato sauce and pasta, but in summer, I love them fried until golden and spooned onto a plate of garlicky yoghurt with a tomato and cucumber salad and flatbreads or rice. As the evenings get darker, I bake them with cheese until bubbling and golden, and serve with orzo, fresh basil, and a sharply dressed rocket salad.

The same goes for breaded chicken. My sister air-fries it (yes, I can see they are handy when you have kids) and piles a big Caesar style salad on top for lunch. Later in the week, she might top it with Parmesan and stick it under the grill for a cheat’s Chicken Parmigiana.

The sausage ragù is one of my favourite things to cook at scale as there are so few ingredients. I prefer a lighter-style ragù with the addition of lentils to a traditional tomato-heavy version, so it can be eaten with pasta, spooned over buttery polenta with lots of crisp sage, or on its own, with a pile of lemon-dressed greens for a lazy lunch. Double or triple this recipe – it freezes well.

A gift of flowers might be gratefully received but if you really want to give someone in need something useful, cook a few extra portions. @kittycoles

SEE MORE: A 5 Step Recipe For Sausage, Fennel And Lentil Ragù With Pasta