A batch made in heaven: recipes that make more, so you can stock up

Whether you’re making food to help a friend or filling your freezer, these recipes make more, with very little or no extra effort.

Source: Mary Makes It Easy

--- See Mary Berg baking delicious big-batch in the 6 May episode of Mary Makes It Easy,  which screens at 6pm Sundays on SBS Food, with episodes available at SBS On Demand for a limited time after they air. ---

 

“Filling someone's freezer with prepared and portioned meals is my favourite way to say,  ‘Hey, I'm thinkin' about ya’, says Mary Berg. ‘And the way to keep it breezy is batch cooking. Those recipes that are as easy to make for two as they are for 20.”

The cheery Canadian cook is all about recipes that are easy to make, and in the latest season of Mary Makes it Easy, she shares a brace of recipes that are perfect for batch cooking.

“We've all been through busy times in our lives where cooking tends to fall on the backburner. Even me, someone whose literal favourite thing to do is cook, have been there. That's why my go-to thing to do for friends and family who are going through life is to fill their freezer with delish, ready-to-heat-and-serve options. Batch cooking is key. Take care of their meal prep while also cooking for yourself.”

Of course, batch cooking can also be a way to ease your own life if there are busy times ahead. Cook extra, and fill your freezer so you, too, can heat and serve.

Here are some of our favourite “batch made in heaven” recipes (we’re stealing that phrase from Mary Makes It Easy!) including Mary Berg’s vegetarian cabbage rolls, lasagne roll-ups, green chilli and more.

Vegetarian cabbage rolls

Vegetarian cabbage rolls Source: Mary Makes It Easy

"The perfect heat-and-eat bundles for any night of the week," says Mary Berg of these batch-friendly cabbage rolls, which are filled with a mushroom and walnut filling. Bake them as one big meal, or divide them into four separate pans and freeze some to defrost and cook later.

Green chilli

Green chilli Source: Mary Makes It Easy

"Chilli is one of my family's favourite make-ahead meals," says Mary Berg. For this recipe. she's changed things up a little, using green chillies and salsa in the mix, and turkey mince instead of beef. This recipe serves 8-10, so it's a great recipe when you are making food to share with a friend, or to stock up your own freezer with meals for busy times.

Lasagne roll-ups

Lasagne roll ups Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Mary calls this "prep-ahead pasta perfection". Using lasagne sheets and rolling them around the filling cuts down the prep time, and you can choose to make this as one large batch and cook immediately, or divide it into four portions and freeze it to defrost and cook later.

Big batch tomato sauce

Mary Berg's cabbage rolls and lasagne roll ups recipes both use her big batch sauce. It's fridge and freezer friendly too, so you can use some in whatever you're cooking and freeze portions to use later, too.

Big batch tomato sauce Source: Mary Makes It Easy

Crispy salmon fillets

Crispy salmon fillets Source: Mary Makes It Easy

This is a great recipe for those who want to get ahead as the crumbed salmon fillets can be cooked from frozen. Mary's recipe makes 8-10 (depending on the size of the side of salmon used), so you can cook some and put some away. 

Creamy white bean and leek pot pie

Creamy white bean and leek pot pie Source: Mary Makes It Easy

This recipe makes two things that go perfectly together, though they are also amazing apart: cheddar cheese biscuits (like a flaky scone), and a creamy, savoury bean and leek stew. Both are fridge and freezer friendly, too. The stew and biscuits can be stored, separately, in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking; Alternatively, freeze for up to three months, then defrost the stew overnight before topping it with frozen biscuits and baking. 

Find more ideas in our From the freezer recipe collection and the Make-ahead meals collection.