4 batch cook recipes to keep in your freezer this winter

Amy Wood - Nutritionist | 27 Nov, 2022

As we head into the festive period, planning healthy weekday meals can become more challenging when you've got a packed social calendar. For those evenings when you get home late and just want something quick and comforting, try batch-cooking these tasty recipes in advance and stock up your freezer with pre-portioned servings. Then all you need to do is grab a container and pop it in the microwave or oven, and you'll have a warming plate of comfort food to tuck into without any hassle or washing up!

Fish pie

Fish pie

Serves 4 - 492 kcals per serving

Kcals 492
Fat 14.7g
Sat fat 3.8g
Carbs 53.8g
Sugar 13g
Fibre 7.1g
Protein 39.4g
Salt 0.6g

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Ingredients

  • 700g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • Low-cal cooking spray
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 500ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 30g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 350g haddock fillets, cut into chunks
  • 250g salmon, cut into chunks
  • 200g frozen peas
  • 20g reduced-fat spread

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
  2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft.
  3. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and spray with low-cal cooking spray. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
  4. Add the milk and cornflour to the pan. Mix together well using a whisk to ensure no lumps. Bring to the boil.
  5. Add the lemon zest, parsley and seasoning. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
  6. Add all the fish and the peas to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
  7. Drain the potatoes, then return them to the dry pan and add the spread. Season to taste and mash well using a masher.
  8. Spoon the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish, then place the potato mash over the top. Use a fork to spread evenly.
  9. Cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the mash turns golden.
Sweet potato and chorizo soup

Sweet potato & chorizo soup

Serves 4 - 331 kcals per serving

Kcals 331
Fat 12.9g
Sat fat 5.1g
Carbs 44.3g
Sugar 18.2g
Fibre 9.2g
Protein 11.9g
Salt 2.04g

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Ingredients

  • Low-cal cooking spray
  • 1 red onion, finely diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
  • 300g carrots, finely diced
  • 130g chorizo, diced
  • 600g sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 reduced-salt vegetabe stock cubes, made up to 1.2l stock with hot water
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
  • Chilli sauce of choice, to garnish (optional)

Method

  1. Lightly spray a large saucepan with low-cal cooking spray and set over a low-to-medium heat. Gently cook the onion, garlic, chilli, carrots, and two thirds of the chorizo, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the sweet potato, paprika and the hot stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potato has softened.
  3. Meanwhile, spray a small frying pan with a little low-cal cooking spray and set over a medium-to-high heat. Cook the remaining chorizo for 5-6 minutes until crispy. Set aside, or pop in a container with a sealed lid in the fridge if you're not eating right away.
  4. Remove the large saucepan from the heat and blend the soup with a hand-held blender until smooth (or blitz in batches in a blender or food processor). If the soup is too thick, you can thin it with water to the desired consistency.
  5. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
  6. When you're ready to eat, top with drops of sour cream and chilli sauce if you'd like some extra spice, and the leftover crispy chorizo.
Lasagne

Veg-packed beef lasagne

Serves 6 - 482 kcals per serving

Kcals 482
Fat 18g
Sat fat 9g
Carbs 45.3g
Sugar 13.5g
Fibre 6.8g
Protein 33.3g
Salt 1.1g

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Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 stick celery, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 small courgette, finely chopped
  • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 500g extra-lean beef mince
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 500g passata
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 40g butter
  • 40g flour
  • 500ml semi-skimmed milk
  • 250g wholewheat lasagne sheets
  • 100g reduced fat cheddar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
  2. Place a large frying pan over a medium-to-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Tip in the celery, carrot, courgette and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add the beef mince to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the mince changes colour from pink to brown. Season well with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the passata, tomato puree, oregano and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes to let all the flavours come together.
  6. Meanwhile, make the Bechamel sauce. Heat a medium saucepan over a low-to-medium heat, and add the butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Stir continuously to form a paste and cook through for a further 2 minutes.
  7. Slowly begin adding the milk to the pan, stirring as you go, until a smooth sauce is formed. Cook through for 5-10 more minutes, stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Spoon one third of the meat and veg mix into an ovenproof dish. Top with a third of the lasagne sheets, trimming to fit if necessary. Finally, spoon over a third of the Bechamel sauce. Repeat twice to form three layers. Top with the cheese and season with black pepper.
  9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden.

Mixed bean & quinoa stew

Serves 4 - 438 kcals per serving Bean quinoa stew

Kcals 438
Fat 6.3g
Sat fat 0.8g
Carbs 75.2g
Sugar 21.1g
Fibre 15.8g
Protein 20.6g
Salt 0.25g

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Ingredients

  • Low-cal cooking spray
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 red chilli, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 400g tin kidney beans, drained
  • 400g butter beans, drained
  • 300g dried quinoa
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Heat a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and spray with low-cal cooking spray.
  2. Fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
  3. Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli, pepper, carrot, beans, quinoa, chilli powder, ground coriander and 400ml water to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the carrot has started to soften and the quinoa is cooked through.
  4. About 5 minutes before serving, add the fresh coriander and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Serve garnished with coriander.

Nutritionist Amy Wood (ANutr), MSci BSc Nutrition has a keen interest in the relationship between diet and health. Having been published in the European Journal of Nutrition, Amy is passionate about making evidence-based nutrition accessible to everyone and helping others to adopt a food-focused approach to taking control of their health.

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