Do you batch cook for the freezer.

[Nanto2girls]

I make my own meat pies, such as steak and onion,steak and mushroom,mince and onion, corned beef and onion and chicken/chicken and ham.I like to trim every bit of fat off the meat,cos I'm fussy, and always buy reduced fat mince and tins of extra lean corned beef, and I cook the meat in my slow cooker. Like to make a few pies at a time for the freezer.When I make a casserole I fill the slow cooker so I will have some left to freeze.Also make cottage pies,did 2 yesterday. Another meal I make to freeze is corned beef, sliced onions and sliced potatoes, hubby usually asks if we have any of this in the freezer, he loves it.

Eldest granddaughter always says she loves my meat pies, because you can eat it, without having to worry about any fat being in there.

[ZIZI]

Not really batch cook but if I am doing spag bol or chilli or a pasta dish I will cook a little more and put in the freezer. I do buy a bit more meat than I need and vacuum and then freeze so that one week in every four or five I do not need to drive the seven miles to the butcher and seven miles back and then we eat out of the freezer. Well I don't mean to sit in front of the freezer with a knife and fork. You all know what I mean.......

[Plantaholic]

I do a bit of batch cooking, especially now I am on my own but my slow cooker is a bit big for me now.

[Gemini]

Similar to Zizi, I don't specifically batch cook but try to cook enough to freeze at least one extra portion of what I am making. Mostly it is shepherds pies, chicken casseroles, Bolognese sauce, or fruit crumbles or pies. It doesn't take much longer to cook 2 than 1, and I am always glad to go to the freezer and take out a home made 'ready meal'

[Nanto2girls]

I do crumbles and fruit pies for the freezer as well.

[Qwerty]

I do a bit as we are both fussy about fat on meat I buy lean mince steak for cottage pies chilli etc. I like my pies with a pastry bottom so don't tend to freeze them in case I get a soggy bottom, does anyone freeze their bottoms so to speak

[Plantaholic]

Oh you must not have a soggy bottom or I will nip along and report you to Mary

[Elisi]

I freeze my bottom in this ***** country for about 10 months of the year We are lucky to get 2 months of summer if that! May as well live in Norway or Sweden.

I used to do all this freezing stuff when I was less busy (ha ha ha) and had a full time job, a child to rear, a husband to look after (stat) a house to clean and washing to hang out, and shopping to do.....yes I did all that and now I cannot be fussed when there is only two of us and I buy for us to eat as the days go by and find if you are not feeding a family, it is pointless. Also I can buy all the things I used to freeze in packets of lovely ready measl with no chemicals or preservatives from M&S and Waitrose, so after many many years of "doing it all" I don't want to do it anymore

[Nanto2girls]

I don't like a soggy bottom on my pies either Qwerty.On my oven I can use bottom and top elements separately.So, I cook my pies on the bottom of the oven,with just bottom element on, for about 10 minutes.Then I put the oven on as normal(both elements) put the pie on a baking sheet on the oven shelf.
Never had a soggy bottom yet (touch wood).

[Daisy]

Wow! What an industrious, organised lot of Grannies you are! I try and have a cottage pie in the freezer for emergencies. It's my go-to dish for unexpected visitors, but then if they are unexpected they usually need feeding in less time than the cottage pie would take so it doesn't work very well! I'd love to have a freezer full of Nanto's yummy pies - with or without soggy bottoms. I do bung left over portions in the freezer but usually forget about them!

Nanto - that sounds like a very clever oven. Mine is gas, so whatever temperature I put it on it's only approximate and the top is always quite a bit hotter than the bottom - but that's handy if I want to cook say a shepherd's pie and a rice pudding at the same time.

[ZIZI]

I am a rubbish pastry maker so I use frozen sheets, so if I do a pie I get the frozen cooked meat and pastry out to thaw and cook the pie having assembled it separately.

I have to admit Daisy that I am a little bit anal about the freezer as I label everything and make a spreadsheet of what is in which basket and blue tac it on the inside of the cupboard. I update it every two or three weeks mmmm yes that is a job for the weekend. I get really mad with husband when he just wraps something in cling film and chucks it in the freezer any old how.

[Plantaholic]

I should think so too. I bet he does it deliberately to upset you Zizi.

[Mimi]

Not as much as I used to, not only would I make extra shepherds pie, casseroles etc, I would double up on making scones , crumbles , rock cakes etc. Even raw sliced rhubarb . Now it's mostly things like pasta sauce, gravy (I always make far too much of that ) and even apple sauce . Opened tubes of tomato purée freeze well in an ice cube container.

[herriotfan]

I do a batch of cottage pies, chilli, spag bol and stuffed pepper mix to freeze.

Zizi, I have been known to nip to the freezer, fling open the door and stand in the cool air. Sometimes I could happily eat from the freezer if the flushes are really bad!!

[Avo]

I freeze the extra 'portions' of spag bol etc like you other ladies but don't make things specially to freeze. I also freeze our home grown fruit and veg. Whenever a neighbour has a pigeon or rabbit or hare he's shot I freeze that too