The Table365 Feeding Your Family System has five steps to create a customizable plan for your family, and you can start saving time and money today by implementing any of them. One of the easiest ways to increase your efficiency is to create double batches of whatever you are cooking. Saving time and effort is accomplished when you cook once for two meals.
Because double-batch meals enable you to shop, cook, and clean once, but eat twice, we try to do it with as many meals and dishes as possible. It’s an easy equation for convenience and can be applied to any meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert. The only additional work for creating double batches is planning to purchase the extra food when shopping and freezing the second batch for later use. You can spend all day making a lot of meals and dishes to put away in the freezer, but it’s less time consuming to just double the batch of whatever you are making.
Some meals are easier than others to create in a double batch, and some meals are also ideal for freezing. A good resource for tested recipes especially appropriate to double-batch cooking is The Best Make-Ahead Recipe from the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated.
10 delicious double-batch dishes:
- Casseroles: lasagna, enchiladas, macaroni and cheese.
- Brunch dishes: quiche, strata, waffles.
- Breakfast: oatmeal, pancakes, muffins.
- Pot pies: chicken, turkey, vegetable.
- Sauces: marinara, masala, pesto.
- Meatloaf, meatballs.
- Soups, stews, and chilis.
- Bean dishes: BBQ beans, hummus, cooked beans.
- Baked goods: rolls, yeast breads, quick breads.
- Desserts: brownies, cookies, cookie dough.
Having a freezer stocked with entrees, sides, and snacks is a relief. Now when you need a last-minute meal, plans don’t work out, or you have unexpected company, you are ready with healthy, quality food.
Cheers!
