batch cook
Batch cook freezer meals UK (Sunday cook, whole week sorted)
Batch cooking on a Sunday is the single best thing you can do for a busy week. Two hours in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon, four family meals in the freezer, and weeknight cooking becomes a 5-minute reheat job.
This plan is built around four big freezer-friendly mains: bolognese, cottage pie, chilli and a curry. The shopping is consolidated (you'll see the same onion and tomato base across all four), so the cost stays well under sixty quid.
Total weekly shop: £45 to £50
the plan
A week of meals
-
Sunday
Cook day: 4 meals in 2 hours
Bolognese, cottage pie, chilli and a curry, all going at once. Music on, kettle on, kids parked with snacks.
-
Monday
Bolognese with pasta
Reheat one portion of bolognese, boil pasta, dinner in 12 minutes.
-
Tuesday
Cottage pie
Twenty minutes in the oven from the freezer, plus some peas and gravy.
-
Wednesday
Chilli con carne with rice
Reheat one portion of chilli, microwave rice, grate some cheese on top.
-
Thursday
Chicken curry with naan
Reheat the curry, warm naan in the toaster, done in 8 minutes.
-
Friday
Freezer night: jacket spuds
Four spuds in the oven, beans, cheese. A non-cooking night you've earned.
-
Saturday
Pizza night
Frozen pizzas (or a fresh one if you fancy splashing out). Saturday is for the sofa.
the trolley
Your shopping list
Grouped by aisle so you walk the shop once. Prices reflect a typical UK supermarket basic range.
Meat & fish
- Beef mince 1.5kg (bolognese, cottage pie, chilli) £9.60
- Diced chicken 500g (curry) £3.80
Fresh fruit & veg
- Onions 2kg £1.80
- Garlic 3-bulb £0.59
- Carrots 1kg £0.65
- Potatoes 2kg (cottage pie topping) £1.80
- Frozen peas 1kg £1.40
Cupboard staples
- Chopped tomatoes 6 tins £2.70
- Kidney beans 2 tins £1.10
- Pasta 1kg £1.10
- Long-grain rice 1kg £2.20
- Beef stock cubes £0.70
- Curry paste £1.80
- Tomato puree £0.60
- Worcestershire sauce £1.30
- Chilli powder £0.65
- Cumin £0.85
- Coconut milk 1 tin £1.20
Dairy & eggs
- Cheddar 500g £3.80
- Butter 250g £1.80
- Milk 4 pints £1.95
Bakery
- Naan bread 4 £1.30
Frozen
- Frozen pizza x2 £4.00
- Oven chips 1kg £1.80
Prices are guides and may vary by store and region.
good to know
A few tips
-
1
Buy mince in bulk on Sunday morning. 1.5kg of mince split across three dishes works out cheaper than three separate 500g packs.
-
2
Label the bags. Date, dish, how-to-reheat. Future-you will appreciate it on a stressful Wednesday.
-
3
Anything tomato-based freezes brilliantly. Cottage pie tops fresh mash that's frozen flat — re-mash with a splash of milk on the night.
-
4
Don't freeze rice or potatoes already cooked in the dish. Cook those fresh on the night.
your own plan
Want a plan built for your family?
These ready-made plans are a great starting point. For a plan that fits your exact budget, your dietary needs and the kids' fussy bits, make your own in about five minutes.
No card needed. Cancel any time.