Eat more, cook less: batch cooking recipes for budget dinners

Looking for interesting and flavourful recipes to batch-cook? Batch cooking meals will save you time and stress, so they're perfect for when you need dinner, fast. Its also a great way to save money, because you only have to turn the oven on once.

All of the dinner ideas shared below freeze well, so you can freeze portions for speedy meals as and when you want them. Pick your favourite from aubergine parmigiana, spiced meatball stew, Mexican-style pulled chicken chilli and more.

Just getting started? See our batch cooking for beginners guide to learn more tips and tricks. Next, take a look at our vegan batch cooking ideas for budget meat-free dinners.

Check out our batch cooking recipes for even more freezable recipes then cook from our collection of healthy batch cooking ideas.

This guide was brought to you by Cook Smart, a campaign designed by Good Food experts to help you save money and reduce food waste.

Dive into more Cook Smart content in our budget hub.

1. Pulled chicken & black bean chilli

Prepare for the week ahead by making a batch of Mexican-inspired pulled chicken and black bean chilli, which can be easily doubled and kept in the freezer. Serve with your choice of rice or tortilla wraps, along with coriander, feta, lime wedges and chopped red onion.

See more filling and family-friendly chilli recipes.

2. Coconut cashew & butternut squash curry

Batch cook this vegan squash and cashew nut curry and freeze for busy days when you need something quick and nutritious. It's perfect for a family meal and makes a solid gluten-free option, too. It can be frozen for up to one month – if you are freezing, just make sure to leave it to cool completely first. Serve with rice, naan and pickles, if you like.

See more nutritious vegan curry recipes.

3. One-pot prawn & lentil curry

Freeze the dhal base of this curry for busy weeknights. It's cheap, easy and really versatile – simply defrost and add prawns, veg or meat. Slice some green chillies and sprinkle over with a few coriander leaves, then scatter with pickled onions to serve. If you're freezing, make sure to leave the base sauce to cool completely, then tip into a freezerproof container, cover and freeze. The recipe makes four portions, so you can divide the sauce into four smaller containers if you like. Find out how to defrost and reheat.

See more of our warming prawn curry recipes.

4. Slow cooker chicken tikka masala

Dust off your slow cooker and get this chicken tikka masala cooking in the morning and you'll have dinner waiting for you when you get in. It's perfect for a cold winter evening, plus any leftovers can be frozen. If you don't own a slow cooker, you can cook this dish on the hob or in the oven instead.

See more low-hassle slow cooker recipes.

5. Aubergine parmigiana lasagne

Combine two Italian classics – parmigiana and lasagne – in this bubbling cheesy veggie bake. It's ideal for batch cooking as you can freeze it before or after baking, ready for when you need an indulgent veggie dinner. The cooked lasagne will keep frozen for up to three months, covered with foil.

See more impressive vegetarian lasagne recipes.

6. Sausage cassoulet

Use up those cans of beans knocking around in your cupboard with our hearty sausage cassoulet. This classic French sausage casserole is made in a slow cooker, so no sweating it out in the kitchen. We like to serve with chunks of fresh bread for soaking up all the sauce.

See more comforting and rustic French stews with our cassoulet recipes.

7. Spiced lamb meatball stew

Get your comforting batch-cooking fix with these spiced lamb meatballs, served with chickpeas and pomegranate seeds in a punchy harissa sauce. An easy midweek meal, the recipe uses shop-bought lamb meatballs, so there's less time in the kitchen. You can also freeze any leftovers for busy weekdays.

See more hearty stew recipes.

8. Slow cooker ratatouille

Make up a batch of this slow-cooked vegan ratatouille and freeze for easy midweek meals when you’re busy. Packed with nutrients, it also delivers four of your 5-a-day. When ready to serve, season, scatter over some extra basil, and serve with sourdough, if you like.

See more healthy vegan recipes.

9. One-pan coconut dhal

All you need is one pan to stir up this versatile, luxuriously creamy and fragrant vegan dhal before freezing it in portions or as one batch to reheat for another day. Combining red lentils and coconut milk, with hints of cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric and mustard seeds, this warming one-pot packs a flavour punch and is perfect for scooping with naan bread. It can also be used as a base to make other curries.

See more comforting dhal recipes.

10. Easy Spanish chicken

A classic, comforting stew, batch cook this Spanish-inspired dish made with chicken thighs nestled in a tomato and smoked paprika sauce with chorizo and butter beans. It's high in protein and dairy-free, too. If the chicken skin is taking a long time to crisp you can finish under a hot grill, if you like.

See our cheap high-protein meals and dairy-free recipes.

11. Roasted cauliflower & chicken curry

Looking for an easy dish to feed the family, with leftovers to spare? If that's a yes, this roasted cauliflower and chicken curry is a great choice. Using a whole cauliflower, it makes 6-8 servings – ideal for batch-cooking. Skip the takeaway this Friday and serve the family this curry with pilau rice, naan or poppadoms for a cosy, cost-effective meal.

See more crowd-pleasing chicken curry recipes.

12. Coconut & kale fish curry

Batch cook this simple kale, cod and king prawn curry and freeze in portions for busy weeknights. With a coconut milk base and spices, it's full of warming flavour. When you're ready to reheat your leftovers, make sure to defrost thoroughly then warm through in a pan for 10 mins or until piping hot.

Like these batch cooking recipes? Discover our other family dinner collections and guides:

Healthy family recipe collection
High-protein pasta recipes
The most popular vegan recipes
After-school dinner ideas
10 freezer essentials and recipe ideas