Sarah Atkinson
Writer and expert3 years ago
While we’re all starting to gear up for the change in weather, it's time to turn to batch cooking, a trend with continues to help us get through our week. Whether it's batch cooking for yourself because you don't want to spend your time cooking every evening whipping up a 5-star meal or whether you have a fair few mouths to feed and want to make something that will last a little longer it's easy to lack inspiration. But when the drive to put your chef’s hat on hits, batch cooking something to keep for later is a great way of making sure you have great homemade and healthy food, even when you can feel the local takeaway calling your name. Helping you cook more effectively with a whole host of delicious, wholesome meals, we’ve paired up with Le Creuset to share our favourite batch cooking recipes. All of these batch cooking recipes will make 4-6 servings, perfect for feeding the family, and will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days as well as being freezer friendly. Let's get cooking! 
A fragrant one-pot chicken recipe inspired by Moroccan flavours, this casserole is an easy and warming midweek meal. Served with potatoes or rice depending on your mood it's a delicious recipe you will want to cook again. Preparation time: under 30 mins Cooking time: under 1 hour
#1 Saffron and Honey Chicken Casserole with Orange & Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
- 30ml (2 Tbsps) olive oil
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1kg chicken pieces (thighs and legs)
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4cm piece of ginger (1 Tbsp), grated
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) all-purpose flour
- 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
- 1 red chilli, whole, cut lengthways
- Peel of 1 orange
- 200ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
- A pinch of saffron steep in 30ml hot water
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) honey
- 300g baby carrots
- 400g tin chickpeas, rinse and drained
- 50g almond flakes, toasted
- Fresh coriander, to finish
Method
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Le Creuset 30cm Signature Buffet Casserole. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and sauté the onion until softened about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute. Scatter over the flour and mix to coat the onions. Slowly pour in the stock, constantly stirring until the sauce thickens. Add the chilli, orange peel and juice, lemon juice, saffron water, and honey.
- Return the chicken to the pan, along with any resting juices. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook for a further 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the chicken cooked through. Add the chickpeas and heat through, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- To crisp, the chicken skin, place it under the grill for several minutes. Finish with almond flakes and fresh coriander.
#2 Spicy Indian Chicken Tikka Masala with Trinidadian Doubles
Ingredients
Doubles (Flatbread) 350g flour2 tablespoons turmeric1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon dried active yeast250ml warm water
Tikka Masala
1.4kg chicken breasts1 tablespoon tikka masala powder2 teaspoons turmeric2 teaspoons chilli powder2 teaspoons coriander2 teaspoons cumin2 teaspoons minced garlic2 teaspoons black pepper2 teaspoons salt250g plain yoghurt1 tablespoon vegetable oil Juice 1 lemon1 medium white onion, diced 1 medium red onion, diced 3 tomatoes, diced 2 bay leaves2 chilli peppers1 cup water50g fresh coriander Vegetable oil (enough for deep frying)Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C / Fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6- Cut the chicken breasts into medium sized cubes, then season with half of the salt, black pepper, minced garlic, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, masala powder and yoghurt. Mix together well and then marinate over night in the fridge for best results.
- Prepare the doubles by adding the flour to a large mixing bowl with the turmeric, salt and dried active yeast then mix together.
- Gradually add warm water to the flour and knead until it forms a large dough ball. (The dough should be soft and sticky, so add more water or flour until it is right). Then cover with cling film and let it sit for one hour at room temperature or until doubled in size.
- Add the vegetable oil to a pan. Place over a medium heat, and then add the onions and the remaining half of the minced garlic and sauté until soft. Add the rest of the turmeric, chilli powder, coriander, masala powder and add the 2 bay leaves and cook until brown. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook until you make a thick paste.
- Add the marinated chicken breast to the pan with the other half of the yoghurt and mix into the sauce then put the lid on the pan and cook until the meat is almost tender, making sure you stir occasionally.
- Garnish with fresh coriander and set aside.
- Finish by making the doubles, add a little vegetable oil to the risen dough and then break off the dough and roll into small balls. Carefully flatten the balls to form a medium circle shape. This will produce 8-10 medium sized doubles flatbreads.
- Add some vegetable oil to a deep fat fryer or a casserole and heat to around 180˚C and fry for 30 seconds. Once done place the doubles on a paper towel to drain.
- Serve the chicken tikka on top of the doubles and enjoy.
#3 Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
500g pasta150g chorizo, diced1 white onion, diced150g sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped 50g butter4 heaped tablespoons plain flour 1l milk 100g mature cheddar, grated200g smoked cheddar, grated50g fresh breadcrumbsMethod
Preheat oven to 200˚C/ Fan 180 ˚C/ Gas Mark 6- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Place your pan medium heat and add the chorizo. Fry for 4-5 minutes until the chorizo has released its oils and turned crispy. Spoon out 1/3 of the chorizo into a bowl and set aside for later.
- Add the onion to the remaining chorizo and fry for a further 4-5 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Stir through the tomatoes and remove from the heat.
- In a clean saucepan, over a low to medium heat, melt the butter before sprinkling in the flour. Stirring continuously to ensure the flour does not burn, cook for 1 minute before gradually adding the milk. At this stage, you might want to swap the spoon for a silicone whisk to remove any lumps. Keep slowly stirring, adding the milk until you have used up all the milk and have a smooth glossy sauce.
- Add the grated cheese to the sauce, stirring through to melt thoroughly. At this stage, the sauce will start to thicken although still a little loose, but the pasta will soon absorb it. Season to taste.
- Add the cooked pasta to the chorizo pan and stir all the ingredients together. Pour over the cheese sauce to coat all the pasta. Set aside whilst you make the crumb.
- Place the reserved chorizo in a blender along with the breadcrumbs and blitz until a crumb consistency is achieved. Pour the pasta into an oven dish and sprinkle the topping over the pasta before placing in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 2-3 minutes. Finish with a sprinkling of roughly chopped parsley if you're feeling fancy, and enjoy.
#4 Vegetable Sausage Ratatouille
Ingredients
12 good-quality sausagesOil, for frying1 large onion, roughly diced1 large garlic clove, crushed Sea salt 2 large carrots, roughly chopped2 peppers, roughly chopped2 small courgettes, roughly chopped150g chestnut mushrooms1 tablespoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons sun-dried tomato purée 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 tins of chopped tomatoes, approximately 800g in total Sea salt and cracked black pepperMethod
- Place a pan over medium heat on the hob. Prick the sausages and place in the pan along with a dash of oil. Brown the sausages for 2 to 3 minutes. Set the sausages aside on a plate until later.
- Add a little more oil to the pan and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes until starting to soften and caramelise. Add the garlic along with a generous pinch of salt and continue to fry for a further minute.
- Add the carrots, peppers, courgettes and mushrooms to the pan and continue to fry gently over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes before adding the paprika. Fry for a further minute stirring to ensure the spice doesn’t burn. Then add the tomato purée, herbs and balsamic vinegar.
- Tip in the tomatoes along with another 2½ cans of water and bring the pan up to a boil. Return the sausages to the pan, lower the heat and allow it to gently simmer for 40 to 45 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste and serve.
Sarah Atkinson
Writer and expert
