Batch Cooking for Busy Moms
Get Your Time Back and Keep Your Family Well-Fed
Hey mama, I see you! Between work, school, sports, and ALL the things, finding time to cook can feel impossible. But there’s a kitchen hack you aren’t using - batch cooking!
Batch cooking means making meals in bulk, so you're not scrambling at dinner or grabbing takeout. Let’s go over how you can batch cook like a pro and keep your family well-fed, even when things get cray during the week.
Step 1: Start Simple
Don’t overthink it! Grab your phone or a notepad, and pick 2-3 meals your family actually enjoys. You know, the ones that don’t end with, “This is disgusting.” Keep it basic, like a soup, a casserole, a roast, or large quantities of your favorite protein. These meals are easy to make in bulk and can be stretched into multiple meals.
Step 2: Use Real, Nourishing Food
Stick with real food - fresh veggies, grass-fed meats, whole grains, and healthy fats. You’ll feel great knowing that even on the busiest nights, you’re feeding your family nourishing, homemade meals. Read more about whole foods here.
Here’s a simple example: roast 2 whole chickens on Sunday. That gives you chicken for dinner and leftovers for chicken salad, sandwiches, or tacos during the week. Plus, save the bones to make homemade broth for soups.
Step 3: Cook in Bulk and Store Like a Pro
When you’re batch cooking, you want to double or triple recipes. Cook once, eat all week. Set aside a couple of hours, cook in big batches, and store the food in your fridge or freezer.
Pro tip: Purchase quality storage containers, like glass containers, silicone freezer trays and reusable silicone bags. Label them with the date and name so you don’t end up with mystery meals later on.
Step 4: Don’t Forget the Snacks
Snacks save lives—especially when your kiddos are “starving” but mealtime is still a bit away. Spend a few extra minutes prepping healthy snacks while you’re at it, and you’ll be ready when hunger strikes.
Some easy snack ideas:
Hard-boiled eggs
Veggie sticks with hummus
Jerky
Fresh-cut fruit with nut butter
Having these ready-to-go snacks means fewer meltdowns and healthier choices all around!
Step 5: Mix It Up
No one likes eating the same thing every day, so switch it up! You can bulk cook a protein like my example below but then you can switch up the veggies or add a wrap to mix it up. Get the kids involved in picking recipes, and they might actually be excited about dinner.
Where’s the beef?
Get started with batch-cooking using our family favorite ground beef skillet. It’s a delicious and versatile recipe that you can stretch out for several meals without it feeling repetitive or boring.
Batch-Cooked Ground Beef Skillet
Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef (grass-fed if possible)
3 bell peppers, chopped
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, chopped
1.5 cans diced tomatoes (21 oz total)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1.5 teaspoons paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter or ghee
Instructions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter or ghee.
Once melted, add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft.
Add the ground beef and brown it, breaking it up as it cooks.
Stir in the chopped bell peppers, zucchini, and diced tomatoes.
Add the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together and simmer for 10 minutes until the veggies are tender.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
Note: Adjust the quantity based on your family size. For our family of five, 3 pounds works well!
Ways to Use It:
Serve over rice or quinoa for dinner.
Wrap in lettuce or tortillas for tacos.
Add to scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast (one of our favorites way to make a savory breakfast).
Spoon over a baked potato for a quick meal.
With this simple recipe and these batch-cooking tips, you’ll have more time and less stress while keeping your family well-fed with nourishing, homemade food. Give it a try and watch how much easier mealtime can become. You deserve to enjoy the delicious, stress-free dinners you create for your family—happy cooking, mama!