We’re big fans of batch cooking in our house. With both of us working and a little one to look after, having a freezer full of ‘easy’, ready-to-go meals that we can dip into a couple of times week helps to make life run more smoothly.

As long as we remember to grab a couple of portions out of the freezer the night before to defrost in the fridge, dinner is super simple. All we need to do when we get home is heat up the portions, cook some carbs to accompany the meal and hey presto, you’ve got a tasty, healthy dinner on the table in 15 minutes.

It also works really well for us because I’m a vegetarian, so I’ll make my own version of whatever we’re batch cooking and then we just decide what we fancy serving with the meal on the day.

My husband’s approach to batch cooking is that it’s worth investing the time and focusing on flavour, since you’ll be eating that meal for weeks (maybe even months) to come. This recipe results in 12 portions, so it’s perfect for filling your freezer, feeding a large family, or serving to friends and family at a party.

So, get your Tupperware ready and get cooking!


Ingredients:
2tbsp cooking oil
750g beef mince
750g pork mince
1 pack smoked streaky bacon
3 large white onions
3 large carrots
3 sticks of celery
4 cloves of garlic
2 tins baked beans
2 tins red kidney beans
2 tins black beans
2 tins chopped tomatoes
Half tube tomato purée
Generous dash of Worcestershire sauce
75g dark chocolate
Beef stock cube
Dried chilli flakes
Smoked paprika
Mixed herbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Add the oil to a large stock pan and put on the hob at a medium heat. Brown the beef and pork mince.

2. While the meat is browning, finely chop the onions, carrots and celery, or blitz them in a food processor.

3. Once browned, transfer the meat to the slow cooker and turn on to high.

4. Finely dice the smoked streaky bacon and fry in the pan until all the fat has rendered out.

5. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 10 minutes until softened.

6. Finely chop the garlic, add to the pan and cook for five more minutes, then transfer to the mixture to the slow cooker.

7. Add all the beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, dark chocolate, beef stock cube, dried chilli flakes, smoked paprika, mixed herbs and salt and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir well.

8. Cook on a high heat for four hours.

9. Taste and season as necessary.

10. Cook for a further two hours or until the chilli has developed a rich, dark brown colour. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water. If it’s too thin, thicken with cornflour.

11. Serve with rice or garlic bread.

12. Divide up the remaining portions and allow to cool fully before freezing.