We’ve all felt the frustration of not having enough time (or energy) to cook. So when we do get those bursts, why not channel them into big-batch recipes that can be stretched for several meals, ready to pull out of the fridge or freezer?
Baked pasta dishes like lasagna and macaroni and cheese are a good place to start; dumplings, meatballs, chicken cutlets, and fish fillets are also easy to portion. Here are our pro tips for cooking and scaling to your needs with batch cooking recipes.
01of 35
Alain Ducasse's Gougères
This gougères recipe is a wonderful make-ahead hors d'oeuvre option: A soft dough that gets piped out and baked into crisp, airy pockets of cheesy delight. Simply stash the baked puffs in the freezer, then reheat in the oven when you're ready to serve.
Get the Recipe
02of 35
Beef-and-Fonio Meatballs with Sweet Potato Stew
Fonio, a West African staple grain, keeps these meatballs tender while imparting a mildly nutty, earthy flavor.They can be formed and frozen up to 1 month ahead. Simply scale the recipe as needed and thaw before cooking.
Get the Recipe
03of 35
Sweet Plum Focaccia
With a delicate and airy crumb, this focaccia is the perfect showcase for ripe plums, which caramelize in the oven as the focaccia bakes. The focaccia can be frozen in a zip-close bag for up to one month and reheated in a 400°F oven.
Get the Recipe
04of 35
Lalo's Cacahuate Beans with Pico De Gallo
Mexico City chef Eduardo "Lalo" Garcia's slow-cooked beans are super-soft and complex with concentrated flavor, freshness, and crunch. The recipe yields four main-course bowls worth or eight side dishes that can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
05of 35
Smoked Mozzarella Mezzelune with Braised Onion Sauce
This crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli is filled with rosemary and smoked mozzarella and frozen for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
06of 35
Carla Hall's Buttermilk Biscuits
Made with a combination of grated cold butter for flavor and vegetable shortening for tenderness, Carla Hall's biscuits owe their towering, flaky layers to her classic laminating technique. The unbaked biscuits can be frozen in a resealable freezer bag for up to two months.
Get the Recipe
07of 35
Sweet Potato Cheesecake Empanadas
Puerto Rico and the American South intersect deliciously in this dessert empanada, which combines the flavors of marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole with spiced pumpkin cheesecake. The empanada wrappers can be filled and frozen for up to two months before frying.
Get the Recipe
08of 35
Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter
This iconic sauce from Italian cooking expert Marcella Hazan is good in any season and can be made in one pan with minimal cleanup. The ingredients are widely accessible and the recipe can be doubled to feed a crowd.The finished sauce can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
09of 35
Two-Bite Parmesan Biscuits
These biscuits are baked on a bed of grated Parmesan cheese, resulting in a crispy, cheesy crust around the bottoms.The dough can be prepped and frozen for up to three months, making these an easy addition to a bread basket or for sandwiching a holiday ham.
Get the Recipe
10of 35
Easy Ravioli
Use your choice of cheese or meat filling to prepare square, half-moon, or sun-shaped stuffed pasta. Uncooked ravioli can be frozen for up to one month before cooking in batches in boiling, salted water for about three minutes each.
Get the Recipe
11of 35
Brown Butter and Dark Chocolate Rye Cookies
Dark rye flour adds an extra layer of earthiness to these crumbly dark chocolate cookies. The dough logs can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to two months for slice-and-bake cookies as needed.
Get the Recipe
12of 35
Chipotle-Cranberry-Glazed Turkey Meatballs
Chipotle pepper and honey give this cranberry sauce gentle notes of heat and sweetness, and the meatballs are well-seasoned with cumin, ancho chile powder, and smoked paprika, so that every bite is full of flavor.
The sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to six months. The cooked meatballs may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
13of 35
Thousand-Layer Duck Fat Potatoes
Chef Shaun Searley's gorgeous layered potatoes from The Quality Chop House in London come out fluffy on the inside and impossibly crisp on the outside. The portioned potatoes can be stored in the freezer for up to a month before frying.
Get the Recipe
14of 35
Soup Joumou
This Haitian stew of beef, vegetable, and squash is commonly eaten on January 1 to signify the anniversary of freedom from French Colonial rule in 1804.Nadege Fleurimond's recipe yields 5 quarts, and the aromatic flavor base Epis can be frozen for up to a month to use as a marinade or to swirl into soups, stews, or sauces.
Get the Recipe
15of 35
Cinnamon-Sugar Churros with Cajeta
Churros require a relatively stiff batter to help them hold their ridged shape, leaving plenty of nooks for cinnamon-sugar.Claudette Zepeda's recipe can be piped and frozen for up to a month before frying.
Get the Recipe
16of 35
Make-Ahead Smoky Madeira Gravy
A concentrated smoked turkey stock serves as the base of this gravy, which keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days and freezes beautifully for up to two months.
Get the Recipe
17of 35
Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Hand Pies
Lightly mashed sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, tangy sour cream, and aged cheddar make up the creamy-cheesy filling in these savory hand pies that taste like Thanksgiving. The hand pies can be prepared and frozen before baking for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
18of 35
Sister Pie All-Butter Pie Dough
This versatile, all-butter pie dough has a delicate flake from higher-fat European-style butter. Developed by Sister Pie owner Lisa Ludwinski, it can be refrigerated for up to three days and frozen for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
19of 35
Swiss Army Stew
Everything goes into one pot; a few hours later a meal ideal for the depths of winter emerges with flavor and satisfaction. Leftovers can be refrigerated but resist freezing as it will compromise the texture of the potatoes.
Get the Recipe
20of 35
Venison Meatballs
Cookbook author Hank Shaw likes to use ground venison for his British take on co*cktail meatballs. He seasons them with warming spices and herbs and leavens them with ground oats — a Scottish variation that makes them gluten-free.These can be frozen before baking for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
21of 35
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Not only is this a great recipe for utilizing leftover chicken, it yields eight servings that can be refrigerated for up to two days.
Get the Recipe
22of 35
Smoky Simmered Beans with Sofrito
Sofrito, a base of sauteed aromatics from Puerto Rican cuisine, can be used for soups, stews, and other bean dishes.It can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
23of 35
Potato and Poblano Taquitos
Potatoes, chiles, and mushrooms fill these irresistible taquitos, which are easy to make for a crowd and can be frozen for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
24of 35
Chocolate Pretzel Crinkle Cookies
This version of chocolate crinkle cookies is not only gluten-free but also perfectly salty-sweet with the best-ever chewy center. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days and in the freezer for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
25of 35
Corn Tortillas
Hot Bread Kitchen's richly flavorful tortillas made with masa from freshly ground blue or white corn can be frozen for up to one month before cooking.
Get the Recipe
26of 35
Classic Chicken Stock
Chef André Soltner's basic chicken stock is perfect for making sauces, gravies, braises and soups.This scalable recipe makes 3 quarts that can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
27of 35
Parker House Rolls
Chef Alex Guarnaschelli's fluffy, buttery rolls have a homey quality. This recipe makes a big batch, and the unbaked rolls freeze well for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
28of 35
Slow Cooker Beef Goulash
Grace Parisi's slow cooker recipe for this warming eastern European short rib stew is best served in deep bowls over buttery noodles. The recipe yields eight servings that can be refrigerated for up to five days or frozen for up to three months.
Get the Recipe
29of 35
Ube Buns
These vibrant purple buns from PogiBoyin Washington, D.C., are soft and bouncy with a tight, fluffy crumb, making them a great base for a burger. They can be frozen for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
30of 35
Four-Chile Chili
This chili can be refrigerated for up to four days and frozen for up to two months. Serve it in bowls, topped with a generous sprinkling of cilantro, and pass the sour cream at the table.
Get the Recipe
31of 35
Beet Gnocchi with Walnut-Sage Butter
2012 F&W Best New Chef Jenn Louis found these intense beet gnocchi in northwestern Italy. They are sweet and earthy and so delicious, they barely need a sauce. The gnocchi can be shaped and frozen for up to one month before cooking.
Get the Recipe
32of 35
Apple Pie Bars
America's iconic dessert is reinvented as a bar with a nutty, streusel-like topping and a crisp, buttery shortbread crust. Apple pie bars can be frozen for up to one month.
Get the Recipe
33of 35
Mac and Cheese Bites
To make these crispy macaroni and cheese hors d'oeuvres for any gathering, prepare 35 and freeze overnight before breading and frying.
Get the Recipe
34of 35
German Lentil Soup
Lydie Marshall's recipe yields 4 quarts of this hearty lentil soup with lamb, potatoes, and vegetables. It can be refrigerated for up to three days.
Get the Recipe
35of 35
Chocolate Chip and Banana Muffins
Like banana bread, these especially moist chocolate chip muffins from former F&W editor Grace Parisi are a great way to use up overripe bananas. They can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month.
Get the Recipe