Cooking in Bulk: Main Meal Standbys

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We might have a reduced stomach capacity, but we can still be busy people who, now and again, don’t have the time or inclination to cook a main meal. We could turn to frozen meals from the supermarket (see  Eating In with Next to No Cooking ) but I find homemade meals much more satisfying and economical.

Of course, there are an infinite number of dishes suitable for cooking in bulk and freezing, so the following are just a few recipes for dishes I enjoy and that are easy to cook and store in small portions. I freeze them in 300ml plastic containers. Once reheated they can be served on rice, macaroni, mashed potatoes or instant noodles.

You could also just use the following recipes as guidelines for adapting and freezing your own favourite recipes.  

Canned tuna is not only tasty and convenient, it offers all the extra health benefits of fish. You’ll find tuna available in a wide range of price points, but for this recipe an economical brand will be fine. I prefer tuna in oil, but you can, of course, use tuna in spring water or brine and add olive or canola oil where required. If you prefer, you can substitute canned pink salmon, just watch out for bones.

Most of these recipes call for minced meat. The usual option would be minced beef, preferable quite lean. However, I have found that they also work well with minced turkey.

The Savoury Sausages recipe can be used with any sausage of your choice, though I must admit, I wouldn’t use gourmet sausages. Alternatively, you could also use rissoles or meatballs, again, made with any meat of your choice.

For vegetarians, I’ve included a hearty Bean and Tomato Stew. You’ll also find a range of recipes suitable for vegetarians in the Cooking in Bulk: Soups and Vegetable Medleys collection.

You’ll find that in some of these recipes, for the purposes of ease and convenience, I’ve used commercially available recipe base sachets. Those available in Australia come in approx. 30gm portions. You may have to make adjustments depending on the products available in your local supermarket, or make up your own seasoning.

Where the recipes specify Parmesan cheese, you can, of course, use freshly grated or shredded Parmesan, but I find that the finely grated Parmesan cheese that you can find on the supermarket shelf quite adequate.

When you do feel like making a single-serve meat or fish-based meal, go to the entry One Pot Main Courses and follow the links.

 

Recipes:

Creamy Tuna Sauce

Bolognaise Sauce

Chilli Con Carne

Beef Chow Mein

Savoury Mince

Savoury Sausages

Bean and Tomato Stew

 

Creamy Tuna Sauce

  • 1 x 425gm can tuna in oil
  • 1 x 400gm can creamed corn
  • 1 x 420gm can peas, drained
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion, sliced)
  • 100gm grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • ½ tsp pepper 
  • ¼ cup skim milk powder (optional)

 

  1. Drain oil from tuna into a 5 litre saucepan
  2. Turn out tuna onto a plate and flake thoroughly
  3. Sauté onion with spices
  4. Add creamed corn, drained peas and tuna and heat through
  5. Add 1 cup water and bring to the boil
  6. Stir in skim milk powder (optional)
  7. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often
  8. Remove from heat and gradually stir through Parmesan cheese
  9. Allow to cool, spoon into 300ml containers and freeze (makes approx. 6–8 serves)

 

Bolognaise Sauce

  • 500gm lean minced beef (or turkey)
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion, sliced)
  • 1 cup red capsicum, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, grated
  • 2 x 400gm cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 100gm grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic 
  • ½ tsp. each basil, oregano and parsley
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • Olive or canola oil

 

  1. Liquidise diced tomatoes 
  2. In a 5 litre saucepan, sauté onion with garlic and pepper 
  3. Add capsicum and sauté followed by mushrooms and then carrot
  4. Add minced meat and sauté until browned
  5. Add tomato mixture with tomato paste and herbs  
  6. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes stirring occasionally (adding some water if necessary)
  7. Remove from heat and gradually stir through Parmesan cheese
  8. Allow to cool, spoon into 300ml containers and freeze (makes approx. 6–8 serves)
Variations: 
  • for an extra protein boost, liquidise a 400gm can of red kidney beans and add at Step 5
  • for a vegetarian alternative, add puréed beans as above and omit minced meat

 

Chilli Con Carne

  • 500gm minced lean beef (or turkey)
  • 1 x 400gm can red kidney beans
  • 1 x 400gm can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion, sliced)
  • 1 medium red capsicum, chopped
  • 1 small carrot, grated
  • 1 sachet Chilli Con Carne recipe base
  • Canola oil

 

  1. In a 5 litre saucepan, sauté onion in canola oil
  2. Add meat and sauté until browned
  3. Add capsicum and sauté until wilted
  4. Add carrot and sauté
  5. Add beans with the water and sauté until heated through
  6. Add diced tomatoes with recipe base and bring to the boil
  7. Add ½ cup water and simmer covered for 20 minutes
  8. Stir thoroughly before allowing to cool
  9. Spoon into 300ml containers and freeze (makes approx. 6–8 serves)
Variation: for a vegetarian alternative omit, the minced meat and substitute a second can of beans

 

Beef Chow Mein

  • 500gm lean minced beef (or turkey)
  • 400gm coleslaw mix (or ¼ cabbage, shredded and 1 carrot, grated)
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion, sliced)
  • 1 sachet Beef Chow Mein recipe base
  • Canola oil

 

  1. In a 5 litre saucepan, sauté onion in canola oil
  2. Add meat and sauté until browned
  3. Add recipe base with 1 cup water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes
  4. Add vegetables and stir through
  5. Add an additional ½ cup water and simmer for a further 10 minutes, adding more water as needed
  6. Stir thoroughly before allowing to cool.
  7. Spoon into 300ml containers and freeze (makes approx. 6–8 serves)

Savoury Mince

  • 500gm lean minced beef (or turkey)
  • 500gm frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion, sliced)
  • 2 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ tsp. each pepper, paprika, oregano and parsley
  • 1 tbsp. cornflour
  • ¼ cup skim milk powder (optional)
  • Olive or canola oil


  1. In a 5 litre saucepan, sauté onion with garlic, pepper and paprika
  2. Add mixed vegetables and sauté to heat through
  3. Add minced meat and sauté until browned
  4. Add 1 cup boiling water with tomato paste, soy sauce, oregano and parsley
  5. Sprinkle with cornflour and stir through
  6. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
  7. Stir through skim milk powder (optional)
  8. Stir thoroughly before allowing to cool
  9. Spoon into 300ml containers and freeze (makes approx. 6–8 serves)


Savoury Sausages

  • 500–700gm beef, pork or chicken sausages
  • 1 x 400gm can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion chopped)
  • 2 cups mushrooms, carrots and/or red capsicum, sliced (or alternative vegetables as suggested on recipe base sachet)
  • Olive or canola oil
  • 1 sachet recipe base of your choice that requires tomato paste or sauce (e.g. Beef Goulash, Devilled Sausages, Chicken Cacciatore)

 

  1. Brown sausages in a 5 litre saucepan, remove and cut in half (if long)
  2. Add oil to pan and sauté onion, followed by sliced vegetables
  3. Add diced tomatoes with 1 cup water, stir in recipe base and bring to the boil
  4. Return sausages to pan and simmer covered for 15–20 minutes stirring occasionally and adding a little more water if necessary
  5. Allow to cool, place two half sausages into 300ml containers, cover with sauce and freeze

Variation: substitute meatballs or rissoles for sausages.


Bean and Tomato Stew

  • 1 x 400gm can red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 x 400gm can chickpeas, drained
  • 1 x 400gm can diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chopped onion (or 1 large onion, sliced)
  • 1 medium red capsicum, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable stock
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tsp. paprika or 1 tsp. chilli
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • Olive or canola oil

 

  1. In a 5 litre saucepan, sauté onion with garlic and spices
  2. Add capsicum and carrot and sauté until beginning to wilt
  3. Add beans and chickpeas and sauté to heat through
  4. Add diced tomatoes with tomato paste, vegetable stock and basil and bring to the boil
  5. Simmer until tender (approx. 30 minutes) adding more water as required
  6. Stir thoroughly before allowing to cool
  7. Spoon into 300ml containers and freeze (makes approx. 6–8 serves)


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