Yes, you CAN batch cook with a tiny freezer.

This is probably THE MOST popular ‘excuse’ I hear when I ask why batch cooking isn’t a thing.

The reason I say ‘excuse’ and not excuse, is because I know, and I am absolutely certain that this excuse is not one that is made consciously.

More often that not, when we are unsure, scared, or confused about something, our mind’s instinctive reaction is to come up with a million and one excuses on why we should not be doing whatever it is (in this case – batch cooking).

We won’t get into the WHY you are making excuses today, which is a whole other topic altogether, but instead, we’re going to tackle this issue. Not only that, but we’ll also be tackling a whole lot of other ‘excuses’ down the line.

When I started to batch cook, I myself did not have a large freezer. So do keep in mind that I’m not preaching here, but I’m teaching my ways 🙂

Here is how you can batch cook with a tiny freezer

1. Prep ’em before you freeze ’em dinners

There are quite a few recipes which you can cook right out as soon as you buy the ingredients, and then freeze the finished recipe rather than the main ingredient. Think pasta sauces and marinated meats. Such recipes literally take minutes to prepare (especially if you’ve got a slow cooker; in the case of the pasta sauces).

2. Remove bulky packaging

A lot of foods come packed in bulky packaging, which when once removed, take up a lot less space

3. You can batch cook for 2 days, and not have to freeze

Who said you need to freeze every single thing? Use your fridge mama! 🙂

4. In addition, you can batch prep ingredients

If you have ingredients weighed, measured, washed, chopped…cooking will take up very little of your time.

5. Fill your freezer wisely

Now, if you meal plan, you won’t need to fill your freezer with food which you’re not sure you’re eating. 90% of the stuff in your freezer should be food which you are consuming (with a plan) within the next few days.
Did you know I can help you meal plan? I send out what we’re eating once a week on a Friday in my weekly email, together with links, so deciding what to cook isn’t a chore any longer. Click here to subscribe (I’ll also throw in my PDF medicine cabinet organisation guide for free!)

6. Use freezer bags

They take up LOTS less place than other freezer container options. The ziplock type is my favourite.

7. Keep stock of what’s inside

Once you’re freezing meals, it’s important to keep a running list of what’s inside. Out of sight, out of mind.

8. …and keep it tidy

That means being diligent with stacking, keeping it clean and free of frost.

Before I say goodbye I want to tell you a little story.

Recently I uploaded an Instagram story of a photo of one of the drawers of my tiny freezer. I asked how many meals were inside my freezer, and out of about 50 replies – only 2 guessed! I had 10 meals inside that ONE drawer. Yes! 10 meals!

So, if your tiny freezer is your ‘excuse’, you’ve got to move on!

What’s your ‘excuse’ for not batch cooking? Comment below and I’ll dive into the topic another time!

Nakita xxx

PS: Join me for my Facebook live on Wednesday. It’s a quick one packed with tips on how to freeze using freezer bags. Place and time – the Mama Manual Facebook page at 4:30pm, GMT +2. See you there!