Sunday Batch Cooking Routine

17 items · Cooking · Medium difficulty · 2 hours

Prep, cook, portion, and store a week's worth of meals in one 2-hour session.

• Plan weekly menu

  Choose 3–5 dinners plus lunches using overlapping ingredients.

• Check pantry and fridge for staples

  Note what you already have to avoid duplicates on the list.

• Create a master shopping list from the plan

  Group items by aisle and note quantities per recipe.

• Shop and organize ingredients on return

  Place ingredients by dish on the counter for streamlined prep.

• Prep mise en place: wash, chop, and marinate

  Prepare all ingredients before cooking to speed the workflow.

• Start long-cooking dishes first

  Begin roasts, braises, beans, or grains that need 1+ hours.

• Stagger oven and stovetop schedule to overlap batches

  Plan oven temps and stovetop timing so nothing sits idle.

• Start oven batches with similar temperatures

  Group dishes by temp or increase temp for the shorter bake.

• Use multiple burners and lids to multitask on the stove

  Match pot size to burner and cover to speed simmering.

• Portion into shallow, meal-sized containers while hot

  Use single-meal portions and leave headspace for freezing.

• Let portions cool to near room temperature within 2 hours before sealing

  Leave uncovered for 20–30 min, then refrigerate to finish cooling.

• Choose appropriate containers (freezer-safe, microwave-safe, size)

  Prefer shallow containers for faster cooling and glass for reheating.

• Flash-freeze single portions flat, then stack to save space

  Freeze uncovered 1–2 hours on a tray, then transfer to labeled containers.

• Label each container with contents, date, and reheating instructions

  Include oven/microwave temps and times for quick reheating.

• Allocate fridge vs freezer based on use-by

  Keep meals for 3–4 days in fridge; freeze others (best quality ~3 months).

• Test-reheat one portion and adjust seasoning and time

  Tweak salt, acid, or cook time before labeling the batch.

• Clean and sanitize work surfaces, cookware, and utensils

  Wash dishes promptly and wipe counters to prevent cross-contamination.

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