There are times that batch cooking sounds annoying to me, too.
And in those times, I rely on this tried and true way to get food prepped and cooked without feeling like I’m actually doing much.
It basically means I throw ingredients in a cooking vessel that I don’t need to pay much attention to, let said cooking vessel do it’s thing while I do mine, and when I come back to it, I have food that’s ready to eat!
Doesn’t get much easier than that!
Today, I’m breaking down how this has actually been working as part of my routine for about a year now. I’m including recipes and meal ideas so you can get started ASAP with very little planning.
This Passive Batch Cooking Routine makes it less difficult and a reality.
One of my clients just started this routine and has already commented on how much time she’s gotten back during her weeks because she’s not making full lunches and dinners each day- the food is all ready!
I make a slow cooker meal nearly every week. They are the epitome of easy and often require no prep. I like to find recipes that don’t require browning before putting things in the slow cooker- one too many pots to clean.
Often times I make a veggie and protein heavy soup, other times I use it to make a big batch of protein. Either direction you go, both will be really helpful for quick meals throughout the week.
Chicken Fajita Soup- I add beans, obvi.
Having cooked and ready to eat protein on hand is the secret weapon of healthy eating. Protein is so often the hurdle when people are thinking about what to eat for dinner. When the protein isn’t prepped or ready to eat, my clients find themselves relying on take-out.
Make a big roast in the slow cooker, whole or shredded chicken in the oven or Instant Pot, or a batch of pulled pork.
Since my slow cooker is being used for the Chicken Fajita Soup, I use my Instant Pot here to make shredded chicken or pulled pork or beef.
This isn’t a recipe per se, but it gets a lot of chicken cooked to juicy perfection quickly, and with virtually no effort.
It’s helpful to have a carb prepped and ready to eat throughout the week, and a carb that has a big dose of fiber obviously has my vote.
Once the Instant Pot has availability, I do a big batch of beans. If beans aren’t your thing (sad, you’re missing out on the best source of prebiotics/fiber!), making a batch of rice or quinoa in the Instant Pot is a great option. It cooks them to perfection!
I make grains with bone broth to add a bit of protein and yumminess, and add a piece of wakame or kombu (seaweed) to the pot for added nutrients and vitamins.
Ok, don’t have one, but just google the cooking times for the beans or grains and you should be set!
This isn’t so much passive, but if I have 10 minutes in the kitchen while everything is cooking, I use my time wisely by prepping the veggies for the week.
I usually have 3-6 different kinds of veggies each week that are exclusively for random meals.
At the beginning of the week, I try to envision future Kelsey and how she would want to consume them, knowing the other foods that are prepped.
In this example, I might want roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli with my chicken for dinner, so I’d chop them for that.
I might want to make a chicken salad mid-week so I’d chop my celery and parsley so it was ready to throw in a bowl with the chicken, mayo, dijon, etc.
And maybe I’ll want some mushrooms and kale sautéed in my eggs in the morning, so I’d wash and chop those for quick sautéing.
As I’m feeling busy throughout the week, or tired after a long day, washing and chopping vegetables and THEN cooking them can be too much, and I end up not using them. Having them prepped and ready to go takes so much off my plate and makes me so much more likely to use them.
Happy batching!
XO,
Kelsey