The Best Batch Cooking Recipes for Fall

September 13, 2022

Aimee

by Aimee

A practical round-up of family favourite recipes that are all make-ahead dishes. These best batch cooking recipes for fall are all freezer-friendly.

The door had barely closed on my kiddos, off to their first day of school, before I reached for a notebook and started a list of batch cooking and baking. As I shared in my last post, I’m serious about getting back to routine.

Batch cooking is essentially making multiples of a dish or baked good that can be frozen and reheated later. It’s a huge time saver and a very practical way to feed a family.

Today I’m sharing that notebook list with you all. You’re sure to find a new favourite family recipe in the round-up!

The Best Batch Cooking Recipes for Fall

From breakfast baking to quick chicken dinners, here are the recipes on my list for batch cooking over the next few months.

Oh and hey, I break down batch cooking at length in my “How to Get Organized for Dinner” series. It’s worth a review, as I explain how I really make it work for our family of five.

Breakfast & Brunch

Jump start your busy weekday mornings with a bowl of pre-made granola or warm muffins, reheated from the freezer.

Mix-and-Match Granola Recipe || Simple Bites

Mix & Match Granola – Homemade granola is probably the No.1 best breakfast item to batch cook and freeze. A pack of well-sealed granola stays fresh in the dry, cold freezer for up to 3 months. If left in a jar at room temperature, it should be eaten before a weeks time. This Pumpkin Spice Granola is also delicious!
Vanilla Cream Scones – This recipe makes a batch of 2 dozen. Freeze them raw and bake from frozen, or bake and then freeze. Both yield great results. For something more festive in late fall, bake Cranberry Orange Scones.
Maple Sausage Patties – Great for breakfast, brunch or power snack. You can freeze these raw or cooked.

Oatmeal Spice Muffins and variations
Simple Chia Pudding – Not to be frozen, but will keep for 5 days in thee fridge. I make a triple batch, portion it out into individual jars for a quick breakfast or lunchbox snack.

MORE:
Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal
Squash & Parmesan Crustless Mini Quiches – pictured above
Honey Whole Wheat Bagels
Homemade Waffle Mix

Soups & Stews

Is there anything better than knowing you simply have to reheat a homemade soup and dinner is done? Here are the seasonal soups that freeze the best, making them the best batch cooking recipes for fall.

Hearty Sausage Vegetable Soup (leave out the pasta to freeze)
Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup – The absolute BEST!
Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup – Slow cooker recipe
Harvest Corn Chowder – For me, I really like corn…it’s CORN..!
Big Batch Chicken Noodle Soup – Comfort food 101
Harvest Tortilla Soup – Freeze soup ‘base’ recipe, without toppings

Vegetarian Main Dishes

Lentils, beans, pasta – many vegetarian dinners freeze extremely well. Here are five dinners we love to reheat on a chilly fall evening.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili – Keep this one on rotation all winter long!
Ricotta and Red Lentil Lasagne – Don’t knock it until you try it.
Root Vegetable Pot Pie – A Thanksgiving favourite.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese – Always an easy way to get the kiddos to eat their vegetables.
Roast Vegetable Skillet Lasagne – Perfect for using up farm fresh produce.

Best Batch Cooking Recipes for Fall: Main Dish

We all have our favourite freezer meals like lasagne or chicken pot pie, but these dinners are a little different. So many of my kid’s most requested meals are on this list!

Beef

Chicken & Turkey

Butter Chicken & Chickpeas
Sweet & Sour Turkey Meatballs (Slow-Cooker)
Ginger Chicken Meatballs

Lamb

Pork

Carnitas: braised pork with cumin and orange juice – the best taco filling!
Classic Tourtiere (Quebec Pork Pie)

Seafood

One-Pot Shrimp and Pea Orzo – my recipe featured over on Parents Canada.
Tuna Cheddar Lunchbox Bites – Gluten-free high protein ‘bites’ that freeze very well. Great for lunches, healthy snacks or quick suppers!

Side Dishes to Batch Cook and Freeze

Batch Cooking Grains and how to freeze them! I add pre-cooked to everything from citrus salads to quick stir-fried dinners. I love having them on hand.
Deluxe Mac & Cheese – Life is best when we have a homemade mac & cheese stash in the freezer.
Garlic Oregano Bolillo Buns – All bread freezes well and these crusty rolls are great for rounding out a soup meal or for Mexican Molletes.

The Best Batch Cooking Recipes for Fall: Lunchbox Treats

On rainy days, Clara and I love to met up in the kitchen to make power bites and other treats. This activity provides calming together time and tops up the freezer with healthy snacks for the lunchbox. These are some of our favourites featuring fall ingredients like beets, pumpkin and zucchini.