Batch cooking means cooking a large quantity of food in one go — usually several portions or even several meals — then portioning it up to store in the fridge or freezer for later. Instead of cooking from scratch every night, you cook once and eat from your stash for days or weeks.
The terms overlap and are often used interchangeably, but there's a subtle difference. Batch cooking usually means making big quantities of dishes (often to freeze) to draw on over time. Meal prep typically means preparing specific meals or components ahead for the days just coming up (like portioning lunches for the week). Both are about doing the cooking effort in advance.
Choose dishes that freeze well (stews, curries, soups, bolognese), cook in bulk, portion, and label everything with the contents and date. Always follow food safety advice for cooling, freezing and reheating. Our free batch cooking planner and beginner's guide help you start.