Batch Cooking for the Week: Save Time, Eat Better, Stress Less
It is Wednesday at 6:30 PM. The day has been long, dinner needs to happen soon, and you open the fridge to see exactly what you hoped for: containers filled with meals prepared a few days earlier. No stress, no last-minute improvisation, no guilt. Just heat, serve, and breathe.
That is the quiet power of batch cooking. A small block of preparation that transforms the entire week.
And with the Thermomix® TM7™, the whole process becomes smoother. Chopping, simmering, steaming, stirring, blending, slow cooking: everything happens in one place, with precise temperature control and minimal cleanup.
Batch cooking is not about perfection. It is about giving yourself a calmer week and making good food the easiest possible choice.
A Small Routine That Changes the Whole Week
1. Dinner becomes effortless
When meals are ready in advance, evenings feel lighter. Instead of rushing to think about what to cook, everything is already portioned and balanced. Weeknights stop feeling like a race.
2. Eating well becomes the default
A fridge stocked with soups, grains, vegetables, stews, and sauces naturally pushes healthier choices to the front. Nutritious meals become the path of least resistance.
3. Time stretches further
Batch cooking replaces five separate weeknight cooking sessions with one focused moment. While the TM7™ simmers or steams, there is time to wash produce, organize containers, or simply take a breath. Efficiency, without the pressure.
4. Food waste drops
Planning ahead means ingredients get used. Vegetables, proteins, and herbs are cooked intentionally, not forgotten at the back of a drawer.
A Moment That Many People Recognize
Sunday afternoons used to feel scrambled for many households: rushing to prepare something, anything, before the week began. With a bit of structure and the TM7™, those same three hours now produce a dozen meals that carry families through Wednesday and Thursday with surprising ease.
Midweek dinners shift from stressful to automatic.
How to Batch Cook With the Thermomix® TM7™
Batch cooking can sound like a lot of planning, but it is simpler than it seems. Most people end up following a pattern that works every time. With the Thermomix® TM7™, you can cook multiple components in one session and turn them into an easy week of mix-and-match meals.
1. Choose 2 mains, 2 sides, and 1 sauce
A balanced week may look like this:
Mains
- Lentil and vegetable stew
- Teriyaki chicken thighs
Sides
- Herb-infused quinoa
- Steamed seasonal vegetables
Sauce
- Lemon-garlic yogurt dressing
These components create 10 to 12 mix-and-match meals with very little repetition.
2. Begin with the slowest recipes
Soups, chilis, curries, and slow-cooked dishes go first. Once the TM7™ starts simmering, the rest of the prep flows naturally.
3. Layer the cooking with the Varoma
This is where batch cooking becomes surprisingly efficient:
- Stew or sauce in the mixing bowl
- Grains in the simmering basket
- Vegetables in the Varoma
- Proteins on the Varoma tray
One session produces multiple components.
4. Prepare a big-batch sauce
A good sauce turns simple ingredients and jar salads for lunch into exciting meals. Popular options for the week include:
- Maple-mustard dressing
- Roasted red pepper purée
- Basil pistou
- Creamy yogurt-tahini sauce
Store in a jar and use as needed.
5. Portion, label, and store
Keep two or three meals in the fridge and freeze the rest. Labels help keep things organized and avoid guessing games when reheating.
Batch Cooking Inspirations From Cookidoo®
These ideas work especially well for large batches and store beautifully:
• Big-Batch Soups
Hearty minestrone that improves after two days, split pea soup that freezes perfectly, or chicken noodle that tastes like weekend comfort food.
• Protein Prep
Shredded chicken that goes from Varoma to tender in forty minutes. Maple teriyaki salmon that actually absorbs flavor. Pulled pork that turns Monday into something that feels like Sunday dinner.
Cook once and use these proteins in bowls, wraps, sandwiches, or salads.
• Versatile Grains
Brown rice, quinoa, or barley prepared in large quantities to build lunches and dinners all week.
• Vegetable Blends
Steamed broccoli and carrots, roasted root vegetables, or sautéed mushrooms and spinach.
These mix easily into bowls or pasta and add colour and nutrients.
Tips for Better Batch Cooking
- Plan two to three hours and keep expectations realistic
- Choose dishes that reheat well, such as stews, curries, and grain bowls
- Keep sauces separate to maintain textures
- Label everything with dates
- Use the TM7™ cleaning mode between recipes to stay efficient
Reality Check
The first session might take longer than expected. A container might not get labeled. A dish might turn out better than planned, another might feel a bit simple. This is normal. By the third week, most people develop their rhythm, their favourite recipes, and a system that fits their household.
The True Advantage
Batch cooking lightens the week. Evenings become calmer. Healthy meals become automatic. And the fridge finally answers the question “what is for dinner” before anyone even asks.
With the Thermomix® TM7™, this routine becomes a habit that lasts. Simple planning, better food, and a week that feels easier from the moment it begins.