Batch Cooking with an AGA: Save Time and Stock Your Freezer

 

Picture this… It’s a Tuesday evening, you’ve had a busy day at work, the kids are hungry, there’s a million jobs you need to tackle, and you look in the fridge and the only tempting thing in there is the block of cheddar cheese.

You don’t fancy a trip to the shops and there’s absolutely no way you can get another take away. A thought suddenly pops into your head – what about the lasagna in the freezer that you cooked a couple of weekends ago on a miserable Sunday afternoon!? Life saver!

If you want to save time and money, get healthy, organised and in control of your weekly meals, then batch cooking is your new best friend. Even better, you’ll be pleased to hear that batch cooking with an Aga cooker couldn’t be easier!

Tips for Batch Cooking in an Aga cooker

Batch cooking in an Aga cooker is a great way to use up ingredients and make sure you have enough food for meals throughout the week. You can use the Aga cookers multiple ovens to prepare meals and save yourself time in the future. The Aga cookers roasting oven, simmering oven, and hotplates are the perfect companion to prepare a variety of dishes. Follow these simple steps to be sure your batch cooking is a success:

• Plan ahead: Preparation is key! Make sure to write a list of meals for the week and ensure you have all the ingredients you need.
• Double recipes: Make double batches of meals and store half in the fridge or freezer ready to enjoy later.
• Use a variety of cookware: Use cast iron casserole dishes or a cast aluminum roaster.
• Take advantage of multiple cooker areas: Use the roasting oven for meat, the simmering oven for soups and stews, and the hotplates for cooking. Did you also know you can use your Aga cooker as a slow cooker?
• Freeze meals: Freeze batch-cooked meals in airtight containers ready to enjoy later.

Aga Cookers are Designed for Multitasking

Aga cookers offer multiple cooking zones, allowing you to prepare various elements of your meal simultaneously, making it easy to create balanced, nutritious meals.

The fact that you can cook multiple dishes at once with an Aga cooker can offer considerable time savings, making it the ideal cooker for those who love to multi-task or need to prepare meals for large families or occasions.

Maximising the use of all ovens and hotplate zones is also vital for efficient cooking. For instance, you can start a dish on the boiling plate before transferring it to the simmering oven to complete cooking. Or try out roasting meat in the roasting oven before resting in the simmering oven for perfectly tender results.

To use your Aga cooker to its full potential, you’ll need to get the hang of certain cooking techniques unique to Aga cooking.

Introducing the 80/20 Rule

When it comes to conventional cooking, the general rule of thumb is that 80% of cooking is done on the hob, and 20% in the oven. However, with an Aga cooker this is often reversed. Most things that you would simmer on a hob for longer periods can be cooked in the simmering oven of the Aga cooker instead, using its gentle heat.

These are things such as rice, root vegetables, porridge. Once you’ve mastered the 80/20 rule with your Aga cooker, you’ll never look back!

Understanding the Different Functions of your Aga Cooker

Mastering the Aga Cooker hotplates

Aga cooker hotplates allow for various cooking methods. The boiling plate provides intense heat for quick boiling, while the simmering plate ensures a gentler heat perfect for simmering stews or healthily frying food on Bake-o-Glide without the need for oil.

Perfecting Roasting and Baking in the Oven

The roasting oven in an Aga cooker is great for high-temperature cooking like roasting and baking. Understanding the heat zones within the oven will help you achieve the best results.

Remember, the oven’s top is hottest, while the bottom is cooler, which allows for different types of cooking simultaneously.

Don’t forget, you also have the plain shelf to use if you need to prevent food from browning on top.

Slow Cooking and Simmering

The simmering oven is ideal for slow cooking, from tender stews and casseroles to baking meringues. The key is to allow ample time for the food to cook gently, letting the flavours come together beautifully.

Easy Aga Cooker Batch Cooking Recipes

With an Aga cooker, batch cooking becomes effortless, saving you time, reducing food waste, and ensuring you always have a delicious homemade meal ready to go.

Once you get to grips with the many uses of your Aga cooker, you will be batch cooking everything! Try batch cooking one of our favorite dinners, then freezing the leftovers for a speedy midweek meal.

• Lasagna – A staple home cooked meal which always provides warmth, comfort and taste! We love Mary Berry’s Lasagna recipe for a hearty lasagna.
• Pie Base – When it comes to batch cooking, what better dish to find in your freezer than a delicious pie base which can be finished off with pastry or served with mash and veg as a healthier option. For this recipe, we follow BBC Good Food Chicken Pie recipe. To adapt this recipe to an Aga cooker, all you need to do is prepare your pie base mix on the simmering plate and then move it to the simmering oven. Remember: Any pie recipe will work for freezing!
• Aubergine Moussaka – The perfect meat free dish, ready to serve up at any occasion.

Batch Cooking isn’t Just for your Main Course

When it comes to batch cooking, it’s not just the main courses that you can prepare in advance. Make use of the multiple ovens an Aga cooker has to benefit you when batch cooking other dishes.

• Soups – A hearty homemade soup stored in the freezer is always a great option for batch cooking. Whether you have left over vegetables or if you have just harvested a fresh crop from your garden, why not turn them into a delicious soup to save for a rainy day. Start by bringing your pan to the boil on the boiling plate before transferring to the simmering plate.
• Pasta Sauce – Do you have an abundance of tomatoes in the fridge? Try popping them in a roasting tray in the roasting oven with some olive oil and seasoning. Once cooked, blend them in the food processor and pop in the freezer to gain flavour. Hint: Add a tablespoon of mascarpone for additional creaminess!
• Pudding – It’s always a great idea to have something sweet lined up! Our suggestion is an easy fruit crumble. Start by putting your fruit mixture in a roasting tin and cover with your crumble topping mix. Pop in your baking oven on the third set of runners, alternatively if your Aga cooker does not have a baking oven, put the tray on the third set of runners in the roasting oven and cook until golden brown.

Important reminder: Label up – make sure to label all the food you are cooking with what dish it is and the date you cooked it. That way there is no chance of forgetting what you have made and when you made it!

Time Saving Tips when it comes to Batch Cooking

• Using prechopped frozen veg is a fantastic way to save time and money
• Frozen herbs are another game changer for when you need added flavour

Best Way to Defrost your Meals

When it comes to defrosting your meals, it can be a good idea to follow our easy steps and make sure you are doing everything correctly.

There are three main ways to defrost your precooked meals:

1. Defrost in the fridge – this can be done overnight. Place the frozen meal on a plate or in a container to catch any liquid. Plan ahead as it can take a long time depending on the size of the meal.

2. Cold water method – faster than refrigerator thawing but requires attention. Put the frozen meal in a watertight bag and submerge it in cold water. Cook immediately after thawing.

3. Defrost setting on the microwave – useful if you need to defrost your meal quickly. Make sure to cook immediately.

Ready to Make Mealtimes Easier? Explore our wide range of reconditioned Aga cookers today and find the perfect fit for your lifestyle!