6 min read · updated September 1, 2026
Batch cooking for beginners: cook two hours, eat all week
Batch cooking without the rows of plastic containers from Instagram. Three recipes that reheat well and a realistic method.
What batch cooking isn't
It's not twelve identical meal-prep containers. It's cooking one base in quantity (a curry, a soup, a pot of rice) and spinning it across several days.
The recipes that work for it
What reheats well: stews, legumes, tomato sauces, soups. What reheats badly: pasta already sauced, eggs, anything that has to stay crispy.
- Coconut red lentil curry: 4 portions, freezes.
- Roasted tomato soup: 4 bowls, better the next day.
- Orzo salad: 4 portions, eaten cold until Wednesday.
How Mezze helps
Pick three recipes from your cookbook, set portions to 4 or 6, and the grocery list adds up. The planner shows which day you eat what, and reminds you that Monday's curry is also Wednesday's.