Quick dinner ideas to save time cooking

Getting organised on a Sunday with a big, beautiful batch-cooked meal will save you precious time during the busy working week. But don’t assume batch cooking means you’ll be eating the same dish again and again. Instead, embrace ‘next-overs’ – using one investment recipe to create an array of fresh new dishes. Try making a barbecue pork platter with our Slow Cooked Carolina Pork, which is slow cooked for hours so you don’t have to. The leftover shreddy, tender pork would be great in tacos with a zingy slaw, piled into sandwiches, tossed through noodles and veg, or added to tomato sauce for a quick and flavour-packed filling for jacket potatoes.

On nights when you've got a little more time, try a ‘cook once, eat twice’ dinner you can turn into something new the next day. These beef chilli burritos – fluffy wraps are stuffed with our Slow Cooked British Beef Chilli, handy pre-cooked Mexican rice and sweetcorn – make a great 'cook once, eat twice' recipe. Make double of the filling to use in tacos or nachos the next day. Want to bulk it up and get some more veggies in? Try adding a tin of cannellini beans or green lentils.

The freezer is a time-poor cook’s best friend. Keep the basis batch-cooked meals – like the filling for this unctuous beef stroganoff pie, made with our fall-apart-tender Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff and ready-made shortcrust pastry – on hand, and you’re never far away from a comforting, hearty dinner in less time. Make a double portion of things like dal, curries or bolognese, which will all freeze brilliantly for another day. Frozen veg, including our handy frozen mixes – are also super handy when you need a vibrant, fresh side and you’ve not had time to shop.

At the beginning of the week, create a ‘menu’ of all the dishes you’d like to try so you don't waste time deliberating. Don’t feel like you need to reinvent the wheel every week – mix tried-and-tested family-favourites you know how to cook by heart – things like fish pie and chilli con carne – with some new ideas. You can save your favourite recipes and add them to your own personalised meal plan online to keep everything in one place. And don’t be afraid to plan in a couple of ‘hands-off’ meals when you know you really will be too busy to cook – our Stir Fry Dine In is a great option in these cases.