You’ve got a slow cooker humming in the corner, an oven that pulls its weight, and a week that won’t slow down for anyone. Food prices bite. Time slips. The green guilt of half-wilted veg in the drawer is real. Here’s how to plan a weekly batch-cook using only those two workhorses — and throw away almost nothing — without living like a meal-prep robot.
On the counter: onions, carrots, a sack of potatoes, two tins of tomatoes, a jar of chickpeas, a chicken’s worth of bones from last night, and that half cabbage you swore you’d use on Wednesday. The slow cooker made that small, confident thud when the lid settled, like it knew something you didn’t.
I watched a neighbour text the street WhatsApp: “Anyone want spare roast carrots?” Five minutes later, they were gone, swapped for apples. It felt oddly communal, like the village was stitched together by Tupperware and trust. The trick wasn’t the recipes.
Set the rhythm: two anchors, endless meals
The cleanest way to plan a week with just an oven and slow cooker is to build around two “anchors”. One pot simmers into a base that can go in five directions. One oven session fills trays with roastable things that behave well later. When those two anchors are strong, the rest of the week falls into place.
There’s also the smell test. A slow-cooked tomato-lentil “mother sauce” turns a Tuesday into a tiny holiday. Roasted veg turn into work lunches you’re actually happy to open. You can feel the week changing course while you scrub the chopping board.
In the UK, households throw away around 4.5 million tonnes of edible food each year, a chunk of which is leftovers we mean to eat and don’t. That’s roughly £60 a month for the average family, binned. Batch-cooking narrows choice, which sounds boring until you realise choice fatigue is the real recipe killer. You consolidate energy use into one oven blast, one long slow cook, many quick assemblies. The maths helps, but so does the calm.
Your Sunday game plan
Start with a list built around weights and volumes, not vague hopes. Think: 1kg onions, 1kg potatoes, 1 large squash or 3 peppers, 2 tins tomatoes, 400g lentils or chickpeas, a tray of mushrooms, a lemon, a head of garlic. Pick a slow-cooker “mother pot” (tomato-lentil base, or a chicken bone broth), and an oven “roast matrix” (two trays: one veg, one protein or sturdy tofu). Put the slow cooker on Low for 6–8 hours; set the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). You’re cooking for the week, not the day.
Timeline: 30 minutes prep at the start — chop onions, dice roots chunky, salt generously. Slide two trays in for 35–45 minutes, swapping shelves halfway. While the oven does its thing, your slow cooker quietly builds depth. Cool everything quickly on racks, then portion into containers you actually like. Label with painter’s tape and a pen. Future you will silently applaud present you.
Use that base five ways. Tomato-lentil becomes: Monday pasta bake, Tuesday stuffed peppers, Wednesday spiced shakshuka, Thursday soup with roasted carrots, Friday cottage pie topping with mash. Bone broth becomes risotto stock, noodle bowls, gravy stretcher, freezer cubes for sauces. Call them **anchor pots**. They save decisions you didn’t need to make.
What to cook, what to save, what to flip
Make one “mother pot” that behaves like a wardrobe staple. Tomato-lentil base: soften 3 diced onions in the slow cooker on High with a splash of oil, add 4 garlic cloves, 2 tins tomatoes, 250g red lentils, 1 litre water, 2 tsp smoked paprika, a bay leaf, salt. Switch to Low, 6 hours. Stir at the end with a knob of butter or olive oil. Pepper it. That’s it: a week’s worth of backbone.
In the oven, try a rainbow tray: peppers, carrots, squash, mushrooms, courgette, tossed with oil, salt, cumin, chilli flakes, lemon zest. Next to it, a protein tray: chicken thighs, or tofu cubes pressed and coated in soy, maple and sesame. Roast at 200°C (180°C fan) for 40 minutes, turning once. Keep it chunky. Chunky roasts reheat better, hold shape, and feel like real food on day four.
We’ve all had that moment when you open the fridge and everything looks tired. This is where zero waste shows its teeth. Save clean veg peelings, herb stalks, and parmesan rinds in a freezer bag for stock. Blitz roast leftovers into a quick soup with the mother pot and a mug of water. Turn stale bread into pangrattato, fried in olive oil with garlic, to crown a traybake. One pan, one pot, five quiet wins.
“Batch-cooking isn’t about perfection. It’s about designing your week so the food you want to eat is the easiest food to reach.”
- Keep an **Eat-me-first box** at eye level in the fridge.
- Label and date. Use painter’s tape so it peels clean.
- Freeze flat in bags for fast thawing.
- Roast the last of soft veg, then fold into omelettes.
- Save aquafaba from chickpeas for meringues or mayo.
- Grate citrus zest before juicing; freeze in a jar.
Common mistakes, gentle fixes
Overcrowding trays makes everything steam. Give chunks a bit of elbow room. Cut veg in uniform sizes so they’re done together. Salt in layers — a pinch on the tray, a pinch in the pot — rather than a big wallop at the end. Hot trays like hot ovens; slide them back in if you forgot the spice and need 3 more minutes to wake it up.
Cooling too slowly is another trap. Spread cooked food in shallow containers to drop the temperature, then lid and chill within two hours. Keep raw and cooked zones separate while you’re in the flow. Let’s be honest: nobody does this every single day. The trick is to do it once, properly, and ride the wave.
Container chaos? Pick a family of tubs that stack. Dedicate one shelf to grab-and-go. *A tidy fridge is a kind fridge.* Build a small ritual: Friday “audit” for 4 minutes before the big shop. Toss the limp herbs into a pesto with nuts, oil, and lemon. Stir yogurt with leftover roast garlic for a fast sauce. Batch-cooking is a choreography, not a prison. The moves get easier when the steps are fewer and the music is yours.
Zero waste that actually sticks
What changes a habit isn’t shame — it’s friction. Reduce the friction. Put the slow cooker where you can reach it without a hunt. Keep the traybake tins on the same shelf, lined with reusable silicone if that helps you start. Build a “scraps” bag in the freezer door and call it “liquid gold” so you remember what it becomes. It sounds silly. It works.
Flip leftovers into something that feels new. Roast veg plus the mother pot plus stock equals minestrone. Lentil base plus coconut milk, ginger and a squeeze of lime becomes a gentle curry. Leftover mash becomes bubble and squeak with those last greens. Breadcrumbs turn a Tuesday bake into dinner with crunch. Share excess with a neighbour if you’ve overcooked; trading is the oldest zero-waste hack on earth.
On energy, consolidate. If the oven’s on for the big roast, slide in a tray of halved tomatoes for slow-roasting on the lower rack. When the oven’s off, leave the door open a crack to share the warmth with your kitchen. Use the slow cooker overnight when tariffs are lower if your plan allows. Two machines, one rhythm, many meals — that’s the bargain. Use it and breathe.
Keep the door open
Planning a week with just a slow cooker and an oven turns into something bigger than “food for five days”. It’s a way to head off decision fatigue, a way to trim the bills without living on beige. It gives your future self the gift of done. The leftover anxiety quietens. The bin is lighter. The fridge becomes a map, not a graveyard.
Ask anyone who lives like this and they’ll say the same thing: start small, repeat, then repeat again. Cook once, portion twice, eat five times. Treat scraps like assets. Swap with someone nearby. That’s how habits become culture, one label, one tray, one pot at a time. What would your anchors be this week?
| Key points | Detail | Reader Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Two anchors rule | One slow-cooker “mother pot” and one oven roast session feed five meals | Simple structure reduces stress and waste |
| Scraps are ingredients | Freeze peelings for stock, make pangrattato, blitz tired veg into soup | Turns guilt into clever, tasty wins |
| Energy-smart cooking | Run the oven once, layer trays, use slow cooker on Low overnight | Lower bills, warmer kitchen, fewer pots to wash |
FAQ :
- Can I do this without meat?Absolutely. Use a tomato-lentil or bean “mother pot”, roast mushrooms for umami, and add tahini or toasted nuts for richness. A tray of spiced cauliflower can carry a week of bowls.
- How long do cooked dishes keep in the fridge?Most cooked components are happy for 3–4 days chilled in sealed containers. Cool within two hours, keep a top shelf “eat-me-first” box, and freeze portions you won’t reach in time.
- What slow cooker size should I use?For two to four people, 3.5 litres is the sweet spot. Families of four to six will appreciate a 6.5-litre pot, leaving room for batch sauces and broths.
- How do I reheat safely without drying food out?Add a splash of water or stock, cover, and warm gently in the oven at 160°C or on the hob until piping hot. Microwaves are fine for portions; stir halfway.
- I don’t have freezer space — is batch still worth it?Yes. Focus on three-day cycles, cook smaller but more focused batches, and share or swap extras. Rotate an **eat once, repurpose once** rhythm rather than deep freezing.
