3 easy batch-cooking recipes to help you start 2026 on the right foot

January often feels like an ongoing clash between noble intentions and the realities of everyday life. We want to eat nourishing meals packed with fresh veg and vitamins – we really do. But when the days are so cold and dark, our motivation to cook from scratch every night can waver. It’s just so much more tempting to curl up on the sofa with soup from a carton or a piece of salmon with microwave rice.

This is where batch cooking really comes into its own. A little time spent in the kitchen over a January weekend can buy you a week or more of healthy, comforting meals that are ready when you are. Plus, with budgets often tighter after December’s excesses, batch cooking is an excellent way of saving both money and mental energy.

Enter Katie Marshall’s new cookbook Foolproof Batch Cooking. It’s packed with simple, forgiving dishes created with budgets and ease in mind, from freezer fillers to roasting pan dinners. Below, Marshall shares three recipes that will bring some warmth into January, whether you make or reheat for lunch or dinner. 

First up is a sweet potato and spinach dhal. Pictured above, it’s a big, soothing pan of lentils gently spiced with curry leaves, cumin and coriander. Not only is it packed with vegetables and plant protein, it has the most important quality of all great batch-cook recipes: actually improving over time.

Next, Marshall’s chicken with chorizo and tomatoes offers a one-pot solution for busy weeks. The smoky richness of chorizo means a little goes a long way, while tomatoes and crème fraîche create a sauce that feels indulgent yet balanced. It’s versatile, too – equally at home with rice or crusty bread, or spooned over a baked potato.

Finally, there’s the humble baked bean, reimagined. You might not have considered batch-cooking your own beans, but trust us – this hearty, deeply savoury recipe will earn a regular rotation in your freezer. A brilliant building block for quick lunches and suppers.

Each of these recipes delivers warmth and flavour without relying on expensive ingredients or complicated techniques, making them ideal for January cooking. Cook once and eat well all week – we call that good going for the first month of the year. 

High in both protein and comfort, a big pan of dhal is super easy to whip up en masse. With a subtle blend of spices and the additional sweetness of the sweet potato, this freezes excellently but also lasts well in the fridge (perhaps needing a little loosening with some extra water). It’s a great side for a piece of chicken or in a spread with a few other Indian-inspired dishes.

Put a large pan over a medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened.

Add the garlic, spices, curry leaves and green chillies and fry for another 30 seconds before adding in the lentils, coconut milk, water and the sweet potatoes.

Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir through the spinach until wilted.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper, if required, then serve either on its own or with rice, scattered with the coriander.

Spiced by the delicious, fragrant chorizo, this chicken dish ticks so many boxes. Creamy, sweet and with richness and acidity from the tomatoes, it’s a great one-pot dish that will keep you going throughout the week. Serve with bread or rice, or even try in a baked potato.

Put a large casserole dish or saucepan over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, followed by the onions. Cook for 7–8 minutes until softened and starting to turn sticky, then add the garlic and sweet smoked paprika and cook for a minute more.

Remove to a plate, then increase the heat and add the chorizo with 2 more tablespoons of sun-dried tomato oil. Fry for 5-6 minutes, until the chorizo is golden and releasing its juices. Set the chorizo and onions aside on a plate.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning regularly, until browned. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes, before adding the chicken stock and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

Return the chorizo and onions to the pan, then bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 more minutes, then stir through the crème fraîche and basil.

Season, then serve with crusty bread or rice.

Everyone needs to have a recipe for homemade baked beans up their sleeve! It’s a speedy batch cook and much more wholesome and hearty than just pinging open a can. Whipping up a big pan of it and then freezing as portions means you’ll always have a secret stash to load up a baked potato or pile on top of toast.

Add the oil to a large casserole dish or non-stick saucepan and fry the chopped onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes, drained beans, vinegar and sugar then season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beans have softened.

Serve piled into a buttery baked potato, onto toast or in a bowl with a hunk of bread – either topped with freshly grated parmesan.

Foolproof Batch Cooking: 60 Simple Meals to Save You Money, Time and Effort by Katie Marshall (Quadrille, £14) is out now

Photography: © Rita Platts