Your First Batch Cook: Step by Step

Your First Batch Cook in 6 Steps

Your first batch cook doesn't need to be complicated. Pick one recipe, follow these steps, and you'll have multiple meals ready in the freezer. Here's exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Pick Your Recipe

For your first batch cook, choose something forgiving. Stews, chili, and rice dishes are perfect because they're hard to mess up and freeze beautifully. Avoid delicate dishes with crispy textures for your first time.

Browse our recipes and look for ones tagged as "Hardgainer" — these are designed for high-protein, large-batch cooking.

Step 2: Plan Your Quantities

Our recipes show the total cooked weight. Decide how many portions you want and check if you need to scale up. A typical meal prep session produces 4–8 portions of a single recipe.

Use our portion calculator on each recipe page — slide to your desired portion size and it'll show you exactly how many bags you'll get.

Step 3: Mise en Place

Before you turn on the stove, prepare everything. Chop all vegetables, measure all spices, open all cans. This is called "mise en place" and it's the #1 thing that separates a stressful cooking session from an enjoyable one.

Our recipes have a dedicated "Mise en Place" section that tells you exactly what to prepare beforehand.

Step 4: Cook

Follow the recipe. The beauty of batch cooking is that it's the same effort whether you cook for 2 or 8 — you just need a bigger pot.

Step 5: Cool Down

This is where patience pays off. Let your food cool to room temperature before portioning. Hot food creates condensation in bags which leads to freezer burn and ice crystals.

Speed up cooling by spreading the food in a wide, shallow container. Don't put hot pots in the fridge — they'll warm up everything else.

Step 6: Portion, Seal, Label, Freeze

Weigh your total batch, divide into portions. Fill your bags, vacuum seal (or press out air), label with date and contents, and lay flat in the freezer. Once frozen solid, you can stack them vertically like books.

Common First-Timer Mistakes

• Cooking too many different recipes. Start with 1–2 recipes max. You can always expand next time.
• Not letting food cool completely. This causes freezer burn. Be patient.
• Skipping labels. You will regret this in 3 weeks when everything looks the same.
• Overfilling bags. Leave some space — food expands when frozen. Fill bags about 80% full.

That's it! Your first batch cook is done. Next up: learn how to properly thaw and reheat your frozen meals.