Leftover cooked curry can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, or frozen for up to two months. Big potatoes don’t do so well in a dump bag (but aren’t too bad if you chop them small in a casserole). Pasta, watery veg like courgettes should be avoided and some dairy based liquids as they can curdle. Fast fry steak – you can try using another cut of beef, just make sure it’s cut thinly so it cooks the same. While slow cooking takes many hours, it requires only a small amount of preparation time earlier in the day. Plus, cooking meat, vegetables and sauce all in one pot – like these recipes below – significantly cuts down on the washing up. How to defrost a dump bag

This will save you space in the freezer and will mean it’s thinner. This will speed up the defrosting time. I started to research how I could ensure we had a hearty meal each night. And it turns out that ‘dump bags’ are a popular way for families to ensure they’re prepared for the week ahead. The concept was new to me, but it turns out that there are are numerous Facebook groups dedicated to them. One has over 16,000 members that have collectively contributed hundreds of dump bag ideas, containing all sorts of ingredients. I get the hype, these bags are good and when it comes to eating well in the week, for me and my family, dump bags are the answer. Turn off the heat, stir through the lemon or lime juice (if using) and serve with basmati rice, naan or roti, yoghurt and some steamed greens. The term ‘dump bag’ isn’t particularly appealing, but it describes the concept well. The idea is that you get a large freezer bag and dump in everything that you’d usually put into a slow cooker to make a meal. It’s a frozen pouch of food that just needs defrosting and reheating. A slow cooker dump, if you will. Do dump recipes vary? Do this with a few different recipes then you have a big variety of options to choose from – you may even be able to throw your meal plan out the window.You know I am a HUGE fan of slow cooker recipes that can be just popped straight into the slow cooker with NO browning first, but what if we prepped these in advance too for convenience that’s on another level? If I hadn’t invested in the sturdy bags above, these are the bags I would be buying and then laying flat in the freezer. For the onion and spice mix (halve the ingredients if preparing only the fresh version and not the dump bag)

In addition, 2.5 billion people still cook over an open fire each day. This causes significant emissions, widespread deforestation, burdens women with hours of unpaid labour, and jeopardizes their health.Remove your dump bag or leftovers from your freezer and place them in the fridge the day before you plan to cook them, at a temperature lower than 5C. Ensure the contents have fully defrosted before cooking.

Fruits and veggies can be prepared and cooked from a frozen state, while raw meat should always be thoroughly defrosted before cooking. Broccoli – the broccoli is one of the stars of this dish but you can swap out for another veggie of your choice. I’ve been using the single use plastic bags linked below and recycling them a few times, washing them out, and they are still going strong! Would recommend.For things like potatoes and pasta, just cook them fresh 20 minutes or so before your slow cooked meal is ready. 5. Batch cook

Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below. Keep defrosted food in the fridge, for no longer than 24 hours, until you are ready to cook or reheat it. If you are reheating leftovers or defrosted frozen meals in the microwave or on the stovetop, stir intermittently to ensure they have been reheated appropriately and evenly. For the onion and spice mix, melt the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan over medium–low heat. Add the onion and sauté for five minutes or until softened, being careful not to brown too much. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a further minute. With a few freezer-safe Ziploc bags or meal prep containers, you can assemble any or all of these five meals in a short amount of time – usually within an hour you can have everything assembled and ready to go. You’ll be prepared for dinners for at least a week, and that's having a different dinner every single day!Dump bags make me feel like I’m nailing family life, so I’d recommend that you give them a try too.