Back to school batch cook

I write this while waiting to hear if the Gs can, in fact, go to school under Tier 4 school closures. But that’s no reason not to stock the freezer – if they can’t take it in their packed lunch they can eat it at home while Big G and I are working. Oh god.

The Gs like to take a mix of things in their lunch. As well as sandwiches, wraps and bagels, they take a flask of soup or hot pasta, cold pasta salad or leftovers. I find that the better the lunch, the less the pressure to serve up a perfectly balanced supper if Big G and I are on calls for work or we’re post-ballet or -swimming.

I also like to keep a stash of things in the freezer that can be thawed overnight and form the basis of their lunch – just add a morning fruit snack, plus some veg, some cheese or yoghurt, maybe a treat and you’re done. No fuss, no thinking, no hassle.

These are all lunchbox winners and gets some good protein into the Gs at midday. Make ahead and freeze separately to prevent sticking, before storing in bags in the freezer.

Macaroni bites

Cook your macaroni and make this cheese sauce. Fill silicone muffin cases with the mix, sprinkle over breadcrumbs and grated cheddar, and bake at 180C for 15 mins.

Sausage rolls

Mix 200g beef mince with an egg and some breadcrumbs. Add any extra veg and pulses you like – I used grated carrot, courgette and mushroom this time, plus some mashed chickpeas to finish off a tin, and the dregs of the Christmas bread sauce. In the past I’ve also put in baked beans, spinach, corn, peas, sweet potato – whatever you’ve got.

Add a squeeze of tomato paste and a crushed garlic clove. Roll out ready-made puff pastry and form a log of the mince mixture lengthways.

Wrap the mix tightly in pastry, slice it, egg wash and bake at 180C for approx 40 mins.

BBQ chicken

Use tights or drumsticks. Marinade in mix of tomato ketchup, a little mustard, garlic, onion powder, brown sugar, treacle and paprika. Bake at 180C for 45 mins.

Choc-banana and gingerbread-pear muffins

Make this basic muffin mix and split into 2.

To the first, add one mashed banana and chocolate chips. To the other, add a sprinkle of ground ginger, one peeled and chopped pear and a good spoonful of treacle. Bake as directed.

Basic muffin mix

This is a super quick mix the you can jazz up in any fashion you want. Add fruit or chocolate chips, grate in some veg or cheese, replace some of the flour with cocoa, sneak a blob of Nutella or peanut butter into the centre. So easy.

What you need:

• 220g plain flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarb
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 115g butter
• 150g brown sugar 
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 60ml milk

What you do:

1. Mix the dry ingredients and set aside
2. Cream the butter and sugar, then keep beating only as you add the eggs, vanilla and yoghurt
3. Combine wet and dry mixes, mix very gently til just combined, then add the milk and again, mix very gently until just absorbed.
4. Spoon into lined muffin tins and bake at 180C for 20-25 mins, until a skewer interred into the centre comes out clean.