Gluten-Free Batch Cooking:
Freeze This, Skip That
Flavor, Freshness, and Simple Organization
Not everything belongs in your freezer. As a gluten-free personal chef, I’ve learned the hard way —what actually works and what just turns into sad, dry leftovers.
Many of my clients freeze their meals. Our schedules are constantly changing so having some things in your freezer you can pull from and rely on – is what this is ALL about.
Batch cooking isn’t about eating the same thing every night—it’s about smart prep that saves time, sanity, and keeps weeknight dinners exciting.
As you learned in my basics of batch cooking post, Batch Cook Once, Eat Differently All Week you already know my favorite proteins, grains and veggies to make your life easier, any day of the week.
Let's get into what I NEVER batch cook.
Some things just don’t play nice with the freezer. Here’s what to skip if you want your meals to taste as good as they do fresh:
Produce
Celery → turns limp and watery
Cucumbers → mush
Lettuce → sad, soggy leaves
Raw tomatoes → flavor and texture get lost
Radishes → soft, watery, sad
Sprouts → gross and limp
Dairy & Delicate Sauces
Cream, sour cream, yogurt → separates and curdles
Mayonnaise or emulsified sauces (like hollandaise) → breaks, loses texture
Starches
- Cooked pasta, rice, potatoes → can get mealy or mushy
Fried Foods
- Fried chicken or breaded/fried items → goodbye crispiness, hello soggy
Eggs
- Hard-boiled eggs → whites turn rubbery
- Raw eggs in shells → dangerous and messy
"Keep your fresh greens, herbs and dairy based condiments for today - don't put them in the freezer"
General Rules
If it dries out, it doesn’t belong in the freezer.
Freeze flat for faster thawing
Label everything (future-you will thank you)
Freeze sauces separately
Keep portion sizes realistic
Check out these posts.
I won't tell you to cook for hours.
Most people dedicate a few hours on the weekend to prep, cook, and store meals for the week—but don’t stress if you don’t have time. Every time you roast chicken, make a soup, cook grains, or prep proteins, double it and store it for another meal. Change the sauce, add a new veggie—it’s not leftovers if it tastes new.
Recipes to batch cook!
All of these recipes, use some form of batch cooking. If it’s using a precooked chicken or pulled pork, making meatballs (double the recipe + freeze) or making a double batch of soup…these all freeze very well.
Have you seen these recipes yet?
Hi, I'm Kat.
Welcome to my Kitchen Counter. I’m excited to share with you a new series called “Make my kitchen work for you” along with a collection of blog posts about a variety of topics – building a gluten free pantry, staples to always have on hand and gift guides for the Chef in your life. Take a look around. I’d love to hear from you – do you like these posts?
