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3 batch-cooked stews that will feed you for days

By TASTE, 22 June 2023

We love winter stews but let’s face it: cooking a stew every day is unrealistic. Between your busy schedule and loadshedding, getting dinner on the table at reasonable hour can sometimes seem impossible. Read below to see how to turn batch-cooked stew into multiple exciting meals that require very little effort and boast big flavour!

For most South Africans, being in the thick of winter means one thing: stew! Vegetables and chunks of meat are slow-cooked in a rich, gravy-like sauce until soft or tender. You obviously need patience but it's all worth it when you're dipping a handful of pap into braised cabbage stew, or sampling the flavours of samp and beans with oxtail stew. However, cooking a stew every day isn't an option. The obvious route is to batch cook but, if you're like us, eating the same thing every day is a slightly depressing prospect. Luckily, with a few additions and tweaks to your favourite stews, you can cook once and make two different meals! Whether you want a failsafe way to ensure dinner is served even when there's loadshedding, or just want to cut the amount of time you spending the kitchen during the week, read on for our savvy tips.

ALSO READ: The batch-cooked chicken soup that’ll feed you for 3 days

Day 1: Beef stew

Nothing compares to the cosy comfort of classic beef stew. The meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the combination of vegetables and beef adds to the dish's incredible flavour as they simmer together in a rich broth.

Get the recipe for beef stew here.

Day 2: Beef-and-potato pie

Turn your leftover beef stew into a pie. This beef pie is made with a twist. Rather than being baked on top of the stew, the rough puff pastry is made on the side. Dip the baked pastry into the rich, warm filling and enjoy. Feel like midweek baking? Try Hannah's easy rough puff pastry recipe and serve it alongside last night's beef stew. Get the recipe for beef-and-potato pie here.

ALSO READ: 4 top tips to bulk up and thicken your soup

Day 1: Lentil curry with two-ingredient flatbreads

Stews aren't limited to meat. Pulses are fantastic for slow cooking. This lentil curry is warming rather than hot and spicy. The flatbreads are easy to make (no proving needed). This is a great recipe for meat-free Mondays or when you're counting down the days to payday.

Get the recipe for lentil curry here.

Day 2: Lentil-and-butternut cottage pie

Turn your leftover curry into a cottage pie. Place it in a baking dish and top with cheesy mashed potatoes. This recipe uses a topping of sweet potato and goat's cheese, but if you're feeling the budget pinch, swap goat's cheese for smooth cottage cheese. Bake and serve.

Get the recipe for lentil-and-butternut cottage pie here.

Day 1: Chilli ‘non’ carne

The plant-based eating train isn't slowing down anytime soon. We've put a new twist on an old favourite by using Beyond Beef plant-based mince. Cook up a big batch, add some toasted tortillas, charred corn and lots of avo, and you're got yourself a vegan feast.

Get the recipe for chilli ‘non’ carne here.