The five-minute meal makeover
Forget visions of towering vats of curry or endless food storage boxes filled with the same old stew. Mulholland’s approach is refreshingly modern. “What it is, is dinners that can be made in five minutes – they’re all freezable. You’re putting all the raw ingredients into a freezer bag or dish and popping it in your freezer, raw,” she explains. “When you bring it out to cook, it’s not like cooking leftovers… you’re cooking a fresh piece of chicken.”
This method, she insists, is for real people with real lives – those who want home-cooked food without the faff. “Never make more than double,” she advises. “One for the fridge, one for the freezer. You want to eat a variety of foods.”
Batching without boredom
Mulholland is on a crusade to banish the idea that batch cooking means eating the same meal for days. Her weekly plans offer five different dinners for families of four, all prepped in one go. “You’re just going to get your chopping board, get your knife out… make one meal, put it in the freezer or fridge, make the next meal, put it in. Even if you don’t use your freezer, you’re just batching your meals – but they’re all different.”
The result? Less time cooking, more variety, and a kitchen that feels more like a sanctuary than a production line. “It’s not the love of cooking – I want to feed my family good food. I want to eat food that’s like convenience food in how it’s prepped and served, but I want it to be homemade.”
The freezer: unsung hero
Mulholland is evangelical about the humble freezer, which she believes has been unfairly maligned. “If a freezer came out at the same time as your air fryer, people would be out buying them like they’re buying air fryers,” she laughs. Her top tip? Freeze meals flat in bags –“like library books” – to save space and speed up defrosting.
She’s also a champion of reusable and compostable freezer bags, urging home cooks to wash and reuse them. “The main thing is you want the double zip along the top… they work perfectly.”
Meal planning without the pressure
For those daunted by the prospect of meal planning, Mulholland’s advice is simple: start small. “Pick two nights a week where you’ve got more time. Make that meal and double an extra one. Or while you’re cooking, make a similar thing but slightly different, and put it in the freezer.” These homemade “ready meals” become lifesavers on busy nights.
She’s also passionate about reducing waste and saving money. “Frozen veg is 20% cheaper to use than fresh. It’s picked and frozen instantly, so all that goodness is still in it. I’m a massive advocate of frozen veg and no waste.”
Organisation for the real world
Mulholland’s own kitchen is a testament to her method: one drawer for frozen veg and fruit, one for flat meals, and the top for treats – “I’m a massive ice cream lover.” She’s candid about the realities of family life: “I live on a farm in the Scottish Borders. My house is like, ‘come on in, I’m the feeder.’ I’m not selling perfection here.”
From TV to table
Mulholland’s Channel 4 show, ‘Back from Scratch’, brings her philosophy to life in homes across the UK. Each episode tackles a different family’s kitchen chaos, offering practical solutions for real-life challenges – whether it’s shift work, dietary needs, or simply the struggle to keep everyone fed and happy.
The joy of a stress-free meal
For Mulholland, good food is about more than just ingredients. “Good food means sitting down and eating something that has been stress-free and that has answered all the questions you want it to answer.” Her ultimate tip? “Be your future friend. If you’ve had a really rubbish day, you can pull out a fish pie and be cooked from frozen. You’ve got one dish to wash up, you’re done.”
A revolution for the everyday cook
Suzanne Mulholland’s batch cooking revolution is as much about mindset as it is about method. It’s about making life simpler, meals fresher, and freeing up time for what matters most. In her world, the best kitchen is one where stress is frozen out – and flavour is always on the menu.
Discover more relevant content…
Freezable recipes
Good Food Podcast – Judi Love on family cooking, comedy and her BritJam creation
Cheap & healthy family meals
Freezable vegetarian family meals
Good Food Podcast – Max La Manna on tackling food waste
