Budget Batch: Bolognese + Chickpea Curry Double-Batch
Neither recipe needs constant attention once it's simmering, which is the actual logic behind pairing these two specifically: two pots running in parallel on different burners, checked every 10 minutes rather than babysat continuously. Thirteen servings, one shop, and both freeze well enough to become the default "nothing planned tonight" fallback.
What You'll Make
Session Steps
- 1
Start the bolognese first. It has the longest simmer (35-40 minutes) and needs the least stirring once the base is built.
- 2
Once the bolognese is simmering, start the curry in a second pot. Its 25-minute total cook time fits neatly inside the bolognese's simmer window.
- 3
Stir both occasionally rather than constantly. This is a genuinely low-effort double session once both pots are going, not two recipes' worth of active attention stacked on top of each other.
- 4
Cool both fully, then portion: bolognese into 8 containers, curry into 5.
Storage & Reheating
Both freeze cleanly for up to 3 months, portioned flat. This template is deliberately the cheapest in the archive per serving. Running two budget-tagged recipes in parallel rather than sequentially is what makes 13 servings fit in under two hours.
