The 10 Make-Ahead Meals I Cook Over and Over
I don’t know about you, but I’m just a bit burned out on cooking right now. When I feel crispy and tired, my strategy is to double down on batch cooking. If I need to cook, it helps to do it just once a week. I love the security of having some food squirreled away in the fridge Sunday night for YOYO dinners on busy nights. And the bonus? Some of my favorite make-ahead meals get better and better as they sit in the fridge for a couple of days.
My Top 10 Make-Ahead Meals
Here are the meals I’ve been loving and relying on most this spring, often made with a big batch of brown rice. Most of these just need a piece of fruit or a quick green salad to feel like a complete meal.
An easy, vegetarian black bean chili from the slow cooker.
As I peruse my most-made list, I realize how much meat we eat — especially chicken. This chili is a hearty, vegetable-driven alternative. I love that this is mostly made with pantry ingredients and also with dried beans (no soak needed for this recipe).
Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili
Hummus bowls with smoky veggies are a rising star.
I missed out on hummus bowls for too long. Now I am such a fan. I buy a container of hummus in my groceries every week, then roast a batch of veggies with smoked paprika and eat them together. My toddler loves hummus too so it’s great for all of us.
Get the recipe: Smoky Roasted Vegetable Hummus Bowl
Pizza pinwheels, of all sorts.
I love pizza pinwheels and I’m not ashamed of it! Sometimes I make a batch of no-knead dough; sometimes I just buy pizza dough at the grocery store. Then I roll up pinwheels with whatever cheese and scraps of sauce or bits of leftover meat I have in the fridge. I make these ahead but they rarely last; my kids love them too.
Get the recipe: Cheesy Pizza Pinwheels
My all-time favorite chickpea stew with spinach, lemon, and coconut milk.
This chickpea stew is inspired by chana masala, but adapted to riff on the things I always have in my pantry: sun-dried tomatoes, coconut milk, frozen spinach. It’s rich and luxe, but also tangy with lemon. If I had to pick one of my own recipes to make every week, forever, it would be this, hands-down.
Get the recipe: Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon
A big batch of roasted (or grilled) chicken thighs.
An absolute staple. I keep a lot of different spice mixes stuffed in a drawer, and every week I make a batch of chicken by folding it in olive oil and a handful of spices. (My current favorite is this fennel and anise-laced Mediterranean mix. Deeelicious.)
Get the recipe: How to Cook Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs in the Oven
A deceptively easy pulled chicken with bacon.
This recipe tastes extremely rich, with a depth of flavor that makes you wonder about its very short list of ingredients. But that’s the magic of bacon, fresh fennel, and chicken thighs.
Get the recipe: Chicken Ragù with Bacon
A two-can Instant Pot chicken dinner.
This isn’t really a recipe, but more of a formula: coconut milk, simmer sauce, some chicken (or a head of cauliflower, which works beautifully too). I love making a big saucy dish like this every week in the Instant Pot. Instant dinner.
Get the recipe: The Delicious, Practical Instant Pot Dinner I Make Every Week
A lemony soup with tiny pasta.
Here’s another reliable formula: Cook a little ground chicken (or veggie sausage), add some vegetables and aromatics, then broth. Finally, a handful of tiny pasta. Ta-da! Soup. This one feels right for spring.
Get the recipe: Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Minestrone Soup
Old-school tacos. Nostalgia at its finest.
What’s a make-ahead recipe roundup without tacos? Lately I have been absolutely craving old-school ground beef tacos. I make the beef on a Sunday night then just bake the tacos quickly when we’re ready to eat. Easy-peasy.
Get the recipe: Easy Ground Beef Tacos
A big egg casserole stuffed with leftovers.
I’m always going to push the concept of an oven omelet on you; they’re just so easy! I use this simple base of eggs and milk as a vessel, too, for any leftover vegetables or cheese. Just fold in and bake. Good for dinner, breakfast, or lunch.
Get a recipe: Breakfast Burrito Egg Casserole
What are your favorite batch-cooking recipes getting you through right now? What makes a good make-ahead recipe right now?