The Best Meal Prep Is a Sunday Dinner Party

Photograph by Janice Chung, food styling by Lauren Stanek, prop styling by Raina Kattelson

There’s nothing more satisfying than opening the fridge on a Tuesday and seeing it: That favor I did for myself some days ago, a bit of leisurely cooking performed on some less-harried afternoon, all ready to be transformed into tonight’s dinner. Boiled potatoes practically jumping at the chance to be turned into hash. The remains of a braise waiting to be bulked up with veggies and served over rice. And by far the best way I know to ensure that we’re stocked with good things to cook and eat in the coming week is, simply, to have a little Sunday dinner party.

I’m not talking about arranged flowers and wine pairings here. This is a relaxed, informal affair, a few friends coming over for food, the kind of people who have seen me in soft clothes. The idea of sharing a meal with my nearest and dearest is all the motivation I need to spend more time cooking a bit more food on a weekend afternoon than I might normally—and does stir the spirits a bit more than “meal prep” does, non? (I’m also a lot less likely to bail on my people than on the idea of roasting a bunch of vegetables for no immediately discernible reason.)

Put another way, this is casual entertaining with future meals in mind. Quantity is one obvious consideration. If I make enough for 10 and serve it to six, I know there will be plenty to pack away at the end of the night. But there is a menu strategy here too. I want simple dishes that benefit from the extra time I have to devote to them, things that are delicious together but will invite reinvention down the road. Beef Wellington on Sunday can only ever be leftover beef Wellington on Monday. But a quart of lovingly coddled chickpeas marinating in their own broth is positively vibrating with possibility. That’s pasta e ceci. That’s hummus. That’s a clean-out-the-fridge minestrone waiting to happen. I don’t think of them as leftovers so much as mise en place, prepped components ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

But more than anything else, this practice allows me to approach the task of preparing for the week ahead from a place of abundance and generosity rather than dread. Could I cook this same food without having anyone over and have the same stocked fridge to show for it? Sure. But I don’t want my Sunday cooking to anxiously anticipate the stress of Tuesday or the time crunch of Wednesday. I want it to be grounded in the joy of today: the gladness I feel putting my hands on good ingredients, a house full of wonderful smells, satisfied smiles around our table. Food made to be shared is always more delicious—and tastes better tomorrow too.

So go ahead: Roast a second chicken. (Two carcasses will make better broth for your Wednesday night ramen.) Throw a couple extra cups into the rice cooker—you want something to sop up all that gorgeous chickpea liquor, and fried rice tomorrow doesn’t sound bad at all. Ask a friend to bring some cheese for apéro and another a few pints of nice ice cream for dessert. Maybe break out a good bottle after dinner, just a little treat. The week is looking brighter already, isn’t it?

Now-and-Later Roast Chickens

The beauty of a whole roast chicken (or two) is that it can be served on your schedule. It needs to rest at least 20 minutes after coming out of the oven, but it will still be appealingly warm after an hour, giving you a generous window to get the rest of your food plated, carve the bird, and usher everyone to the table. Shoot to pull it out of the oven 20 to 30 minutes after you tell folks to show up.

Get the Recipe

What to do with the leftovers: If you’ve ever bought a rotisserie chicken at the start of the week, this one needs no introduction. (A cold leg for lunch? Yes, please.) It’s great for bulking up an odds-and-ends dinner salad, but if I want something more elaborate, I’ll serve shredded chicken with julienned veg, nuoc cham, and crisp lettuce for wrapping.

And don’t forget: Those carcasses can be made into broth. I get a pot going before dinner is even served so that it’ll be ready to strain by bedtime. I love a dish where good broth is the star, like a simple risotto with frozen peas or a bowl of store-bought tortellini in brodo.

Chickpeas With 40 Cloves of Garlic

​​Generous, hearty, crowd-pleasing—a big pot of brothy beans is the definition of Sunday cooking. And as a general rule, the more dishes you serve, the less folks will take of any one thing—meaning more leftovers for you. Paired with a simple pot of white rice, they round out the plate nicely and can do double duty as a vegetarian main if need be.

Get the Recipe

What to do with the leftovers: Heat some seasoned chickpeas in a skillet, add a few fillets of firm white fish, transfer to a low oven and bake just until the fish flakes with a fork. Squeeze a lemon over top, and dinner is served. These can also easily become the starting point for a hearty soup or get whizzed up with some tahini for a rich and garlicky hummus.

Winter Greens With Anchovy Breadcrumbs

Elements like toasted seasoned breadcrumbs are small touches that make a casual menu feel just the right amount of celebratory—you took a little more time, and your guests can taste it. Plate and top only the quantity of greens you think will make it around the table (you can always dish up more) and hold the rest in the kitchen for later; those veggies will keep better sans breadcrumbs.

Get the Recipe

What to do with the leftovers: These greens feel brand-new when tossed with roasted squash or root vegetables, and they’re a great way to add a veg element to a quick pasta dish like aglio e olio or cacio e pepe. But my favorite way to eat them is chopped up and added to a grilled cheese. Heat up a little tomato soup and you’re good to go.

Greenest Mint and Ginger Pesto

Having the time to get one more element on the table is the biggest difference between Sunday and Wednesday cooking. And in the case of this sauce, having a few extra minutes to invest in blanching the herbs pays off down the line. That simple step ensures that the pesto will retain its vibrant hue whenever you revisit it throughout the week, whether that’s swiped onto sandwiches or as a dip for crudités.

Get the Recipe

What to do with the leftovers: A bright, kicky sauce is all you need to turn a seared-protein-and-salad meal into something that feels special. This pesto can also be used as a topper for just about anything: aforementioned lettuce wraps, aforementioned vegetable soup, aforementioned fish could all benefit from a dose of herbs and acid.

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit

More Cooking Stories From Bon Appétit

• Get the latest from Bon Appétit in your inbox with our daily newsletter.

• The new Bon Appétit 56 is here: the 56 recipes you must make this year.

• In January’s Feel-Good Food Plan, Kendra Vaculin shares nourishing recipes for winter colds.

• For the latest Fourth Trimester, author Anna Noyes shares the best gift she received after giving birth.