If you’ve tried batch cooking and spent Thursday staring at your fourth container of the same chili, I understand why you gave up. Five identical dinners made on Sunday means eating one dinner five times. Cook the parts of dinner instead, and you can put them together differently each night in about 10 minutes.
This is the version I do. It takes about 75 minutes, most of it hands-off, and one oven does nearly all the work.
The four parts
- A pot of rice: 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed, with 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil, cover, cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then rest 10 minutes off the heat. The rice post from last month explains why that’s less water than the bag says.
- A tray of chicken: 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs tossed with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Roast at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, to 175°F inside. Thighs are safe at 165°F but more tender a little higher. Slice or shred once they’re cool enough to touch.
- A tray of vegetables: 2 pounds of whatever’s cheap (carrots, broccoli, onions, sweet potatoes), cut into 1-inch pieces and tossed with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Roast alongside the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once.
- A sauce: blend 1 bunch cilantro, stems and all, with 1 small jalapeño, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise, the juice of 2 limes and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth.
The order
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Season the chicken and cut the vegetables while it heats. (15 minutes)
- Both trays go in. Start the rice on the stove. (5 minutes)
- Make the sauce while everything cooks, then wash the blender. (10 minutes)
- Stir the vegetables halfway through. Take the chicken out when it’s done; the vegetables may need a few minutes more.
- Spread the rice and chicken on plates or a tray to cool, then pack everything into separate containers. Keeping the parts separate is the whole trick.
Get the rice and chicken into the fridge within 2 hours of cooking, sooner for the rice. Both keep 3 to 4 days. If you won’t get through everything by Thursday, freeze half the chicken and half the rice on Sunday night. They reheat fine.
The week
- Monday: rice bowls. Warm rice, chicken and vegetables with a lot of green sauce on top, and a fried egg if you want one.
- Tuesday: quesadillas. Chicken, a handful of vegetables chopped smaller and shredded cheese in flour tortillas, 3 minutes a side in a dry skillet. Green sauce for dipping.
- Wednesday: fried rice. Day-old rice is better for this than fresh. Fry it hard in 2 tablespoons oil with 1 cup frozen peas, push it to one side, scramble 2 eggs in the gap, then stir in some chicken and a splash of soy sauce.
- Thursday: soup. Simmer 4 cups chicken broth with the rest of the vegetables and chicken, add a handful of small pasta or the last of the rice, and finish with lime juice and a spoonful of green sauce.
- Friday: you’re off. Eat what’s left, or order something and don’t feel bad about it.
Swaps
- Vegetarian: replace the chicken with a pot of black beans. Simmer two drained 15-ounce cans with a chopped onion, 1 teaspoon cumin and a cup of water for 15 minutes.
- Farro or quinoa work in place of rice. Follow the package for water and time.
- No blender: a jar of salsa verde stirred into yogurt gets you most of the way.
Whatever you change, keep the rule: four parts, stored apart, put together late.