I used to think meal preppers were a different species. The kind of people who own matching glass containers and have a romantic relationship with their freezer. The kind of people who actually do the thing on Sunday instead of meaning to do the thing on Sunday (listen, my intentions are always there!).

Then, last month, I had a week so relentless that by Wednesday I was hunched over the sink, eating crackers and then putting a cube of cheese in my mouth so it (kind of) combined, and calling it dinner. I didn't have time to meal prep. I didn't have time to do anything. I remember thinking: if Sunday-me had spent 90 minutes doing literally three things, Wednesday-me would not be…a goblin.

So I tried it, and the thing I discovered is that Big Batch Sunday isn't as scary and intense as I had made it out to be. It's about cooking three anchor things, a protein, a grain, and a vegetable situation, that can become completely different meals depending on what you do to them on any given night.

This is the playbook.

I feel like something that always feels overwhelming when I’m sifting through recipes I’ve screenshotted and sifted into a endless scroll folder on my phone is the sorting. I don’t need to know how long to cook a pot roast at 9am, and when I’m scrambling for something to make for dinner, 17 recipes for niche jams won’t help me. That’s why I love the way Pepper automatically organizes your recipes for you.

I didn’t even have to make the categories myself, the app read my mind!

This is your workhorse. Enough to appear in at least three different meals across the week, which means you want something that plays well with multiple flavor profiles. My current rotation:

This is your base. Whichever one you pick, make a big batch (enough for four to five servings) and store it plain.

The key with grains is to season the water! Salted water is the difference between rice that tastes like something and rice that tastes like nothing. This is a free upgrade that takes no additional time. (I also love using stock instead of water or adding a bit of bouillon to the water to give it an extra oomph!)

A sheet pan of roasted vegetables at the start of the week is the difference between meals that feel complete and meals that feel like you forgot something.

The formula: [Whatever You Have] + olive oil + salt + 400°F + 25 minutes = done.

Broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, sweet potato, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, anything that can handle dry heat. Cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. Don't crowd the pan or they'll steam instead of roast, which is the difference between caramelized and sad.

Roasted vegetables go into grain bowls, scrambled eggs, quesadillas, pasta, or alongside whatever protein you're pulling out. They also work as a standalone lunch in a way that raw vegetables decidedly do not!

Monday: Chicken thighs + rice + roasted broccoli. Reheat the chicken in a pan to re-crisp the skin, microwave the rice with a splash of water, plate the veg. Done.

I love these honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs!

Tuesday: Shredded chicken + tortillas + whatever's in your fridge (cheese, sour cream, that half an avocado). Tacos. Pull the chicken off the bones with two forks. It takes four minutes.

Here’s a good base taco recipe to iterate on!

Wednesday: Ground beef + canned tomatoes + pasta + parmesan. A 20-minute Bolognese situation. The beef is already browned. You're just adding tomatoes and heat and calling it dinner.

This recipe is literally called weeknight bolognese sauce and it’s a lifesaver.

Thursday: Grain bowl. Rice or farro base, roasted vegetables, fried egg on top (eggs are fast, eggs solve everything), drizzle of whatever sauce is in your fridge door. Our sauces newsletter has the full rundown on what to keep on hand for exactly this moment.

This chicken sausage and veggie grain bowl has been my recent hyperfixation.

Proteins stay good in the fridge for 4 days. Grains, 5 days. Roasted vegetables, 4 days. They soften slightly but hold up fine when reheated in a hot pan. Everything freezes well except the roasted vegetables, which get mushy. If you're making extra to freeze, freeze the protein and grains only.

Proteins reheat best in a skillet with a little fat. Microwaving chicken is unfortunately kind of icky. Grains reheat perfectly in the microwave with a tablespoon of water stirred in to reintroduce moisture!

The real key here is to stop thinking of Sunday cooking as "making meals." You're just making ingredients. The meals assemble themselves during the week in whatever direction the night requires!