It’s easy to cook efficiently and avoid leftovers with component cooking. I eat a lot of leftovers. I like them. I like one pot meals cold from the refrigerator. I like them warmed up again. I like to pull a pork chop out of rice, chop it up and turn it into something totally different. Of course I realize not everyone is as keen on leftovers as I am. I’ve dated a lot of men who hate them. Okay, let’s qualify that before you start calling me Fleabag (love that show by the way). I haven’t dated that many men in general, but a high percentage of those lucky gentlemen haven’t liked leftovers.
You may have experienced the same thing. If you’re in the habit of doing most of your cooking on the weekends, a week without leftovers may sound impossible. Luckily, a tiny change in approach can make cooking efficiently while avoiding leftovers easy to accomplish.
Batch cooking for the week requires some planning. If you’re like most of us, you shop with specific dishes in mind, cook those when you have a block of time and then heat them up later. For some people, this makes a dish less desirable. Instead of preparing finished entrées, I sometimes prep in the following ways. The result is my leftover averse guests are happy and I don’t feel overwhelmed.
I like to think of it as Component Cooking.
First, I start with Basic Proteins.
This component is comprised of proteins cooked with simple seasoning – salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, pork loin, and ground turkey or beef can all be cooked with basic seasoning and then further seasoned later to create delicious “fresh” meals.
For instance, chicken can be cut into strips, additionally seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and onion powder for fajitas, fajita salad, or nachos. Or you can shred it and use the same seasonings to create delicious Chicken Enchiladas.
If you love curry, Basic Pork Loin can be cut into small cubes and added to a curry sauce (the sauce can be prepared in advance as well) along with vegetables and/or rice. Basic Ground Turkey or Beef can be made into lightly baked meatballs that can later be finished in red sauce for pasta or meatball sandwiches. The same meatballs can be finished in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce, or added to gravy for a different flavor profile.
And, of course, Basic Ground Beef can easily be converted into taco filling for tacos, taco salad, enchiladas, chili, nachos, Frito chili pie or stuffed bell peppers.
Other fantastic options for Basic Chicken include: Chicken Alfredo, Lemon Parmesan Chicken, Chicken Caprese, Chicken Spaghetti, Pesto Chicken, Chicken Burgers, or any salad topped with chicken.
My second component is Vegetables.
I sometimes like to prep all the vegetables in the fridge when I have a meal in the oven. Let’s say I’m cooking pot roast. I’ll have already chopped some potatoes, carrots, and onion to cook with the roast. While I have the cutting board out along with the vegetable wash and a good knife, I’ll peel any potatoes I may want to use later in the week, wash the broccoli and remove the large stems, clean and cut some summer squash into medallions, and core a red bell pepper and cut it into long strips. If I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll also peel and chop a couple of onions.
I’m finished in time to clean up my mess and have a glass of wine before the roast comes out of the oven. Then I store the ready-to-use vegetables in airtight glass containers with tight-fitting lids in the refrigerator.
While the oven is hot is also a great time to roast Spaghetti Squash and Butternut Squash, or bake a Sweet Potato. Later, I can combine any of these Basic Vegetables with my Basic Proteins to create dishes like Pasta Primavera with Chicken or I can serve them unadorned steamed, sautéed, or grilled.
Finally, I fill in the blanks with starchy items.
My morning routine is to drink coffee, read the paper, and watch the news. This gives me plenty of time to cook a pot of pinto, black, or navy beans that I soaked overnight. It’s also plenty of time to boil potatoes or cook some rice. By the time I go upstairs to shower, all I have left to do that night is mash some potatoes or add some beans to my chili.
Using only basic seasoning allows me to turn any of these items into anything I want without really planning ahead. The family wants Chinese – I’m ready to stir-fry the veggies and add some pork or chicken; Mexican – I can whip up tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, chili, or fajita salad; Italian – I have the components for pesto chicken, pasta primavera, and meatball sandwiches at my fingertips.
You could argue that beginning with cooked protein isn’t the same as starting from scratch on the day it’s served. While that’s true to some degree, once I’m finished with the meal most people won’t know the difference and the end result has more fresh ingredients, less additives, and is much tastier than a meal at any chain restaurant or fast casual outlet. And I don’t precook halibut, salmon, scallops, or steak.
If preparing components is the difference between eating fresh food or processed food, components win in my book. If preparing components is the difference between spending $240 per month on lunch (5 lunches at $12 each for 1 person) and a $2880 vacation budget, components win in my book. If preparing components is the difference between me feeling overwhelmed and feeling happy to be in the kitchen, then components win again. And component cooking pleases my leftover averse friends and family.
I love it when a plan works for everyone!