When you have already cooked beans and/or grains, chicken stock, veggie bouillon broth, roasted tomatoes/sauce, sausage, bacon . . . in the fridge or freezer, dinner from scratch can be a snap. If you also have a sauce or simple pickle or condiment ready you’ll have a flavorful dish in short order.

 

Note: While keeping sausages, bacon, fish, etc. in the freezer does not fit neatly into this category, it does similarly enable flavorful meals to come together quickly.

 

Broccoli, Potato, Celery & Cilantro Salad w/ Aioli Dressing (aioli)

Caldo Verde (Cabbage/Kale & Potato Soup w/ Chorizo) (veggie bouillon, sausage in freezer)

Celery & Chickpea Salad (cooked chickpeas)

Chard, Leek, White Bean & Cilantro Soup (over garlicky toast w/ an egg on top) (cooked beans, veggie bouillon)

Chicken Noodle Soup (chicken stock)

Cook-with-what-you-have Fried Rice (cooked rice)

Green Curry w/ Broccoli

Kale & Potatoes Baked w/ Tomatoes & Bacon (roasted tomatoes, bacon in freezer)

Minestrone (cooked beans, roasted tomatoes)

Raab, White Bean & Pickled Red Onions (cooked beans, quick-pickled onions)

Ribollita (Tuscan kale and bean soup) (cooked beans)

Rice Custard (cooked rice)

Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes w/ Peanut Sauce (peanut sauce)

Roasted Winter Squash w/ Salsa Verde (salsa verde)

Sautéed Cabbage w/ Harissa & Cilantro (harissa)

Spiced Meatballs w/ Tomatoes & Chickpeas (roasted tomatoes, cooked chickpeas)

Squash & Rice Fritters w/ Cilantro Yogurt Sauce (cooked rice)

Stovetop Scalloped Leeks and Potatoes (chicken stock)

Tuscan Bean and Farro Soup (roasted tomatoes, cooked beans)

Tomato, Chard & Peanut Stew (roasted tomatoes)

Very Green Risotto (chicken stock or veggie bouillon)

White Beans, Roasted Tomatoes, Spicy Sausage (cooked beans, veggie bouillon, roasted tomatoes)

Zucchini Rice Fritters (cooked rice)

Zuppa Bastarda (Black Beans over Pesto Bruschetta) (cooked beans, pesto)