Big-Batch Sunday Dinners: Cook Once, Eat Well Until Thursday With These 14 Meals That Turn Into Easy Weeknight Suppers

Big-batch Sunday dinners are the secret weapon of every busy family cook. You spend one slow afternoon with a pork shoulder, a pot of ragu or a tray of chicken thighs, and the oven does most of the work. Then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday take care of themselves, because the leftovers are already halfway to a brand new meal. This is not about eating the same plate four nights in a row. A Sunday roast becomes tacos, a pot of chili becomes stuffed baked potatoes, and a glazed ham becomes sliders and a cozy pot pie. We gathered 14 big Sunday mains, each with a plan for turning the rest into quick weeknight suppers. Every one stores well in the fridge for three to four days, and most of them freeze beautifully too. Pick one for this weekend and enjoy a quieter week..

Big-Batch Sunday Dinners Start Here: Pork Shoulder Into Carnitas Tacos and Burritos

A bone-in pork shoulder is the king of big-batch Sunday dinners. It costs little per pound, it is almost impossible to overcook, and one roast feeds a family on Sunday with plenty left for the week. Rub it with garlic, cumin, oregano and orange, roast it low and slow, then shred it with two forks. Sunday is pulled pork plates. Monday, crisp the shreds in a hot skillet for carnitas tacos with pickled onions. By Wednesday, the last of it rolls into burritos with rice and beans..

You will need: 1 bone-in pork shoulder (7 to 8 lb), 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tsp black pepper, 8 garlic cloves, 2 oranges (juiced), 1 onion, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, cooked rice, black beans, pickled red onion, cilantro, lime.

How to make it: 1. Rub the pork all over with salt, cumin, oregano and pepper. 2. Set it on sliced onion and garlic in a roasting pan, pour in the orange juice and cover tightly. 3. Roast at 300°F for 6 to 7 hours until it pulls apart easily. 4. Shred, mix with the pan juices and chill in containers. 5. For tacos, crisp portions in a hot skillet until the edges brown. 6. For burritos, roll pork with rice, beans and cheese in flour tortillas and toast seam side down.

A Pot of Sunday Ragu Becomes Baked Ziti and Stuffed Peppers

A big pot of meat sauce simmering all afternoon is one of the coziest Sunday traditions there is. Make a double batch and it becomes one of the most flexible big-batch Sunday dinners, quietly turning into two more meals. Toss half with ziti, ricotta and mozzarella for a baked ziti you can assemble Sunday night and bake on Tuesday. Spoon the rest into halved bell peppers with leftover rice and a blanket of cheese. If you want to go deeper on braising and big-pot cooking, the guides at Serious Eats are a great place to start.

You will need: 2 lb ground beef, 1 lb Italian sausage, 1 onion, 5 garlic cloves, 2 cans (28 oz each) crushed tomatoes, 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 lb ziti, 15 oz ricotta, 3 cups shredded mozzarella, 6 bell peppers, 2 cups cooked rice, parmesan.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef and sausage with onion and garlic, then stir in tomato paste. 2. Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning and simmer 2 hours, stirring now and then. 3. Serve some over pasta on Sunday. 4. Mix half the remaining sauce with cooked ziti and ricotta, top with mozzarella and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes. 5. Fill halved peppers with rice and sauce, cover with cheese and bake 35 minutes.

Big-Batch Sunday Dinners for Lighter Weeks: Turkey Melts and Turkey Salad

You do not need a holiday to roast a turkey breast, and it is one of the leanest big-batch Sunday dinners you can make. A bone-in breast cooks in under two hours, slices beautifully and gives you lean, juicy meat for days. Serve it Sunday with gravy and green beans. On Monday, pile thin slices onto sourdough with tomato and sharp white cheddar and slide them under the broiler for open-faced melts. By midweek, chop the rest into a crunchy turkey salad with celery, grapes and pecans for easy lunches or a no-cook supper on a busy night.

You will need: 1 bone-in turkey breast (6 to 7 lb), 4 tbsp softened butter, 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp each dried thyme, sage and garlic powder, sourdough bread, white cheddar, tomatoes, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 celery ribs, 1 cup red grapes, 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

How to make it: 1. Rub the turkey with butter, salt and herbs. 2. Roast at 375°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until the thickest part reads 165°F. 3. Rest 20 minutes, then slice. 4. For melts, top sourdough with turkey, tomato and cheddar and broil 3 to 4 minutes. 5. For turkey salad, chop 3 cups turkey and fold with mayonnaise, celery, halved grapes and pecans.

Braised Short Ribs Become a Short Rib Shepherd’s Pie

Braised short ribs make a Sunday feel like a special occasion, and as big-batch Sunday dinners go, the leftovers are even better. The meat turns silky after hours in a pot of broth, tomato paste and vegetables. Serve them whole the first night over mashed potatoes. Then shred the rest, stir it into the thick braising liquid with peas and carrots and spread it in a baking dish. A thick layer of mashed potatoes on top turns it into a rich shepherd’s pie that bakes up golden and bubbly on a cold weeknight.

You will need: 5 lb bone-in beef short ribs, salt and pepper, 2 tbsp oil, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, 3 tbsp tomato paste, 4 cups beef broth, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 cup frozen peas, 1 cup diced carrots, 4 cups mashed potatoes, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar.

How to make it: 1. Season and brown the short ribs in oil in a Dutch oven. 2. Add the vegetables and tomato paste, then the broth and thyme. 3. Cover and braise at 325°F for 3 hours. 4. Serve some ribs Sunday, then shred the rest and simmer with peas, carrots and 1 1/2 cups of the liquid until thick. 5. Spread in a baking dish, top with mashed potatoes and cheddar and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes.

One Roasted Vegetable Tray for Grain Bowls and a Frittata

Not all big-batch Sunday dinners need to center on meat. Two sheet pans of roasted vegetables can carry you through the week just as well. Roast sweet potatoes, broccoli, peppers, red onion and zucchini until the edges caramelize, and serve them Sunday with roast chicken or sausages. On Monday, pile the vegetables over quinoa or farro with a lemon tahini drizzle for hearty grain bowls. Midweek, whisk eggs and cheese, fold in the last of the vegetables and bake a frittata that tastes great warm or cold.

You will need: 2 sweet potatoes, 1 head broccoli, 2 bell peppers, 1 red onion, 2 zucchini, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cooked quinoa or farro, 1/4 cup tahini, 1 lemon, 10 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup shredded cheese.

How to make it: 1. Cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces and toss with oil and seasoning. 2. Roast on two sheet pans at 425°F for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring once. 3. For grain bowls, layer grains, vegetables and a sauce of tahini, lemon juice and water. 4. For the frittata, whisk eggs, milk and cheese, add 3 cups vegetables to an oven-safe skillet, pour over the eggs and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

A Big Batch of Chili Becomes Chili Baked Potatoes and Corn Chip Pie

A big pot of chili is one of the most practical big-batch Sunday dinners, because it tastes even better after a night in the fridge. Serve it in bowls with cornbread on Sunday. Then spoon hot chili over split baked potatoes with cheddar, sour cream and green onions for a meal the kids will love. Finish the pot with a corn chip pie: layer crunchy corn chips in a baking dish, cover with chili and cheese and bake until it bubbles. Any extra chili freezes for up to three months.

You will need: 2 lb ground beef, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp chili powder, 1 tbsp cumin, 2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce, 1 cup beef broth, 4 russet potatoes, corn chips, cheddar, sour cream, green onions.

How to make it: 1. Brown the beef with onion and garlic and drain. 2. Stir in spices, beans, tomatoes, sauce and broth and simmer 1 hour. 3. Bake potatoes at 400°F for 1 hour, split them and top with hot chili and cheese. 4. For corn chip pie, layer chips in a 9×13 dish, cover with chili and cheddar and bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. 5. Top with sour cream and green onions.

Big-Batch Sunday Dinners Made Easy: Brisket Quesadillas and Hash

An oven brisket is a true Sunday project, but it pays you back all week. Season it generously, wrap it tightly and let it cook low until it is fork tender, then slice it against the grain for Sunday supper. The leftovers become two of the best quick meals you will make. Chop brisket into crisp potatoes and onions for a skillet hash topped with fried eggs. Or tuck it into tortillas with cheese and green chiles for crispy brisket quesadillas that are ready in about ten minutes.

You will need: 1 beef brisket (5 to 6 lb), 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp kosher salt, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 cup beef broth, 1 lb potatoes, 1 onion, 1 red bell pepper, eggs, flour tortillas, shredded Monterey Jack, canned green chiles, salsa, sour cream.

How to make it: 1. Rub the brisket with sugar, salt and spices. 2. Place in a roasting pan with broth, wrap tightly with foil and bake at 300°F for 5 to 6 hours. 3. Rest, then slice against the grain. 4. For hash, crisp diced potatoes, onion and pepper in a skillet, add chopped brisket and top with fried eggs. 5. For quesadillas, fill tortillas with brisket, cheese and chiles and toast until golden on both sides.

Big-Batch Sunday Dinners Tip: Make Two Lasagnas and Freeze One

Lasagna takes the same amount of work whether you make one pan or two, so always make two. It is the easiest way to stretch big-batch Sunday dinners into next month. Bake one for Sunday dinner and wrap the second tightly in foil before it ever sees the oven. On a hectic night weeks later, you will thank yourself. Freeze it unbaked for up to three months, then thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake it covered. Disposable foil pans make this easy, and an extra lasagna is also the perfect meal to carry to a new parent or a neighbor.

You will need: 2 lb ground beef or sausage, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 2 jars (24 oz each) marinara, 2 boxes (16 oz each) lasagna noodles, 30 oz ricotta, 2 eggs, 1 cup parmesan, 6 cups shredded mozzarella, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, 2 foil 9×13 pans.

How to make it: 1. Brown the meat with onion and garlic and stir in the marinara. 2. Mix ricotta, eggs, parmesan and seasoning. 3. Layer sauce, noodles, ricotta and mozzarella in both pans, finishing with sauce and cheese. 4. Bake one covered at 375°F for 45 minutes, then uncovered 15 minutes. 5. Wrap the other in plastic and foil, label and freeze. 6. Thaw overnight and bake covered for 60 minutes, then uncovered for 15.

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs Into Enchiladas and Chicken Salad

Chicken thighs are cheap, forgiving and full of flavor, which makes them perfect for big-batch Sunday dinners. Roast two sheet pans with cumin, garlic and lime and serve them with rice on Sunday. Pull the meat off the rest and you have the start of two easy meals. Roll it with red enchilada sauce and cheese for a pan of enchiladas that bakes in twenty minutes. The last cup or two makes a tangy chicken salad for sandwiches and lunch boxes.

You will need: 5 lb bone-in chicken thighs, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp chili powder, salt, 2 limes, 12 corn or flour tortillas, 2 cups red enchilada sauce, 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, celery, green onions.

How to make it: 1. Toss thighs with oil, spices, salt and lime juice. 2. Roast at 425°F for 35 to 40 minutes until 175°F inside. 3. Shred the extra meat and chill. 4. For enchiladas, fill tortillas with 3 cups chicken and cheese, line them in a dish, cover with sauce and cheese and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. 5. For chicken salad, mix chicken with mayonnaise, yogurt, celery and green onions.

Monday Red Beans and Rice Into a Smoky Sausage Skillet

In New Orleans, red beans and rice is the traditional Monday supper, cooked low all day while the rest of the house gets things done. It works just as well as one of your big-batch Sunday dinners. Simmer dried red beans with the trinity of onion, celery and bell pepper, a ham hock and plenty of spices until creamy. Serve it over rice the first night. Later in the week, brown sliced smoked sausage in a skillet, add the thick leftover beans and rice and let it crisp a little for an easy one-pan dinner.

You will need: 1 lb dried red kidney beans (soaked overnight), 1 smoked ham hock, 1 onion, 2 celery ribs, 1 green bell pepper, 4 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, 8 cups water or broth, cooked white rice, 1 lb smoked sausage, green onions, hot sauce.

How to make it: 1. Drain the beans and add to a pot with the ham hock, vegetables, garlic and spices. 2. Cover with water and simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours, mashing some beans for creaminess. 3. Serve over rice. 4. Later, slice and brown the sausage in a large skillet. 5. Add 3 cups leftover beans and 2 cups rice and cook until hot and lightly crisp on the bottom. 6. Finish with green onions and hot sauce.

Big-Batch Sunday Dinners With a Baked Ham: Sliders and Ham Pot Pie

A spiral ham is one of the easiest big Sunday mains you can buy, because it is already cooked and only needs warming and glazing. Brush it with a brown sugar and mustard glaze and serve it with potatoes and green beans. The leftovers make the best ham and Swiss sliders, baked on soft rolls with a buttery poppy seed topping. And when you are ready for something cozy, dice the rest into a creamy ham pot pie with peas and carrots under a flaky crust. Save the bone for one of these old-fashioned bean soup recipes.

You will need: 1 fully cooked spiral ham (8 to 9 lb), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 12 slider rolls, 8 slices Swiss cheese, 4 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp Worcestershire, 3 cups frozen peas and carrots, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 cup milk, 2 refrigerated pie crusts.

How to make it: 1. Warm the ham covered at 325°F for about 12 minutes per pound. 2. Brush with brown sugar, mustard and honey glaze and bake 15 minutes more. 3. For sliders, fill rolls with ham and Swiss, brush with butter, poppy seeds and Worcestershire and bake covered at 350°F for 20 minutes. 4. For pot pie, mix 3 cups diced ham, vegetables, soup and milk, pour into a crust, top with the second crust and bake at 400°F for 35 minutes.

Double Batch Swedish Meatballs Into Meatball Subs

Swedish meatballs in creamy gravy are classic Sunday comfort, and a double batch makes one of the easiest big-batch Sunday dinners, barely more work than one. Roll them small, brown them in batches and simmer them in a silky brown gravy with a pinch of nutmeg and allspice. Serve them Sunday over egg noodles or mashed potatoes with a spoonful of lingonberry jam. Freeze half the cooked meatballs on a tray for a future night. Later in the week, pile the rest into toasted hoagie rolls with gravy and melted provolone for warm, saucy meatball subs.

You will need: 2 lb ground beef, 1 lb ground pork, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 small onion (grated), 1/2 tsp each nutmeg and allspice, salt and pepper, 4 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup flour, 4 cups beef broth, 1 cup heavy cream, egg noodles, hoagie rolls, provolone.

How to make it: 1. Mix the meats, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, eggs, onion and spices. 2. Roll into 1 1/2 inch meatballs and brown in batches. 3. Melt butter in the pan, whisk in flour, then broth and cream, and simmer until thick. 4. Return the meatballs and simmer 15 minutes. 5. Freeze half on a sheet pan, then bag them. 6. For subs, fill toasted rolls with meatballs and gravy, top with provolone and broil until melted.

Slow Cooker Pulled Barbecue Chicken Becomes Crispy Flatbreads

Pulled barbecue chicken is about as hands-off as big-batch Sunday dinners get. Load boneless chicken thighs and breasts into the slow cooker with barbecue sauce, a little brown sugar and smoked paprika, then walk away until it shreds with a fork. Pile it on buns with coleslaw for Sunday. Later in the week, spread it over store-bought flatbreads or naan with mozzarella and thin red onion and bake until the edges crisp. A shower of fresh cilantro and a drizzle of ranch turn it into a pizza night everyone will love.

You will need: 3 lb boneless chicken thighs and breasts, 2 cups barbecue sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, burger buns, coleslaw, 4 flatbreads or naan, 2 cups shredded mozzarella, 1/2 red onion (thinly sliced), cilantro, ranch dressing.

How to make it: 1. Put the chicken in a slow cooker and top with sauce, sugar, spices and vinegar. 2. Cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours. 3. Shred in the pot and stir into the sauce. 4. Serve on buns with coleslaw. 5. For flatbreads, top each with 3/4 cup chicken, mozzarella and red onion. 6. Bake at 425°F for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp, then finish with cilantro and ranch.

Grandma Style Swiss Steak Into Open-Faced Sandwiches

Swiss steak is the old-fashioned way to turn an inexpensive round steak into something tender enough to cut with a fork. The meat is floured, browned and braised for hours in a tomato, onion and pepper gravy until it practically melts. It was one of the classic big-batch Sunday dinners in plenty of grandmas’ kitchens, served over mashed potatoes. The leftovers make a hearty open-faced sandwich: warm the steak in its gravy, spoon it over thick toasted bread and serve it with green beans for a diner-style weeknight supper.

You will need: 2 1/2 lb beef round steak, 1/2 cup flour, salt and pepper, 3 tbsp oil, 1 onion, 1 green bell pepper, 2 celery ribs, 2 garlic cloves, 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, 1 cup beef broth, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, mashed potatoes, thick sliced country bread, green beans.

How to make it: 1. Cut the steak into serving pieces, season and dredge in flour, pounding it in. 2. Brown in oil in a Dutch oven. 3. Add the vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, broth and Worcestershire. 4. Cover and bake at 325°F for 2 1/2 hours until very tender. 5. Serve over mashed potatoes. 6. Later, reheat slices in the gravy and spoon over toasted bread.