Cooking a few grains is an easy way to diversify your meal prep each week. Simple recipes for proteins, grains, veggies, and sauces give you the tools to pull together meals that match your mood, your schedule, and whatever’s hanging out in the fridge. The idea is to batch once and enjoy different meals all week.
Here we explore some very simple grain recipes that you can easily mix and match with different veggies and protein.
For recipes on proteins, veggies, and sauces, check out our guide to batch cooking.
Quinoa
Quinoa can be a great base for a grain bowl. It can also be wonderful scrambled with eggs whites and veggies for a powerhouse breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1.75 cup broth
- 1 Garlic Clove
Instructions
- Wash the quinoa until water runs clear.
- Add quinoa and broth to a pan and heat to simmer
- Cover and cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from heat, add garlic clove whole, and let sit for 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes fluff with a fork and either eat or store
Cooked Rice
Leftover rice has endless versatility. You could make a breakfast fried rice, mix with beans and fresh herbs for a hearty side, or make a single serve rice pudding when you are feeling like something sweet.
Ingredients
- 1.75 Cup Water
- 1 Cup long grain rice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter or oil – optional
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil
- Add Rice, Salt and, if using, oil
- Stir and then cover
- Simmer 18 minutes and then leave covered to steam for 5 more minutes
- Fluff and serve
Cooked Pasta
Pasta is a savior of many a family with picky kiddos. Utilize batched ingredients so everyone can put together their own pasta bowl. Offer things like cooked veggies, pesto or pasta sauce, cheese, and proteins so everyone can get what they want.
Ingredients
- Your favorite pasta
- Water
- Salt
- Olive Oil or Butter
Instructions
- Boil the pasta based on the cooking instructions in generously salted the water.
- Drain pasta when cooked to desired doneness
- Toss with a generous amount of olive oil or butter. The pasta will absorb more as it sits in the fridge
- Store in an airtight container in fridge