Mise en place means “everything in its place” — it is how chefs stay organized for busy dinner service. At home, the same mindset can make daily cooking easier and more enjoyable.
You can love to cook and still feel overwhelmed by the grind of everyday meals. Traditional batch cooking (think giant pots of chili) often leads to waste — of food and money. This approach is just as simple but way more flexible: roast a few veggies, then mix and match with grains, proteins, and sauces all week long. Find the full guide to batch cooking here.
With a few prepared basics in your fridge, you’ve got a build-your-own meal station ready to go — perfect for busy nights and picky eaters alike.
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes chopped
- 4 zucchinis chopped
- 4 bell peppers chopped
- 2 large red or yellow onions chopped
Servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Toss each veggie with a little olive oil and salt. You can use the same bowl — just don’t mix them together.
- Spread everything out on a couple of sheet pans, keeping each type of veggie in its own “zone.”
- Roast until tender and golden: Zucchini, Peppers, and onions usually are done in 15–20 min. Sweet potatoes might need a little longer to cook. Maybe 25–30 min. Remove each section as it’s ready so nothing gets mushy.
- Store each veggie in its own container in the fridge — veggies can stay good for about 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Note: But wait! Where is the rest of the seasoning? If you are reheating, you can add seasoning at that time, you miss a little of the seasoning in the roasting process, but you will still get quite a bit of flavor!
Meal Ideas – Hot or Cold!
Breakfast Hash: Toss sweet potatoes, peppers, and onions with bacon ends or a soft egg for a cozy, quick breakfast.
Quick Succotash: Warm up zucchini, peppers, and onions with thawed frozen corn and a little butter.
Grain Bowls: Layer veggies over rice, quinoa, or farro, add a protein (beans, tofu, chicken), and drizzle with a favorite sauce.
Tacos or Wraps: Pile veggies into a tortilla with shredded chicken or beans and top with yogurt sauce or salsa.
Looking for ideas and recipes for the rest of the batch cooking elements? Check out our beginner's guide to batch cooking here.
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