Five Dinners, One Less Thing to Worry About
Sunday Supper Through Thursday Leftovers
One pot roast on Sunday. Dinner solved through Thursday.
Cook one big pot roast on Sunday, then ride it through the week. The weeknight recipes below are written for fresh meat, but each one includes our swap so your leftover roast does the heavy lifting — the flavors only get better by Wednesday.
Pot Roast
The Sunday investment. Make the full recipe — the leftovers ARE the plan.
Crispy Steak Quesadillas with Peppers and Onions
Swap: use shredded leftover roast instead of the steak — skip the searing step entirely.
Ground Beef and Potato Hash
Swap: chopped leftover roast instead of ground beef. Hash was invented for exactly this.
Slow Cooker Beef Ragu
Swap: shred the remaining roast straight into the sauce and skip the browning — it only needs to warm through and soak.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
No-beef night. You have earned soup and bread. Fridge is clean, week is won.
The Shopping List
Every ingredient from all 5 recipes, grouped by store section. (D1–D5 = which dinner needs it. Quantities are per recipe — check each before you shop, and skip what your pantry already has.)
Produce
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 large carrot, shredded or finely diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 medium poblano pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1.5 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces (about 1 large head)
- 4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Fresh parsley and hot sauce, for serving
- Grated Parmesan and fresh basil, for serving
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- Sour cream, salsa, and lime wedges, for serving
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Meat & Seafood
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 cup dry red wine (or additional beef broth)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound top sirloin steak, ¾–1 inch thick
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 2 pounds chuck roast, cut into large chunks
- 3 to 4 pounds boneless chuck roast
Dairy & Eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or neutral oil, for crisping
- 4 eggs, optional for topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded from the block
Bakery & Bread
- 4 large burrito-size flour tortillas
Pantry
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water (for gravy, optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
Spices & Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Everything Else
- 1 pound pappardelle or rigatoni
Prep-Ahead Moves
- Sunday, while the roast rests: portion the leftovers into three containers labeled Mon / Tue / Wed. Future dinners are now inevitable.
- Save every drop of the braising liquid — Wednesday’s ragu wants it instead of some of the broth.
- Shred, don’t slice, the leftover portions. Shreds reheat without drying out.
Leftover Strategy
- This entire plan IS the leftover strategy. If the roast runs out early, Thursday’s soup moves up a day and nobody loses.
- Braising liquid freezes into gold cubes for future gravies.