The Huge Batch of Rice You Cook Like Pasta

TheSunday Stashis a large batch of one simple, easy-to-make food that can be mix-and-matched with meat, vegetables, grains, and pasta to create meals throughout the week (or, if frozen, the month).

Big-Batch Ground Beef Without All the Work

On especially busy Sunday evenings, when we've gotten home late or the weekend's parade of play rehearsal/piano lessons/birthday parties has been particularly relentless and we just don't have the energy to cook, I give up on trying to meal prep for the week and just make a big pot of rice.

My children love it. (In fact, "rice" made my younger daughter's first-grade list of her Top 5 Favorite Things, along with "steak," which got the top spot. "My family" was relegated to fourth place.) Rice is one of those magical foods that you can combine with anything and it feels like a meal. (Rice + beans = dinner. Rice + roasted broccoli = dinner. Rice + eggs = the best dinner.) So having it pre-made in the fridge, or freezer, is great insurance against feeling overwhelmed come 6pm on a weeknight.

Making a huge pot of rice, however, can be tricky. You have to nail the proportion of rice to water, which varies depending on what type of rice you're making. You have to make sure the pot stays at a simmer. And if you take the lid off too soon and let all that lovely steam escape? Total rice amateur move.

If you have a rice cooker, of course, you don't have to worry about any of that, which is why my rice cooker is hands down my favorite kitchen appliance. (And theBon AppétitTest Kitchen agrees.) But if you don't have one, there's a really easy way to cook rice—any rice—without worrying about measurements or simmer intensity: cook it in a big pot of boiling water, like pasta.

This technique is especially useful when you're making a really big pot of rice, as all that boiling water helps cook the rice faster than the usual steaming method. And it's just so, so easy.

Here's how you do it: Bring a large pot of water to boil (we suggest 18 cups, but after you've made this recipe once and gotten a sense of how much water that is, you can just eyeball it) with some salt and a little white vinegar. (You won't really taste the vinegar, but it helps give the rice a little more flavor.) Then add the rice and simmer until it's cooked through but not mushy—just like pasta—which can take between 10-20 minutes, depending on the variety of rice. When it's done, strain it through a fine-mesh strainer.

Big-Batch Rice

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The great thing about making a huge batch of rice at once (our "recipe" yields 14 cups) is that you can portion out some of the rice and freeze it for up to four months. And once you have cooked rice on hand, there are countless ways to turn it into dinner. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Pan-Fry Into Crispy Rice Fritters

Mix rice with chopped or grated veggies and an egg, then fry some bite-sized fritters your kids will go nuts for.Here's how to do it.

2. Throw It Into Soup

If your leftover rice is in the freezer, there's no need to defrost it if you're using it in soup: just add rice directly to a pot of simmering broth and let it warm through. This works beautifully with chicken broth—I love it with a little grated ginger and a swirl of sesame oil—or asimple tomato soup.

3. Add It to a Frittata

Frittatas are, in general, the perfect vehicle for repurposing leftovers; adding a cup or two of rice to any recipe will add bulk and a nice, chewy texture.

Use-It-Up Frittata

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4. Make Fried Rice

We have many delicious recipes for fried rice, but youdon't really need a recipe to make it—and you don't need to stick to strictly Asian ingredients to flavor it (though that is always a delicious option). For a change of pace, try frying rice with bacon, mushrooms, and greens, or chopped tomatoes and Italian sausage.

5. Turn It Into a Grain Salad

I lovemaking grain saladswith rice—especially brown rice, with its nutty flavor and chewy texture. The beauty of a grain salad is how flexible it is: you can take any cooked grain, add almost any cooked or raw vegetable, and toss with a delicious dressing and you'll have a fantastic, hearty salad. If you're adding raw vegetables, choose hardier ones that won't break down quickly (think: cucumber, bell peppers, carrots, radishes). To finish with a little protein, add leftover roast chicken, canned or cooked beans, little mozzarella balls, a sprinkling of feta (my personal favorite), even cubes of tofu.

6. Stuff Peppers (Or Eggplants. Or Tomatoes. Or Cabbage.)

Stuffed peppers can feel a little old-school, but this classic dish is really good when done well. Instead of making the typical ground beef version, try combining the rice with sautéed mushrooms instead. Don't skimp on the cheese (I love the combo of Parmesan and mozzarella inthis recipe) or the crispy breadcrumbs on top.

7. Make a Big Pot of Rice Pudding

As my coworker Anna Stockwell mentions in thisprimer on rice pudding, if you start with cooked rice, you can make this comforting dessert in just 15 minutes. Rice pudding will work with whatever rice you have—brown rice, jasmine rice, red rice—and any kind of milk, dairy or not. You can serve the pudding on its own, maybe topped with a little cinnamon, or pair it with a quickcompote(frozen cherries or berries are perfect for this). If you do eat dairy, I highly recommend topping each serving with a drizzle of heavy cream.

8. Turn It Into a Rice Bowl

The original grain bowl, a scoop of warm rice topped with a little protein, some greens, and maybe something a little pickle-y makes for such an easy dinner, particularly if you have other leftovers on hand (like our favoriteslow-cooker shredded chicken, which also freezes beautifully, or a big pot ofcreamy beans).This combinationof rotisserie chicken, spiced chickpeas, and avocado is an office favorite.

Grain Bowls With Chicken, Spiced Chickpeas, and Avocado

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9. Top With a Pat of Butter and Go to Town

No, it's not fancy. Yes, it's very good.