The grill, it turns out, is tailor-made for meal prep. These new recipes from our Test Kitchen prove it. Each one will maximize your weekend time outdoors: Just seamlessly scale up the protein (double or even triple), yielding plenty of leftovers for days to come. Make this Peruvian-Style Tofu With Creamy Cilantro Sauce the star at your Saturday picnic, then use the surplus tofu to level up your lettuce wraps on Tuesday. Or roll out Grilled Steak With Spicy Peanut Dressing for a backyard BBQ, then turn the extras into an enviable cold rice noodle bowl enjoyed al-desk-o. So make the most of that precious time in the sun, and reap the rewards all week long.
Grilled Italian Sausage With Pickle-y Peppers
Scale up: Get two coils of sausage, cooking both and setting aside one for the week ahead.
What to do with leftovers: Hoagies, grinders, subs, whatever you call them, leftover sausage and peppers are practically begging to fill a sandwich. Top yours with mayo and call it a day. Or go one level up in the effort department and boil some pasta for a quick any-night dinner that tastes like you spent the day cooking. —Mallary Santucci, senior culinary producer
Peruvian-Style Tofu With Creamy Cilantro Sauce
Scale up: Double the tofu. Consider doubling the sauce, depending on your group size.
What to do with leftovers: The recipe makes for a generous amount of green sauce; double it if you’re feeding a particularly large crowd. Leftover sauce is worth its weight in gold—excellent over nachos or fried eggs or served as a sidecar to sandwiches and quesadillas. Bonus tofu can be snipped into small bites and scattered over a noodle salad or tucked into lettuce wraps. —Shilpa Uskokovic, senior Test Kitchen editor
Grilled Steak With Spicy Peanut Dressing
Scale up: This one’s easy: Buy a second flank steak and double the marinade.
What to do with leftovers: Cold sliced steak doesn’t even need to be reheated; it’s perfect as is. Try it over a bowl of steamed rice or cold noodles, with big slices of salted tomatoes and a swipe of mayo in a quick sandwich, or topped on a truly dinner-worthy salad with an extra glug of dressing. —Jesse Szewczyk, senior Test Kitchen editor
Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Thighs
Scale up: Double up on chicken thighs and marinade.
What to do with leftovers: Before you top your chicken with cucumber and cilantro, squirrel some away for a sandwich the next day. Split a warmed hoagie roll in half and spread with butter or mayonnaise mixed with a spoonful of oyster sauce. Build the sandwich with cold or room-temperature grilled chicken, ribbons of carrot and cucumber, more cilantro, and some hot sauce, such as sriracha. —S.U.