Autumn transition menu: cook once and make the most of it all week with 14 recipes

The key is to prepare neutral bases in batches—roasted vegetables, rice or potatoes, boiled eggs, and a pot of legumes—and transform them each day with a different dressing, side dish, or protein. A single cooking session on Sunday or Monday is enough to cover lunches and dinners from the 21st to the 27th, following the logic of a weekly batch cooking plan designed to keep things simple.

The full menu, from Monday to Sunday

This weekly autumn menu is organized by temperature—cool, mild, and comforting—following the transition from summer to autumn. On Monday the 21st, a warm salad of roasted vegetables with a boiled egg for lunch and pumpkin soup with croutons for dinner. On Tuesday the 22nd, lentils with vegetables for lunch and a potato omelet with a green salad in the evening. On Wednesday the 23rd, with autumn now in full swing, stir-fried rice with chicken and roasted vegetables for lunch and lentil puree with mushrooms for dinner. On Thursday the 24th, chicken with apple and onion, and a dinner of pasta with roasted vegetables and an egg. On Friday the 25th, chickpeas with spinach, and for dinner, a potato omelet sandwich with salad. On Saturday the 26th, baked hake with boiled potatoes, and for dinner, a warm salad of sweet potato and walnuts. Sunday the 27th concludes with homemade pizza made with leftover chicken and vegetables for lunch and baked apples with light soup in the evening.

Quick summary for viewing on your mobile device

• Monday: warm salad of roasted vegetables with boiled egg / pumpkin cream with croutons.
• Tuesday: lentils with vegetables / potato omelet with green salad.
• Wednesday: stir-fried rice with chicken and roasted vegetables / lentil puree with mushrooms.
• Thursday: chicken with apple and onion / pasta with roasted vegetables and egg.
• Friday: chickpeas with spinach / tortilla sandwich with salad.
• Saturday: Baked hake with boiled potato / warm salad of sweet potato and walnuts.
• Sunday: homemade pizza made with leftover chicken and vegetables / baked apples with light soup.

Cook once, make the most of it all week!

Prepare five bases in one batch and then simply combine and reheat them on the other days. The tray of roasted vegetables—red pepper, eggplant, tomato, and onion—is the most versatile ingredient: it lands in Monday's salad, in soup, in an omelet, in Thursday's pasta, or with Wednesday's rice. Rice or boiled potatoes change roles depending on the day, and a pot of lentils or chickpeas goes from stew to purée, to stir-fry, or to salad.

Hard-boiled eggs can solve a dinner dilemma or enhance any vegetable dish. And stale bread isn't thrown away: dry it for croutons, crumble it for breadcrumbs, or use it as a crispy base. This logic links the week: Thursday's chicken reappears in Sunday's pizza, and Tuesday's omelet becomes Friday's sandwich.

Times for the five bases: preparation, storage and reheating

• Roasted vegetables. Preparation: 35-40 minutes in the oven at 200°C. Storage: up to 4 days in the refrigerator, in a sealed container. Reheating: 3-4 minutes in a pan or 1-2 minutes in the microwave; they can also be eaten warm or cold.
• Rice or boiled potatoes. Preparation: 18-20 minutes for rice, 20-25 minutes for potatoes. Storage: 3 days in the refrigerator, well covered. Reheating: Sauté for 2-3 minutes with a splash of water or oil to prevent drying; avoid reheating the rice more than once.
• Boiled eggs. Preparation: 10-12 minutes from boiling water. Storage: up to 5-6 days in the refrigerator, best left unpeeled until ready to use. Reheating: do not reheat, serve cold or at room temperature.
• Legumes (lentils or chickpeas). Preparation: 30-40 minutes if soaked beforehand, less if canned. Storage: 3-4 days in the refrigerator; freeze well for up to 3 months in individual portions. Reheating: 3-4 minutes over low heat with a little broth or water, stirring to prevent sticking.
• Stale bread (croutons or breadcrumbs). Preparation: 8-10 minutes to toast the croutons in a pan or oven. Storage: up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature. Reheating: no need to reheat, add directly to the dish.

Three recipes to nail the week

Approximate quantities for 4 servings and cooking times are approximate. Adjust the salt to your taste. These are budget-friendly homemade recipes designed to use up what you already have in the fridge.

Pumpkin cream (about 35 minutes)

You will need 600g of diced pumpkin, 1 potato, 1 leek, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, water or stock, and oil. Sauté the chopped leek, onion, and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the pumpkin and potato, cover with water or stock, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Purée the soup, season with salt and pepper, and serve with croutons from stale bread. If you have any leftover roasted vegetables, add them while puréeing.

Chicken with apple and onion (about 40 minutes)

Gather 4 chicken thighs or breasts, 2 apple wedges, 2 julienned onions, a splash of white wine (optional), oil, salt, and pepper. Brown the chicken and set it aside. In the same pan, sauté the onions for 8 to 10 minutes, add the apples, return the chicken, pour in wine or water, and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes. The sweet sauce pairs well with rice or potatoes.

Warm salad of sweet potato and walnuts (about 30 minutes)

Use 1 large diced sweet potato, a handful of walnuts, leafy greens, fresh or goat cheese (optional), and a dressing of oil, vinegar, and a touch of honey. Roast the sweet potato for 20 to 25 minutes, toss it warm with the greens, scatter over the walnuts and cheese, and dress with the dressing before serving.

Grouped shopping list

These are approximate amounts for one person per week; multiply according to the number of family members.

• Vegetables. 1 red pepper, 1 eggplant, 2 tomatoes, 3 onions, 1 leek, 1 kg of potatoes, 600 g of pumpkin, 1 large sweet potato, 200 g of spinach, 1 bag of mixed greens, 1 head of garlic (optional: 150 g of mushrooms).
• Fruits. 3-4 apples for roasting and stewing (optional: grapes or figs, a handful).
• Proteins. 4 chicken thighs or breasts, 8-10 eggs, 2 hake fillets, 250g lentils, 250g chickpeas (optional: 100g fresh or goat cheese, a handful of walnuts).
• Pantry. 250g of rice, 250g of pasta, day-old bread, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper (optional: white wine, honey, stock).

Replacements and conservation

The menu is flexible by design. No chicken? Chickpeas work in rice or on pizza. Where you'd put hake, you can use a boiled egg. And if you can't find fresh, seasonal vegetables, use frozen ones: they work just as well in soups and stir-fries. Store cooked bases in airtight containers and eat them within a few days; soups and legume stews freeze well in individual portions. Roasted vegetables taste even better the next day, and boiled eggs are best left in their shells until you're ready to use them. Only reheat what you're going to eat.

Welcoming autumn in style doesn't require heavy dishes or overspending: simply cook in batches and reinvent each staple, without forgetting a treat like air-fried cheesecake for the weekend. Save the main batch for Sunday—roasted vegetables, a lentil stew, rice or potatoes and boiled eggs—and reserve dressings, fish, or pizza for the same day. These easy autumn meals prove that a little planning is all it takes to have your fridge stocked for the whole week. Save this article to keep the list handy and share it with anyone else who wants to start the week with a well-stocked fridge.