When ketchup is all you have left, it becomes the sauce. This one-pan braise turns a half bottle into something worth eating, sweet and tangy over rice, with onion and garlic making it feel intentional.

Serves 2. 35 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 1220 calories a serving, 83 g protein, 118 g carbohydrate, 46 g fat. From USDA figures for 90% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat 1 pound chicken thighs dry, season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cook skin side down until browned, 4 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.8 min
2. Dice 1 medium onion and mince 2 cloves garlic into the same pot and cook until soft, 3 minutes, stirring often. Pour in 1 cup ketchup and 2 cups broth, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom.3 min
3. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, about 165°F [74°C] at the thickest part.15 min
4. While the chicken cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a separate pot, add 1 cup rice, and stir until coated. Pour in 2 cups water or broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes until the rice is tender.15 min
5. Taste the braising liquid and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Divide the rice between two bowls and ladle the chicken and ketchup sauce over the top.

Note Swap chicken thighs for drumsticks or wings if you prefer. The braised chicken keeps for three days in the fridge and reheats well. Serve with a sharp green salad or pickled vegetables if you have them to cut the sweetness.

A quick weeknight chicken built on the ketchup you have left, stretched with soy sauce and vinegar into a glossy glaze that coats rice. This is the dinner for finishing bottles.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 910 calories a serving, 56 g protein, 96 g carbohydrate, 32 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Put 2 cups water in a pot with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Stir in 1 cup rice, cover, and reduce to low heat; set a timer for 18 minutes.18 min
2. While rice cooks, pat 12 ounces boneless chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken skin-side down; cook without moving until golden, about 4 minutes.4 min
3. Flip the chicken and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Stir together 3 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, and 1 minced garlic clove, then pour over the chicken and reduce heat to medium.
4. Simmer, stirring the glaze occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 8 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.8 min

Note Swap any white fish for the chicken and reduce simmering time to 4 minutes. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days. Serve with a simple green salad or steamed greens on the side.

Scrambled eggs stretched with the last of the ketchup, folded in to give them color and tang. A tired cook's supper that pulls itself together in minutes, turning that half-empty bottle into dinner.

Serves 2. 10 minutes, 8 at the stove.

About 210 calories a serving, 11 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

1. Crack 4 eggs into a bowl and whisk them with 1/4 cup ketchup, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper until the color is even and slightly freckled.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until it foams. Pour in the eggs and let them sit for 30 seconds.
3. Stir gently and slowly with a spatula, pushing the cooked egg to the center as the raw egg flows to the edges, until the eggs are just set and still creamy, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.2 min

Note Soft toast with butter takes the same 10 minutes; tear it into the eggs if you like. Leftovers do not keep. A few drained canned beans stirred into the eggs at the end stretches this to hungry eating.