Handy Chef
Let’s be honest, cooking dinner every night can be a real pain. This is where meal prep may come in handy. The practice, which basically means you cook entire meals or dishes ahead of schedule and often in bulk, is an excellent way to save time on busy weeknights. It also tends to be easier on your wallet as well, since it requires that you grocery shop ahead of time and plan for several meals at once, reducing the likelihood of any impulse or duplicate purchases.
However, like anything else, even meal prep can get tedious if you do it often enough and find yourself making the same dishes over and over again. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a list of 20 healthy meal prep recipe ideas we’re betting you haven’t tried before. Easy dishes we love include Slow-Cooker Ragù With Spaghetti Squash, Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies, and more. Keep reading for additional meal prep ideas you’re bound to love!
Tofu Fried Rice
Fred Hardy
This 25-minute vegetarian fried rice dish is full of bold flavor and hearty ingredients that will leave you and your table feeling satisfied. Raisins give a burst of sweet flavor, while lemon juice brings a zing to the mix. Drizzle with creamy yogurt just before serving. This recipe serves four, and you could always make more if you want to prep it ahead of time and have the leftovers last for a few days.
Sun-Dried Tomato Butter Salmon and Broccolini
Fred Hardy
Since this meal sounds so impressive it’s hard to believe that it comes together in 25 minutes, but the clock doesn’t lie. For this sheet pan wonder, salmon is seasoned with butter, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and garlic before being roasted alongside broccolini. To flavor the bright green vegetable, top it with a few squeezes of lemon juice and some grated Parmesan cheese once it’s out of the oven. Whip this up on a Sunday and portion it out for the rest of the week so all you have to do when you get home is heat it up.
Hoisin-Serrano Meatballs and Rice Noodle Salad
Greg DuPree Food Stylist: Emily Hall Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen
Prep this sweet and spicy noodle salad on Sunday and you’ll have five additional servings to enjoy throughout the week. The succulent meatballs are jam-packed with flavor thanks to the sweetness of hoisin sauce and the spiciness of chili-garlic sauce and serrano chilis, while the rice noodles are dressed with the same flavorful combo. Cooling cucumbers, carrots, and lettuce, which you can add separately to each serving, balance out the heat.
Slow-Cooker Ragù With Spaghetti Squash
Our favorite part about this recipe is that you can cook the Bolognese-inspired sauce and the spaghetti squash in the slow cooker at the same time, which makes it great for meal prep. The result is an easy, hands-off dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Shave some Parmesan on top of each serving and you’re good to go.
Sausage and Mushroom Cassoulet
Jennifer Causey
This hearty yet healthy dish is comfort food at its finest, and takes just an hour to make. You’ll start by searing mushrooms that are torn into pieces instead of sliced or chopped. Then onion, carrots, and kielbasa cook in olive oil to soften and pick up color before cannellini beans and thyme join the fun. The finishing touch is a cheesy breadcrumb topping, which you don’t want to miss. To make this dish ahead of time, simply hold off on the topping until you’re ready to dig in. You can refrigerate the cassoulet for three days, and prior to serving, transfer it to a broiler-safe pan. Reheat the cassoulet on the stove-top, then top with the panko mixture, and broil until golden.
Slow-Cooker Coq au Vin
Coq au vin is typically a very labor-intensive meal to prepare, which is why it’s a great dish to make in the slow cooker. By using the appliance in this case, all you need to do is prepare the bacon and chicken before tossing those ingredients into the slow cooker with everything else. The result is a decadent meal that’s ridiculously easy to prepare. Plus, since this recipe makes enough for six, it’s a solid meal prep option to feast on throughout the week.
Red Curry Veggie Stew
Who doesn’t love stew, especially one that’s ready in 30 minutes? This vegan recipe is great for meal prep because it comes together quickly and is packed with flavor. Plus, it stores well too. Here, warm and toasty Thai curry paste and creamy coconut milk add flavor and silkiness to each veggie-packed bowl, while lime zest and chopped cashews contribute brightness and crunch. Serve over rice (which you will cook and store separately) and you’re good to go.
Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
CAITLIN BENSEL
Sausage and peppers is an Italian classic, and thanks to a single sheet pan, this version of the beloved dish comes together in just 20 minutes. That’s because the Italian pork sausages, bell peppers, tomatoes, and shallots all head for a quick bake under the broiler at the same time. Serve with crusty bread (or on a roll) to sop up all of the flavorful juices.
Chicken Orzo Skillet
Jennifer Causey
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are the backbone of this one-pot meal, which is made with an array of ingredients you likely already have at home. Here, orzo is studded with the aforementioned chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and plenty of spinach. The balanced mixture boasts plenty of rich flavor thanks to some dry white wine, chicken stock, and creamy half-and-half.
Slow Cooker Birria Bowls
Birria, a rustic Mexican stew, is a version of barbacoa that can be made with beef, lamb, or pork. This one is made with chuck roast that simmers in the slow cooker with diced tomatoes, jalapeño, and chiles in adobo sauce. There are six servings here, and we recommend simmering all of the meat and cooking the rice at once so you can portion everything out. Then, once you’re ready to eat the birria, top each bowl with Monterey Jack cheese and avocado.
Rotisserie Chicken Chili
Fred Hardy
This quick and easy chili recipe requires very little in terms of prep, but yields four servings. Just cook a chopped onion in a stock pot before adding the remaining ingredients, which include two cans of pinto beans, a can of green chiles, chicken stock, and masa harina (a gluten-free flour made from corn). The shredded rotisserie chicken adds heft without requiring any additional cooking.
Slow-Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast Rice Bowls
Fred Hardy
In this set-it-and-forget-it recipe, a boneless pork shoulder cooks with shallots, beef broth, and butter, while pepperoncini and a packet of ranch dressing mix deliver some serious flavor. The roast is served in bowls with rice, shredded romaine lettuce, and cilantro for a simple meal that’s easy to prep beforehand.
Sheet Pan Pierogies With Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Shallots, and Mustard Dressing
In this sheet-pan dinner recipe, classic cheese and potato pierogies, which you can buy frozen, are the stars of the show. Shallots and Brussels sprouts roast alongside the dumplings to make a complete meal on one sheet pan, and the whole spread is topped with a zingy mustard dressing. This recipe makes enough for four servings, but feel free to double it if you want even more.
Chickpea-Harissa Stew With Meatballs
Jen Causey
This one-pot dinner idea is cozy, nourishing, and the perfect dinner recipe to prep ahead of time. The key here is the one-stop shop spice blend, which is made with ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and more. It flavors the meatballs and the broth, which also includes chickpeas, tomatoes, and spinach, which you’ll stir in at the end. The soup will keep for several days, and you can also make extra meatballs to add to salads, grain bowls, tacos, and more.
Turkey-Pumpkin Chili
This dish is the epitome of fall flavors—chili, pumpkin, and ground turkey—in a warm, nourishing bowl with a couple twists from traditional chili. It features cannellini beans (instead of pintos) and is seasoned with just coriander and paprika (instead of chili powder and cumin), but goes great with tortilla chips just the same. Whip up a pot before the work week starts, and you’ll have dinner for several days.
Slow-Cooker Puttanesca With Roasted Broccolini
While nothing beats a homemade tomato sauce, the near-constant stirring the spaghetti topping requires doesn’t leave room for you to do much else during the day. However, if you use a slow cooker to make tomato sauce (in this case a puttanesca) the appliance does all the hard work for you. While the slow cooker is ensuring your noodles will have a rich and tangy sauce, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare the easy broccolini side and boil some pasta. Use food storage containers to portion everything out for the week.
Slow-Cooker Pork With Peppers and Olives
Cuban ropa vieja meets irresistibly tender pork in this easy slow-cooker recipe that serves eight. The dish also includes a tomato-y bell pepper and onion sauce, along with pimiento-stuffed olives, and generous amounts of oregano, cumin, and garlic. The result is a deeply satisfying and flavorful meal that you can portion out with black beans and white rice to ensure you stay satiated all week long.
Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas
This Mexican-inspired meal takes just 30 minutes and one sheet pan to make. The baking sheet will get a head start in the oven, so when the shrimp and veggies hit the pan, the shrimp will get a subtle sear. Once the main ingredients are done cooking, wrap them in warm tortillas and serve with all the fixings, such as sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado. If you get tired of the fajita element, serve the shrimp and vegetable leftovers over rice or salad instead.
Slow-Cooker Chicken Tostadas
In this recipe, boneless, skinless chicken thighs are cooked in a slow cooker with onions, tomatillo salsa, and poblano chiles. The result is ridiculously tender meat with a tangy taste, which is the perfect tostada topper. While the slow cooker is handling the chicken, all you need to do is make a quick pico de gallo and sprinkle some crumbled queso fresco on the finished product, which should last for a few days.
Grandma Pie With Pepperoni and Pink Sauce
As it turns out, you don’t need to leave the house or pick up the phone to get restaurant-quality pizza. To make this pie, stretch the pizza dough to the corners of a baking sheet and top with a homemade tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and onion slices. It’s pizza time—and it will be for the rest of the week!
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