Cook once, eat deliciously all week long.
Maybe you're busy and don't have the time to cook a gourmet meal every night, or perhaps you're just getting tired of constantly cooking. These meal prep recipes are perfect for you. Make everything on Sunday and enjoy these meals that keep on giving for the rest of the week.
Sweet Peas and Saffron / Via sweetpeasandsaffron.com
Use whatever kind of meat (ground chicken, pork, or beef) or keep things vegetarian with something like sweet potato and black beans.
Recipe: Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls
Platings and Pairings / Via platingsandpairings.com
Butter chicken is one of those comforting take-out meals that is actually surprisingly easy to make at home. Heat it up with some frozen naan and basmati rice for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Recipe: Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
4. Shrimp Fried Rice Bowls
Damn Delicious / Via damndelicious.net
Skip the take-out this week and instead, make a big batch of this veggie-packed shrimp fried rice. If shrimp isn't your favorite, swap in anything from chicken to tofu.
Recipe: Shrimp Fried Rice Bowls
5. Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
Eating Instantly / Via eatinginstantly.com
Frozen shrimp, peas, and your favorite pasta cook in the Instant Pot in a tangy and rich butter, garlic, and lemon sauce. Add the Parmesan cheese right before you're done cooking so it melts into the pasta.
Recipe: Instant Pot Shrimp Scampi
6. Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
A Spicy Perspective / Via aspicyperspective.com
A big pot of soup will keep you full (and feeling extra cozy) all week. You can make this with whatever kind of pasta you have on hand, but cheese-filled tortellini is always a good idea.
Recipe: Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
I am a Food Blog / Via iamafoodblog.com, I Am a Food Blog / Via iamafoodblog.com
Don't worry if you don't have lo mein noodles: you can make this classic Chinese-inspired dish with spaghetti. If you're not into salmon, you can use this same honey garlic marinade on any protein.
Recipe: Honey Garlic Salmon Lo Mein
Gimme Some Oven / Via gimmesomeoven.com
Start with your favorite grain, cook some beef, mix up a crunchy cucumber slaw, and prepare the spicy gochujang dressing. Store everything separately in the fridge, then combine everything into one bowl at meal time.
Recipe: Korean Steak Bowls
9. Spiralized Pad Thai Chicken Meal Prep Bowls
The Girl On Bloor / Via thegirlonbloor.com
This lightened up dish is made with zucchini noodles, but you can also use rice noodles for a more traditional pad Thai.
10. Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese
Platings and Pairings / Via platingsandpairings.com
Celery, carrots, onion, mushrooms, and lentils cooked in a mixture of red wine, crushed tomatoes, and spices gives this vegetarian dish a surprisingly meaty texture. Tossed with some pasta, you won't get sick of this recipe anytime soon.
Recipe: Instant Pot Lentil Bolognese
11. Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls
Le Creme de la Crumb / Via lecremedelacrumb.com
Prepare the cucumber salad and the Greek marinated chicken in a big batch, then serve everything on top of orzo throughout the week. If you don't have time to make tzatziki from scratch, grab a store-bought version.
Recipe: Greek Chicken Gyro Bowls
12. Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad
The Defined Dish / Via thedefineddish.com
While traditionally made with tuna, this salmon niçoise salad is nutritious, super fresh, and filling. Roast the salmon, green beans, and potatoes on a sheet pan and boil a handful of hard boiled eggs, and you'll have all the key ingredients ready to eat.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Salmon Niçoise Salad
Eating Instantly / Via eatinginstantly.com
Instant Pot to the rescue! This one-pot meal never disappoints. Best of all, you can use pretty much whatever veggies are in your fridge.
Cotter Crunch / Via cottercrunch.com
The marinade — made with barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and honey — is light and zesty.
Recipe: Honey Baked BBQ Salmon Bowls
I Wash Your Dry / Via iwashyoudry.com, I Wash You Dry / Via iwashyoudry.com
Roasting carnitas in the oven can take all day, but this Instant Pot version cuts down the cooking time drastically. Enjoy the crispy pork all week in tacos, on burrito bowls, or on a bun.
Recipe: Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas
Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com
Made with tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and Sriracha (if you like some heat), you'll want to put this easy homemade sesame sauce on everything.
Recipe: Sesame Noodle Bowls
Sweet Peas and Saffron / Via sweetpeasandsaffron.com
Homemade falafel takes a bit of patience, but if you cook a big batch you can freeze it for months. Serve these crispy baked falafel balls on top of a big salad (slice the veggies in advance to save even more time!) or in pita bread.
Recipe: Falafel Salad Bowls
Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com
It may be getting cold outside, but you can transport yourself to the Caribbean sunshine with this spicy and zesty jerk chicken.
Peanut Butter and Fitness / Via peanutbutterandfitness.com
The greatest thing about curry is that once you prepare the sauce, you can add whatever protein and veggies you like best. Make a big bowl of rice and spoon the curry over the grains throughout the week.
Recipe: Red Thai Curry Meal Prep
Our Salty Kitchen / Via oursaltykitchen.com
Make a bunch of chicken breasts on Sunday, shred it with a fork, and douse it in buffalo sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder. Follow the recipe and enjoy it in lettuce cups or get creative — eat it in sandwich form or even in tacos.
Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
The Food Charlatan / Via thefoodcharlatan.com
These individually-portioned chicken pot pies are ideal for meal prepping. If you don't finish them all within a few days, pop them into the freezer for future lazy nights.
Recipe: Muffin Tin Chicken Pot Pies
22. Caprese Chicken Salad Bowls
Sweet Peas and Saffron / Via sweetpeasandsaffron.com
Not a quinoa person? Swap in your favorite grain or, better yet, your favorite kind of pasta!
Recipe: Caprese Chicken Salad Bowls
Pinch of Yum / Via pinchofyum.com
This lower-carb take on fried rice will still satisfy your comfort food cravings. Feel free to customize your bowls by adding your favorite fresh or frozen veggies and protein.
Vanilla and Bean / Via vanillaandbean.com
There's something about this veggie-packed orzo that just gets more delicious as it sits in the fridge. If you're worried about it getting soggy, prepare the olive oil and lemon dressing but keep it on the side.