So many times, we’ve had to settle for cereal in the morning, a boring sandwich for lunch, or takeout for dinner because we were too busy to make a decent meal. But with some planning, you can have hearty, creative, and downright delicious foods for every meal — whether you’re looking to stock the fridge for the week or freeze food for those future days when you’re in a pinch. Don’t settle; instead, plan ahead with these 22 meal prep recipes that each makes at least four servings.
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Baked ziti
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Baked ziti is always something we like to have in our freezer. It’s an easily reheatable meal when you have nothing else to make or don’t feel like putting an entire dinner together from scratch, and it’s also easy to make the first time. This simple six-serving recipe from Gift of Hospitality calls for just pasta, marinara, Italian sausage, mozzarella, and ricotta.
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Beef & broccoli
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Beef & broccoli is a simple make-ahead meal that’s easy to reheat on the stove or in the microwave. This one-pot version from Momsdish makes a whopping eight servings using nine ingredients. You can make it with rice and store it in the fridge or make it with noodles and put it in the freezer.
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Beef stew
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Beef stew is hearty and filling thanks to big chunks of chuck roast, carrots, potatoes, and onions. This freezer-friendly six-serving recipe from Healthy Fitness Meals includes directions for a Dutch oven, slow cooker, and instant pot.
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Black bean and corn salad
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Black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro, red onion, avocado, and cotija cheese combine with a lime, avocado, and garlic dressing in this zesty southwestern salad. As Love & Lemons will tell you, the recipe makes four large servings and will stay in the fridge for three days—so eat one serving as soon as you make it! (Just hold off on adding the avocado until you’re ready to eat each day.)
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Breakfast sandwiches
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Store-bought breakfast sandwiches are loaded with extra sodium, so make this English muffin meat, cheese, and egg sandwiches courtesy of Tastes Better From Scratch and freeze them for future use. To reheat, thaw them in the fridge overnight and then put them in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven.
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Chicken noodle soup
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Chicken noodle soup is a hearty, filling, well-balanced meal that’s the perfect pick-me-up when you’re sick, feeling cold, or just looking for some comfort food. This version from Happy Money Saver with spaghetti noodles, carrots, and celery makes six servings and is freezer-friendly.
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Chicken salad
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Cooking chicken every day can be time-consuming. Free up your schedule by making this sweet-and-salty, and tender-yet-crunchy chicken salad from Bowl of Delicious made with grapes, red onion, celery, and walnuts. It makes four servings and will last four full days in the fridge. Serve it as a sandwich or wrap, or just eat it by the spoonful.
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Chicken taquitos
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The next time you need a quick dinner, lunch, or even breakfast, you’ll be happy you have these chicken taquitos from Salty Canary in your freezer. Pulled chicken, cream cheese, cheddar, lime juice, and some spices form the basis of these taquitos, and the recipe will make about 30 — meaning you’ll have plenty to save for later.
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Chicken teriyaki stir fry
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Stir fry is a great make-ahead meal because you can easily reheat everything together, and you can customize the ingredients to your liking. This version from Tasty makes four servings using chicken, rice, broccoli, and bell peppers in a from-scratch teriyaki sauce.
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Egg muffins
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Egg muffins are the perfect solution if you like to eat eggs daily but are often on the go. You can prep them all at once and easily heat them up before you head out the door or zap them later at the office. Cafe Delites will tell you how to make egg muffins three ways: spinach/tomato/mozzarella, bacon/cheddar, and garlic/mushroom/peppers. Or customize them to your liking!
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Lemon pepper chicken
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Not only is this lemon pepper chicken from Tasty easy to reheat, but it’s also simple to make in the first place! Just season your asparagus, season your chicken, put it all on a parchment-lined pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Makes four servings.
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Mongolian beef
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Mongolian beef is thin and tender, but the tangy sauce is the star of this recipe from Sweet Peas and Saffron…and the fact that it’s meal prep-friendly. There’s also no high fructose corn syrup or other questionable ingredients in this sauce — just water, honey, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic, and ginger. Broccoli and basmati rice are the suggested sides, but feel free to sub your own.
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Orzo salad
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Cucumbers, red peppers, red onion, feta cheese, and both green and Kalamata olives go into this orzo salad from Foodie Crush. The big-batch recipe also features a simple from-scratch vinaigrette made from canola oil, olive oil, lemon juice, and oregano.
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Pancakes
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Did you know you can freeze pancakes? If not, then it’s going to blow your mind when we tell you that you can also reheat them in the toaster. Get the details from The Coffee Mom.
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Pesto pasta
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This pesto pasta is another one-tray meal from Tasty.But instead of parchment paper, you cook the pasta, pesto, cherry tomatoes, and seasonings in aluminum foil boats. Don’t worry, Tasty has a video to show you how to construct these versatile little vessels. Make the meal on Monday, and it’ll get you through the week.
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Roasted salmon
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If you think salmon is something you have to prepare fresh each time, think again! A Sweet Pea Chef can show you how to meal prep salmon step by step, including a four-serving recipe for pan-roasted salmon with brown garlic rice and garlic parmesan green beans.
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Sausage and vegetables
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This Cajun sausage and vegetable recipe from Budget Bytesis fully customizable. Prefer a different colored pepper? Swap it out. Don’t like mushrooms? Lose ‘em. You can even ditch the sausage if you’re so inclined, as chicken, shrimp, or some other protein also works well (just add some extra Cajun seasoning).
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Steel cut oats
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This ain’t instant oatmeal. Instead of a minute in the microwave, steel-cut oats need about a half-hour of simmering time, but it’s worth it for these superior oats packed with protein, fiber, and other nutrients. You only need a handful of simple ingredients, but this recipe from Nikki Vegan also suggests adding apples, cinnamon, and raisins.
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Tuna salad
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This recipe from Workweek Lunchmakes three servings specifically so you can eat it throughout the week. (Keep in mind: Tuna lasts in the fridge for 3-5 days.) In addition to tuna and mayo, this version kicks up the flavor with onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, celery, bell pepper, and relish.
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Tuscan white bean soup
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Looking for a meal prep recipe that’s vegan-friendly? Try this one-pot Tuscan white bean soup from Eat With Clarity. Cannellini beans are the star, but carrots, celery, and kale play the most notable supporting roles.
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Vegetarian chili
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Chili is comforting in the winter, but we honestly enjoy it all year long, especially if it’s as good as this version from Cookie and Kate made with tomatoes, two types of beans, red peppers, red onion, carrots, celery, and the perfect blend of spices. This recipe makes five servings and lasts four days in the fridge, but it’s also scalable, so you can make a huge batch and easily freeze & reheat it.
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Yogurt parfait
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This simple breakfast is just Greek yogurt, granola, and fruit, but it’s still so much easier with meal prep. You can wash and cut the fruit ahead of time, layer it in a mason jar, and be ready for a quick breakfast at home or at work. Just do yourself a favor and make the granola yourself — this recipe from The Girl On Bloor can help.
