9 Meal Prep Recipes For Easy Make-Ahead Meals
From one-pan gnocchi and skillet orzo to baked banana oatmeal muffins, cheesecake, and Key lime Bundt cake, these meal prep options cover savory mains, lunches, snacks, sides, and desserts. Prepare chicken, pork, salmon, or coconut chicken for later meals, then add ham salad, banana oatmeal muffins, and make-ahead sweets to the plan.
Why These Meal Prep Recipes Work
- Pan And Skillet: Gnocchi bake, skillet orzo, pork tenderloin, coconut chicken, and glazed salmon provide cooked options that can support later meals or separate servings.
- Baked Comfort: Banana oatmeal muffins, cheesecake, and Key lime Bundt cake can be made ahead for snacks, dessert, or sharing.
- Quick Assembly: Ham salad combines prepared ingredients and keeps refrigerated for sandwiches, crackers, appetizers, or multiple lunches.
- Batch-Friendly Range: Four-serving mains and a six-serving casserole sit alongside muffins, salad, sides, and desserts for varied weekly planning.
1. Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Bake: One-Pan Dinner
Chicken Alfredo gnocchi casserole is a meal I make in a single 12-inch pan for one weeknight meal and several other meals throughout the week․ This recipe makes enough casserole for six people and is a good weeknight meal․ The unboiled potato gnocchi bakes in Alfredo sauce in the pan․ Top with cheese and bake․ I sear the chicken over medium-high heat until browned and fully cooked․ I transfer the chicken to a different dish and cook the garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds․ I cook this dish in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet to avoid spilling the sauce when transferring to the oven and make cleanup easier after dinner․ Don't cook the gnocchi separately using water․ Prepare the dish by adding packaged gnocchi directly to the Alfredo sauce and baking it․ Precooked gnocchi will cause the dish to fall apart․ Have the Alfredo sauce ready to simmer before adding the gnocchi․ Use freshly grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses․ Prepackaged shredded cheeses will make the Alfredo sauce grainy․ I do not purchase prepackaged mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses for this recipe․ I take the skillet off the heat with bubbling sauce and melted‚ slightly browned cheese․ I let it sit for 5 minutes‚ though you may want to eat it sooner․ Letting it sit thickens the sauce‚ allowing you to easily divide it into portions for serving․
2. Healthy Banana Oatmeal Muffins: One-Bowl Recipe for Easy Meal Prep
Banana oat muffins are soft and contain natural sugar from bananas․ Banana oat muffins are a convenient snack or meal option for kids․ Additional advantages of banana oat muffins include moist texture and short preparation time․ Only one dish is needed to prepare and clean up after making these muffins‚ and banana oat muffins can be customized in other ways․ Planning and freezing banana oat muffins provides other convenient snack options throughout the day․
3. Classic Ham Salad with Pickle Relish and Eggs
Make this ham salad recipe to eat over multiple lunches․ Refrigerate prepared ham salad to serve as an appetizer with crackers or in sandwiches․ I like to dice the ham and celery finely and combine with other ingredients‚ such as sweet pickle relish‚ to add flavors other than sweetness to the ham salad․ I diced the ham‚ celery‚ red onion‚ and egg to use them as sandwich toppings on crackers for lunch․ Undiced sandwich fillings are less convenient for making sandwiches for lunch․ When using a food processor to dice ham‚ process only a few pulses to prevent the pieces from blending together․ Ham processed too long will form a paste․ Diced fillings are less likely to slide off the crackers․ Whisk mayonnaise‚ relish‚ and Dijon until blended but before other ingredients are added․ I taste it before adding other seasonings‚ such as black pepper and salt‚ at this stage and refrigerate‚ covered‚ for at least 30 minutes․ Ham is usually cured‚ and this process will help thicken the mixture and allow the flavors of the relish to mix with the dressing․ For sandwiches‚ I serve soft white or toasted bread with a leaf of lettuce․ Other options include serving butter lettuce and iceberg lettuce cups and hollowed-out tomatoes as cold appetizers․ Pita chips and vegetables are also good alternatives to sandwiches for home parties․
4. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake with Eggless Cookie Dough
I use this recipe to make a homemade cheesecake for future consumption‚ the baked cookie crust stays firm under the cheesecake filling‚ and the unbaked cookie dough layer with mini chocolate chips remains soft (I like the distribution of mini chocolate chips on top)․ This cheesecake recipe serves 12 portions after a long chill․ Use full-fat dairy products and let dairy and eggs come to room temperature before baking with them․ I stir sugar into cream cheese until it's well blended and don't stir the batter after adding eggs and flour․ Stir the cream cheese and sugar together thoroughly before adding eggs to prevent overmixing‚ which can cause cracks as the cheesecake cools․ The water bath is a step I don't skip․ I wrap the springform pan with two layers of aluminum foil and bake the cheesecake until it's almost completely set but still a bit soft․ The cheesecake rests in the turned-off oven with the door cracked for 1 hour after baking․ I then cool it further on a rack before topping it with crumbled dough․ Heat flour in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes․ Let cool․ Mix with other ingredients․ Beat butter and sugars․ Mix in milk and vanilla․ Mix in salt and flour․ Mix in mini chips․ There are no eggs in the dough․
5. Pan-Seared Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce
Make this pork tenderloin recipe for four quickly and easily if you don't have time or energy to make dinner but want to spend a few minutes preparing food and have leftovers to use at another meal the next day․ The tenderloin will brown well when cooked this way‚ and the Dijon sauce is smooth enough to spoon over slices of rested tenderloin․ I cook mine in a large cast-iron skillet to get a crispy crust on the pork‚ though stainless steel would work as well․ I trim and peel the silverskin from the tenderloin before cooking․ Pat dry the pork‚ if necessary‚ before cooking․ Allow the butter to foam before adding the pork․ The pork will steam rather than sear․ The shallot is sautéed in a pan․ Wine is added to the same pan to lift the browned bits while the pork rests․ Mustard is added to the broth before cream is added․ The sauce is simmered until thickened․ Be careful not to let the garlic sit too long in the pan․ Overcooked garlic will taste bitter․ Slice the pork after its rest․ Place pork medallions on a plate and add sauce․ Mashed potatoes can be served on the side to add to the meal and absorb the sauce․ Steamed asparagus is another good side dish․ Top with parsley and thyme․
6. Key Lime Bundt Cake With Thick Lime Glaze
I make this Bundt cake for a dessert table when I can prepare the cake in advance and complete preparation just before serving․ This Bundt cake is moist and lime flavored with a brown topping and white icing in the grooves․ I like the thin key lime slices on the cake․ I bake in a heavy aluminum Bundt pan that holds 10 to 12 cups․ I grease and flour the pan thoroughly‚ paying special attention to nooks and crannies․ A cooking spray with lecithin can leave residue in the pan․ I beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed for 5 minutes until fluffy‚ adding one egg at a time․ Stir batter with dry ingredients in alternate batches‚ along with sour cream and juice․ Tap the counter three times to release air bubbles․ Bake until the crust is a deep golden color and the toothpick comes out clean․ After 10 minutes‚ invert it and cool completely on a wire rack․ Add glaze․ To conclude this question‚ I like a light glaze that pours off the whisk and pools on mounds (great with white glaze over green zest)․ Fresh lime slices can be added to the wet glaze‚ and a fine grater is good for adding powdered ingredients․
7. Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo: 20-Minute Make-Ahead Side Dish
Make four servings of garlic and Parmesan orzo to eat now or at a later time by cooking all the orzo in a skillet and separating it after cooling․ Top each serving with parsley․ Risotto-style orzo absorbs vegetable broth to make a tasty sauce with garlic and Parmesan flavors․ Olive oil and butter are used as fats to sauté shallots and garlic․ Red pepper flakes can be added for more flavor․ Orzo is sautéed with oil and garlic and cooked in vegetable broth․ Half and half is added at the end of cooking to make the dish creamy without using heavy cream․ Freshly grated Parmesan cheese is also added for flavor․ As orzo cooks‚ look for tender orzo and mostly drained liquid in the cooking pot‚ not an empty pot․ Turn the heat down when adding half and half․ The half and half should warm but not boil․ A common issue with this recipe is oversalting when using salted vegetable broth․ Season with salt and pepper at the end of cooking․ Use cooked orzo as a side dish with chicken‚ fish‚ or roasted vegetables․ To reheat cold orzo‚ cook it in a saucepan over low heat․ The sauce on reheated orzo may be thick; you can add milk or broth to restore its creamy consistency․ Do not freeze cooked orzo․
8. Creamy Coconut Chicken With Garlic and Ginger
This coconut chicken dish serves four dinner servings․ I make this dish for fast chicken dishes to serve over rice on busy nights․ This dish includes chicken simmered in a sauce with coconut milk‚ garlic‚ ginger‚ lime‚ and red pepper for heat․ I add a little red pepper to the sauce‚ I like a little heat in my food․ I use a large skillet to prepare this recipe so the chicken breasts have space to cook for 3-4 minutes per side․ I don't try to prevent overcrowding the skillet‚ instead‚ I cook the chicken in batches and take it off the skillet․ I also add garlic and ginger to the skillet after removing the chicken․ A cornstarch coating can help the chicken breasts brown in hot oil․ Garlic and ginger should be cooked for about 30 seconds over medium heat until fragrant and then other liquids added․ Mix sauce thoroughly and heat․ Remove chicken and skillet from heat once chicken is fully cooked and sauce has slightly reduced․ Do not reduce further to make a gravy-like sauce․ Serve with jasmine rice and fresh cilantro․ Other side dishes to serve with this sauce include steamed broccoli and green beans‚ sautéed bell peppers‚ and rice noodles․ If I were to serve this dish as part of a meal‚ such as in a bowl‚ I would choose to serve rice alongside it․
9. Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon with Garlic Soy Glaze
Recipe for brown sugar-glazed salmon yields glaze for four salmon fillets․ I like that because I often roast more than one food item on a sheet pan with the salmon for a meal․ I broil the salmon until the glaze is caramelized and the salmon can be flaked with a fork at its thickest point․ My first tip is to pat the fillets dry․ When broiling fillets with the skin on‚ I use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper․ Patting the fillets dry and cooking them with the skin on can help keep them from overcooking on the edges during broiling․ A small bowl will do for the glaze․ You don't need a saucepan․ Broiled fish should be cooked based on thickness․ Check the fish often during cooking‚ especially the edges‚ which often start to brown more quickly․ The fish is done when the top is bubbly and brown․ Good side dishes for broiled fish include asparagus․