Easy Meal Prep Recipes You Need To Know About
Sometimes, your week just ends up being way more hectic than you expected it to be. We've all been there. It's already 7 p.m. on a Monday, and you so don't feel like getting creative in the kitchen or even whipping up a quick box of mac and cheese. The struggle can be very real, and there's no doubt about it: You need some easy-to-turn-to recipes you can fall back on during the week whenever you're not really in the mood to cook. You know the dishes we're talking about — those tasty favorites that you can whip up quickly on a Sunday or the beginning of the week, serve to your whole family, and everyone will savor and enjoy each bite.
From 20-minute chicken noodle soup to tuna casserole to the viral feta pasta from TikTok, we have you covered with a variety of our favorite recipes that will be ready in just about no time. That way, before a busy week totally catches you off guard, you're perfectly prepared to slay it, because you already have a tasty, fulfilling meal ready to dish up once lunchtime or dinnertime hits. Bonus points: You'll likely want to make any of these recipes over and over again.
Quiche Lorraine pairs beautifully with a fresh arugula salad or a fruit medley
One easy-to-prepare recipe you may not think of for a cozy, light meal is a scrumptious quiche Lorraine. While this is an amazing recipe to serve when you're having guests over, it's also a genius meal prep option when served with a freshly tossed arugula side salad or even a fruit medley. To put this recipe together, organize a crust, whole milk, bacon, Gruyere cheese, heavy cream, eggs, sour cream, egg yolks, white pepper, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. In one and a half hours, this delightfully cheesy dish will be complete. Just be sure to let the quiche set overnight so it's at its prime before you dig in and serve.
You'll look forward to meal prepping this crispy, breadcrumb-topped zucchini casserole
This zucchini casserole recipe is most definitely a keeper. Not only is it really delicious, but zucchini is a healthy vegetable that's rich in lots of vitamins. Interestingly enough, zucchini is considered a vegetable, but it's actually botanically considered a fruit, according to Healthline. You can save that to tell as a fun fact of the day to the family when you dish this tasty recipe up.
To prepare our crispy, breadcrumb-topped zucchini casserole, you will need zucchini, shredded cheese, eggs, onion, Parmesan cheese, a garlic clove, breadcrumbs, canola oil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. This recipe takes less than an hour to prepare and is quite easy. When you're ready to eat, sprinkle some oregano or basil on top of each serving and don't forget to set out some marinara sauce for dipping.
This quick 20-minute chicken noodle soup is the MVP of comforting meal preps
There's one comforting meal that's arguably the real, undisputed MVP of comforting meals, and that's chicken noodle soup. It's such a great choice to put together pretty quickly on any Sunday night when it's raining or you're super tired or just want something quick and easy to make for the next couple of days. It can definitely stand alone, or pairs well with a small salad, sandwich, chunk of bread, or oyster crackers.
The items you will need to whip up our 20-minute recipe include egg noodles, cooked chicken, yellow onion, celery, sliced carrots, chicken broth, minced garlic, fresh thyme, oregano, and black pepper. This is a really smart recipe to make an advance and freeze so you have it handy whenever you're hungry. Then, all you need to do to enjoy it is defrost a portion, warm it up, and savor the result.
Tuna casserole makes meal prepping a total breeze
Raise your hand if you think tuna casserole doesn't get the attention it deserves. We couldn't agree more, and that's why we have this scrumptious recipe just for you.
Tuna casserole is incredibly simple to whip up and even easier to portion out and enjoy during a busy week. This tasty dish can be served on its own or with a small bowl of soup. It can be table-ready in 40 minutes. As if that weren't great enough, it's likely that you already have all of the ingredients on hand. Our simple recipe calls for egg noodles, a can of cream of mushroom soup, frozen peas, tuna, chopped parsley, mozzarella cheese, breadcrumbs, unsalted butter, and pepper for a creamy, crunchy treat. Our recipe yields six servings. Depending on how many people you live with, this is a great dish to make and dig into on a Sunday, then have some left over for an easy lunch or dinner the next three days.
You'll be obsessed with these slow cooker Swedish meatballs
One of the simplest ways to cook a meal when you really don't feel like cooking anything elaborate but also don't want to order takeout is to pull out your slow cooker. Why not let it do the majority of work for you? Once you prep and brown your meatballs for this dish, the slow cooker does everything else, making the meal beautifully easy. Are we right or are we right?
This slow cooker Swedish meatball recipe is divine, and your family will love enjoying it during the week. The items you'll have to put together in your slow cooker include ground beef and pork, breadcrumbs, yellow onion, garlic, egg, parsley, vegetable broth, oil, kosher salt, ground pepper, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, flour, cranberry sauce, and sour cream. Fresh parsley is recommended as a garnish for the top of your dish for that extra professional touch that gives a nice pop of color to your plate.
This feta pasta went viral on TikTok for good reason
There are some meals in life that everyone will always say yes to, making them ideal for a house full of different eaters. This viral TikTok feta pasta recipe is certainly one of them. You likely saw it take over your ForYou page and have been dying to try it ever since. It's a tasty dish, surprisingly very easy to make, and looks oh-so professional. We have you covered with the recipe.
Pull together your pasta, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper, basil, garlic cloves, extra-virgin olive oil, and a shallot. You can have this delicious pasta on your table in 40 minutes, so what are you waiting for? Just know that your taste buds need to be prepared for how much flavor is coming their way.
You'll surely meal prep this tasty tuna salad over and over again
One recipe you will be sure to prepare over and over again is this refreshing tuna salad. Not only does it make a delicious meal any day or night at home, it's absolutely the perfect food for a meal prepping the beginning of the week for every member of your family to enjoy by itself or on a sandwich with fresh white bread. It's quick, easy, and oh-so tasty.
All you need to prepare this tuna salad will be white albacore tuna in water, carrots, celery, onion, mayo, and black pepper. That's it! Unless, of course, you'd like to add anything to a sandwich, like lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, or pickles. Grab some chips for the side of this dish, and you're all set to dig in!