Meal prepping can make weeknight dinners a breeze, saving you time and effort while ensuring you eat well. With a little planning, you can prepare a variety of dishes that are easy to store and reheat. Here are 23 simple dinner ideas that are perfect for meal prep, allowing you to enjoy delicious home-cooked meals throughout the week.
Southwest Salad with Honey Chipotle Chicken
This Southwest Salad is packed with black beans, corn, avocado, and spicy honey chipotle chicken, all topped with a zesty cilantro lime dressing. It's a filling salad that's fresh, flavorful, and simple to prepare!
Lamb Meatballs with Cilantro & Lemon
Lamb meatballs are easy to make and full of fresh lemon and cilantro flavor. They pair well with mashed potatoes or can be served as appetizers at gatherings, and they've been a hit in my home for years.
Baked Chicken & Potatoes
Baked Chicken & Potatoes is an easy dish that mixes ranch seasoning with baby gold potatoes for a tasty meal everyone will like. It's perfect for a weeknight dinner or a family get-together, and it's simple to make and clean up afterward.
Instant Pot Pulled Pork Burgers
Using a pressure cooker makes this pork shoulder super tender in just over an hour with very little prep work. It's a filling meal that everyone will enjoy, plus you'll have 45 minutes to take care of other things while it cooks.
Instant Pot Bolognese
This Instant Pot bolognese is a quick and easy way to enjoy a classic pasta sauce. With just a few simple pantry ingredients, you can whip up a rich and hearty meal in no time.
Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole
This dish is a tasty mix of cheese and potatoes that's packed with flavor. It's a great choice for a weeknight family dinner and is sure to bring comfort to your table.
Hamburger Steak
Hamburger steak patties are cooked until they're nice and brown, then mixed into a creamy gravy made from the drippings, onions, garlic, and herbs. Pair this with mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable for a cozy family dinner.
Beef Chili With Red Wine & Black Beans
This chili is rich, hearty, and packed full of flavor - all done in just 40 minutes on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Red wine and beef bouillon creates a slow-simmered depth of taste without the wait, and black beans fill you up. Serve with your favorite toppings like sour cream, cheese, and fresh cilantro for the perfect cozy dinner!
Baked Chicken Drumsticks & Veggies
This sheet-pan dinner is perfect for easy weeknight meals. With just a little chopping to begin, everything cooks together with chicken, veggies, and plenty of sauce, making cleanup a breeze.
Meatballs without Breadcrumbs and Eggs
These meatballs are easy to make and can be done in less than an hour. You can prepare them on the stove, in an air fryer, or in the oven, and they'll turn out juicy and full of flavor.
Creamy Coconut Lentil Soup
This simple soup is creamy, warming, and ready in under 30 minutes - whether made on the stove top or in your instant pot. Despite being so simple to make, it has amazing flavor from coconut milk, ginger and garlic, and is perfect for quick and cozy weeknight dinners.
Mexican Beef Rice Skillet
Mexican Beef Rice Skillet is a quick and easy one-pan meal that's perfect for busy weeknights. It provides a satisfying and flavorful dinner without requiring much time to prepare.
Taco Pasta
This taco pasta is made with ground beef and store bought short cuts like taco sauce and flavored cream cheese for a quick dish that is done easily in just 15 minutes. It's got all the flavors of tacos but in pasta form - less mess, and less stress.
Crock Pot Zuppa Toscana
This dish combines the hearty flavors of a classic recipe into a simple slow cooker meal. Packed with bacon, Italian sausage, creamy potatoes, and kale, it offers a warm and filling option for any evening.
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs
Homemade slow cooker turkey meatballs are full of flavor and super easy to make. Just let the crockpot handle everything, and you'll end up with tender, juicy meatballs in a delicious tomato sauce.
Crème Fraîche Carbonara
This is a delicious twist on carbonara that packs in even more flavor than the traditional version. It's a great option for easy meal prep, making dinner simple and satisfying.
Eggplant Moussaka
Eggplant Moussaka is a simple dinner packed with vegetables, ground beef or lamb, and plenty of cheese on top. This version skips the potatoes and Bechamel sauce, using more eggplant instead, creating a healthy and tasty Mediterranean meal.
Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken
This dish features tender chicken seasoned with Italian dressing and a good amount of lemon. It's a simple and tasty option for easy meal prep.
Vegetarian Chili Sin Carne with Black Beans
This Vegetarian Chili Sin Carne is packed with chili flavor and plenty of veggies like zucchini, eggplant, and green bell pepper. Ready in just 40 minutes, it's full of flavor and different textures, and it comes together with just a few easy steps.
Turkey Burgers
This turkey burger is unlike any other you'll find. It's a simple and tasty option that's perfect for easy meal prep.
Slow Cooker Cream of Chicken and Leek Soup
This creamy soup is a great comfort food option that's simple to prepare. With just six ingredients, it's an easy dinner choice for busy families.
One Pot Chicken Dumpling Soup
Chicken dumpling soup is a cozy dish that's simple to make in about 40 minutes using rotisserie chicken and refrigerated biscuit dough. It features classic flavors along with tasty veggies in a creamy, herby broth.
French Mustard Chicken
Photo credit: Lavender & Macarons
Prepare to fall madly in love with this creamy mustard chicken. It's a classic French dish that tastes outstanding, and is surprisingly easy to make.
Spanish Chicken Stew
This chicken stew is simple to prepare using rotisserie chicken and is full of fresh lemon and rosemary flavors. It's a great option for a cozy dinner that doesn't require much effort.
Grilled Lemon Basil Chicken
This Lemon Chicken Marinade is quick to whip up using simple and healthy ingredients. Perfect for grilling, pan frying, or baking, it keeps the chicken juicy and full of flavor with olive oil, lemon, and basil.
Red Pesto Pasta Salad with Veggies
This red pesto pasta is quick to prepare, taking less than 30 minutes with only 15 minutes of hands-on time. It's loaded with veggies and flavor, and you can enjoy it hot or cold, whether you use homemade or store-bought pesto.
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