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5 Dinner Ideas to Meal Prep This Week

Want to go into meal prep mode to simplify cooking for the week? Basically, this requires spending a little extra time in the kitchen on Sunday, which will allow you to breathe a little between Monday and Thursday. (Friday is reserved for supporting a local restaurant!) If you follow the steps below, you can prepare the majority of your ingredients in advance in anticipation of the rest of the week’s meals. All this in just three hours flat.

SUNDAY: Roast Chicken with Caramelized Onions + meal prep for the week

Step 1: Prepare the meatballs and croutons

The first thing you need to do is shape the meatballs for Wednesday’s gratin recipe and bake them until golden brown. Take advantage of the oven’s temperature to also prepare the croutons used as a garnish in the same dish.

Step 2: Cook the chicken

For maximum efficiency, cook two whole chickens at the same time: one for tonight’s roast chicken with caramelized onions, and the other for Tuesday’s chicken farfalle recipe.

Step 3: Prepare the ratatouille

Cook the ratatouille that is part of the meatball gratin in advance for Wednesday night’s dinner. Let it cool and then refrigerate it until Wednesday.

Step 4: Blanch your veggies

Blanch your vegetables (the Brussels sprouts and red peppers) in advance; they’ll accompany your Vietnamese-style shrimp that you’re serving the next evening (Monday).

Step 5: Make the sauce

For Thursday’s dinner, prepare the teriyaki sauce that will be served with the tofu. Bring all the ingredients to a boil, let the sauce cool and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

MONDAY: Vietnamese-Style Shrimp with Bell Peppers and Brussels Sprouts

You’ve already blanched the vegetables the day before (step 4), which helped to reduce their cooking time in the oven. Now coat them in a spicy oil before roasting them in the oven for a few minutes, which gives you enough time to marinate the shrimp, which will then need to be cooked for a few minutes, too.

TUESDAY: Chicken and Tarragon Farfalle

By cooking two chickens at once on Sunday (step 2), you’ve used the oven for less time, which also saves you on your energy bill. You then get two dinners in one, including a shredded meat base for this vol-au-vent-inspired pasta dish.

WEDNESDAY: Meatball and Ratatouille Gratin

The croutons are ready, as are the meatballs (step 1) and the ratatouille (step 3). What’s left to be done? You just need to assemble the ingredients, including the bocconcini and cherry tomatoes, and then bake everything on a sheet pan.

THURSDAY: Tofu Teriyaki with Mushrooms, Baby Broccoli and Rice Vermicelli

You’ve already cooked the teriyaki sauce on Sunday (step 5). Add it to the slices of tofu and mushrooms, which have been browned in the skillet. In the meantime, cook the broccoli and rice vermicelli by plunging them in turn into a pot of boiling water. This recipe goes from stove to table in under 30 minutes.

FRIDAY: Eat out!

Because you’ve earned it, take a break from cooking tonight and either order delivery or eat out at your favourite restaurant.