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40 Best Make-Ahead Meals to Feed Everyone on Busy Weeknights
These easy-to-make dishes can keep nicely in the fridge and freezer!
Listen: We love cooking (obviously). But we don’t always have the time or energy to go all-in on a lengthy kitchen project when it comes to cooking dinner or breakfast. For those moments, we turn to our handy roster of make-ahead meals. While any meal could technically be made ahead, some dishes are especially well-suited to a little extra fridge or freezer time: think stews, casseroles and grain bowl fixings.
Luckily for you, there are make-ahead meals for every kind of diet and occasion — whether you're cooking for vegetarians, gluten-free eaters, or simply a family of picky eaters. From fresh summer salads that hold up in the fridge to make-ahead breakfasts like healthy muffins you can enjoy all week long, these picks are the perfect thing to prep on the weekend and eat throughout the week. These can also be a great entry point to the world of meal prepping.
Bottom line? Having just a couple of pre-prepped or partially prepped meals can be a lifesaver for a quick, weeknight meal for the family. They can also be a boon to your budget, as you won’t be as tempted to order in. But the best part of having all or most of your meal prep out of the way? You get more time to spend on weekdays doing whatever you want (i.e., not doing tons of dishes!).
Hearst Home Good Housekeeping Easy Meal Prep: The Ultimate Playbook for Make-Ahead Meals
Hearst Home Good Housekeeping Easy Meal Prep: The Ultimate Playbook for Make-Ahead Meals
On the following slides, you'll find some amazing make-ahead meal ideas, but if you really want to become a meal prepping pro, check out Good Housekeeping's Easy Meal Prep cookbook. Not only has each recipe been vetted and approved by the experts in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, but we're also offering tips and techniques to help you flawlessly execute batch-cooking, freeze-ahead meals, ready-to-serve dinners and grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches.
Lasagna with Meat Sauce
Throw together this bronze-lidded beauty on a weekend and reheat portions throughout the week. Or, you can refrigerate the unbaked lasagna overnight, then bake and serve the next day.
Get the Lasagna with Meat Sauce recipe.
Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Vinaigrette
We’d eat anything tossed in this sweet and tangy ginger-laced vinaigrette, so this shrimp and veg-filled noodle salad is a shoe-in. For best results, we like to dress it right before serving.
Get the Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp and Ginger Vinaigrette recipe.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Cheesecake is one of our favorite make-ahead desserts: Unlike pies or cakes, this fridge-friendly recipe won’t get stale or soggy as it sits. It doesn’t hurt that this one has a buttery gingersnap crust, too.
Get the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Chickpea Salad with Smashed Cucumbers
This flavorful salad is made with crunchy cucumbers, fresh cherry tomatoes and a bright lemon dressing. It won't get soggy in the fridge, so you could definitely meal-prep this one.
Quiche Lorraine
If you're planning a big brunch, great news: You can totally prep this quiche ahead of time! Quiches can be stored in the fridge for a few days, or frozen for a few months.
Get the Quiche Lorraine recipe.
RELATED: 30 Easy Egg Recipes That Every Home Cook Can Master
Spaghetti and Air Fryer Meatballs
These juicy meatballs fry up in as little as ten minutes, and keep beautifully in the fridge or freezer. We’d highly recommend making a double batch.
Lemon-Almond Poppy Seed Muffins
Another brunch-ready pick. These are so good that we wouldn't blame you for making a batch for yourself, though.
Katie Lee's Summer Pesto Pasta
This bright, veg-loaded pasta tastes as good cold out of the fridge as it does at room temperature, so it’s especially leftover-friendly.
Slow Cooker Chicken Pozole Verde
Slow cookers are great for making big-batch meals ahead of time. Case in point: this flavorful stew made with chicken thighs, tomatillos and poblano peppers.
Get the Slow Cooker Chicken Pozole Verde recipe.
RELATED: 70 Easy Slow Cooker Recipes for Lunch, Dinner and Everything in Between
Vegan Lasagna
With a mix of mushrooms and a thick, luxurious cashew cream, this vegan lasagna gives cheese-based versions a run for their money.
Get the Vegan Lasagna recipe.
Air Fryer Squash Soup
This cozy, comforting soup comes together quickly, thanks to the air fryer. After your soup has cooled, you can portion it out and keep it in the freezer for up to three months, perfect for a busy weeknight.
Get the Air Fryer Squash Soup recipe.
RELATED: 55 Easy Air Fryer Recipes That You Absolutely Need to Try
Raisin-Walnut Coffee Cake
Bake this sweet cake topped with a crunchy walnut, brown sugar, and cinnamon streusel on Sunday, and enjoy it for breakfast and snacks all week long.
Get the Raisin-Walnut Coffee Cake recipe.
Mexican Beef Meatballs with Chipotle Sauce
We've got no beef with lentils in our meatballs, especially when they're this good. Make an extra batch of the sauce to freeze, so it's ready to go at any time.
Chocolate Banana Cake
You can easily make two of these moist chocolate and banana cakes and then freeze one, so you'll have it on hand next time a friend drops by.
Get the Chocolate Banana Cake recipe.
Quick White Bean and Sausage Stew
Sausage and beans are a classic pairing. This kielbasa-and-cannellini soup takes just 30 minutes to whip up, and stores well in the fridge or freezer.
Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Casserole
If you have trouble waking up in time to make a filling, balanced breakfast, try making this casserole the night before!
Get the Make-Ahead Sausage and Egg Casserole recipe.
RELATED: 50 Best Casserole Recipes for the Ultimate Comfort Food
Air Fryer Meatball Sub
Make an extra batch of meatballs and freeze for future enjoyment!
Get the Air Fryer Meatball Sub recipe.
Supergreen Mushroom & Orzo Soup
Packed with plenty of good-for-you veggies, this pick turns good ol' chicken noodle soup into an even more balanced meal. Plus, the recipe yields six servings, so you're basically set for the week.
Chickpea Pasta Salad in a Jar
Unlike regular salads that get soggy by lunch, this jarred salad separates the greens from the dressing, so it's sure to stay fresh. Just shake up this Pinterest-worthy mason jar meal and you're good to go!
Get the Chickpea Pasta Salad in a Jar recipe.
Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter.
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