The Ultimate Dinner Hack: Prep Once, Enjoy All Week Long

We all strive for healthy, home-cooked meals during hectic evenings, but carving out the time can feel nearly impossible.

Here’s a straightforward solution to reclaim hours during your busy workweek: Prep all your ingredients at once. You’ll be surprised by how much time you’ll save, and weeknight dinners will come together in a flash.

Check out these time-saving hacks — plus four weeks of simple, delicious recipes — to help you conquer the workweek with ease (and keep your family well-fed!).

Quick Prep Tips for Busy Days

1) Start your Sunday by doing the week's grocery shopping — a huge time-saver right from the start!

2) Once you’ve got your ingredients, take a look at each recipe’s ingredient list to figure out how much prep each item needs. (Don’t worry, we’ve simplified it in the menu plans below.)

3) Dedicate some time on Sunday afternoon to washing and prepping your ingredients. Just a heads-up: Avoid prepping delicate ingredients like fresh herbs or potatoes, which may discolor if prepped too early.

4) Organize the prepped ingredients into containers or bags for each recipe, label them, and store them in the fridge for easy access throughout the week.

Now, let’s dive into the recipes!

WEEK 1 MEALS

Monday: Simple Lasagna I

Tuesday: Sweet Honey Chicken Skewers

Wednesday: Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Thursday: Tailgate-Style Boilermaker Chili

Friday: Easy Philly Cheesesteak Pizza

WEEK 1 PREP WORK

Here’s what you’ll get ready on Sunday:

8 onions, chopped:

• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
• 5 small onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 onion, thinly sliced

About 3 garlic cloves, minced:

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 red bell peppers, sliced:

• 2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

3 green bell peppers, sliced:

• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 green chile peppers, chopped:

• seeded and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped:

• chopped

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced:

• sliced

WEEK 2 MEALS

Monday's chicken casserole is a fantastic way to repurpose leftover chicken. Roast one or two chickens for Sunday dinner, then cube the breast meat for Monday’s casserole.

Monday: Broccoli Chicken Divan

Tuesday: Classic Goulash

Wednesday: Caprese Zucchini

Same-Day Prep: 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Thursday: Spaghetti with Italian Meatballs and Sauce

Friday: Stir-Fried Chicken

Same-Day Prep: 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced

WEEK 2 PREP WORK

This week, we’re prepping broccoli (chopped into florets) and zucchini (diced and sliced).

Here’s what you’ll prepare on Sunday:

2 heads of broccoli, chopped:

• 1 pound chopped fresh broccoli
• 1 head broccoli, broken into florets

5 onions, diced:

• 3-1/2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 onion, cut into large chunks

10 garlic cloves, minced:

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 7 cloves garlic, minced

2 green bell peppers, sliced:

• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

4 zucchini, sliced:

• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 bunch of green onions, chopped:

• chopped

About 3 carrots, peeled and chopped:

• 1 cup sliced carrots

2 plum tomatoes, diced:

• diced

WEEK 3 MEALS

Monday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew I

Same-Day Prep: 3 potatoes, diced into cubes

Tuesday: Incredibly Delicious Turkey Burgers

Wednesday: Spaghetti Carbonara II

Thursday: Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

Friday: Amazing Turkey Chili

WEEK 3 PREP WORK

Here’s what you’ll prepare on Sunday:

5 onions, chopped:

• 3 onions, chopped
• 1-1/2 onions finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced:

• minced

1 stalk of celery, chopped:

• chopped

1 bunch of green onions, sliced:

• chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced:

• diced

4 carrots, peeled and sliced:

• sliced

Fresh parsley, chopped:

• chopped, 1/3 cup

3 medium zucchini, sliced:

• halved lengthwise and sliced

WEEK 4 MEALS

Monday: Simple Meatloaf

Tuesday: Spicy Beef Fajitas

Same-Day Prep: 4 large garlic cloves, crushed

Wednesday: Classic Chicken Pot Pie IX

Thursday: Sloppy Joes II

Friday: Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

Note: The recipe suggests using baby carrots, but regular carrots will work just as well.

WEEK 4 PREP WORK

This week, we’ll be slicing bell peppers into thin strips for fajitas and chopping them for the sloppy joes.

Here’s what you’ll prepare on Sunday:

3 yellow onions, chopped:

• 2-1/2 onions, chopped

1 red onion, diced:

• thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced:

• 1/4 cup chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced:

• cut into thin strips

1 yellow bell pepper, diced:

• cut into thin strips

2 Anaheim chile peppers, chopped:

• thinly sliced

About 6 carrots, peeled and sliced:

• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots

Around 4 stalks of celery, chopped:

• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cloves of garlic, minced:

• minced

Top-Rated Pre-Prep Recipes You’ll Love

Looking for a recipe alternative? We’ve got plenty to offer. Check out these additional 5-star favorites to keep your meals exciting.

• Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Homemade Tomato Sauce I
• Indian Chicken Curry II
• Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast
• Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
• Quinoa and Black Beans
• Fantastic Black Bean Chili

Here’s an easy trick: The Weekly Veggie Bag! Chop a mix of fresh, seasonal veggies, place them in a single bag, and add them to your meals throughout the week. For more tips, read Chef Bill Telepan’s ideas for getting kids to eat more vegetables.