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If you’re in the market for a delicious dinner that you can make ahead of time and enjoy later, you’re in luck with this list of our most popular make-ahead dinner recipes. Our readers keep coming back to these dishes, and we hope you will too! Try out our Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili or our Black Bean-Quinoa Bowl for a convenient and nutritious dinner that will taste just as good as the day you made it.
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Weight-Loss Cabbage Soup
Photographer: Grant Webster, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek,
Loaded with cabbage, carrots, bell pepper and tomato, this healthy cabbage soup recipe packs in lots of flavor and is ultra-satisfying. This easy recipe makes a big batch for lunch or dinner all week.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke
Make a double batch of this quick vegetarian chili, full of black beans and sweet potatoes, and eat it for lunch the next day or freeze the extras for another night.
Black Bean–Quinoa Bowl
Photography: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabe Greco
This black bean and quinoa bowl has many of the usual hallmarks of a taco salad, minus the fried bowl. We’ve loaded it with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro and avocado, plus an easy hummus dressing to drizzle on top.
Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers
Swapping white rice for cauliflower “rice” makes for a lower-calorie, lower-carb alternative to traditional stuffed peppers. The riced cauliflower is hearty and won’t turn to mush during baking.
Chickpea & Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Photographer: Carson Downing, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Quinoa and chickpeas pack this vegetarian grain bowl with plenty of plant-based protein. Whip up a batch of these flavorful grain bowls and store them in lidded containers to stash in the fridge for easy, healthy grab-and-go lunches all week long.
Cumin Chicken & Chickpea Skillet
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
This quick, protein-rich chicken skillet recipe draws flavor inspiration from shawarma with spices like cumin, paprika and pepper. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick, healthy dinner. Serve with couscous and steamed broccoli.
Vegan Superfood Grain Bowls
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey
This nutrient-packed grain bowl recipe comes together in 15 minutes with the help of a few convenience-food shortcuts like prewashed baby kale, microwaveable quinoa and precooked beets. Pack these ahead to keep on hand for easy meal-prep lunches or dinners on busy nights.
Shrimp Cauliflower Fried Rice
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margret Monroe Dickey
Amp up your veggie servings with this healthy cauliflower fried rice for a quick low-carb dinner. To make this ahead or store leftovers, refrigerate the finished dish in an airtight container for up to three days.
Curried Chicken & Chili-Lime Chicken
Save time and maximize your efforts by mixing up two separate chicken marinades and cooking multiple recipes at once. This simple but flavorful meal-prep chicken dinner idea lets you cook ahead and not be bored with your choices by mid-week. Both recipes are roasted together on a baking sheet; a foil barrier keeps them separate. Make this base chicken recipe and use it to create the Meal-Prep Chili-Lime Chicken Bowls & Meal-Prep Curried Chicken Bowls (see associated recipes) for lunch or dinner this week.
Vegetarian Enchilada Casserole
Think of this vegetarian enchilada casserole as a veggie-packed Mexican-inspired lasagna with corn tortillas standing in for the noodles! If your peppers are mild and you like heat, opt for spicy pico de gallo.To make ahead, assemble the casserole through Step 2. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then bake as directed.
Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Smoked Mozzarella
This healthy riff on lasagna rolls uses strips of zucchini instead of lasagna noodles for a vegetable-packed dinner that’s fun for the whole family. This is a great recipe for kids to help make! To make ahead, refrigerate the filling for up to 1 day and then assemble and bake.
Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette
Our favorite part of these vegetarian grain bowls is the tangy lemon vinaigrette, which ties together a satisfying combo of quinoa, toasted pumpkin seeds, roasted chickpeas and kale. Whip them up for easy meal-prep lunches or a healthy and satisfying dinner.
Spinach & Feta Turkey Meatballs with Herbed Quinoa
With a variety of flavors and textures (and a whopping 30 grams of protein!), these meal-prep bowls will keep you fueled all afternoon. Look for premade tzatziki near the specialty cheeses and dips at your grocery store, or make your own.
Sweet Potato, Kale & Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ali Redmond
These hearty kale salads hold up well for 4 days, making them perfect for meal-prep lunches. To keep the ingredients from getting soggy, dress this salad and top it with peanuts just before serving. For a delicious vegan option, swap in roasted tofu for the chicken breast.
Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils
Ali Redmond
This earthy bowl of lentils is topped with leftover roasted root veggies from a large batch for an easy weeknight dinner. Keep it vegan or add a drizzle of plain yogurt for extra richness.
Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Taco Bowls
Ali Redmond
A bold, smoky marinade elevates roasted cauliflower in this meal-prep version of our popular Chipotle-Lime Cauliflower Tacos by Carolyn Malcoun. To cut down on prep time for these healthy taco bowls, look for precut cauliflower in the produce department. You can also save time by using microwaveable quinoa pouches (you’ll need one 8-ounce pouch for this recipe) instead of cooking quinoa. To make ahead, prepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezer Bean & Cheese Burritos
Greg Dupree; Emily Nabors Hall (food); Phoebe Hauser (props)
This copycat version of store-bought frozen burritos is perfect for meal prepping. Make a big batch to store in the freezer for healthy packable lunches or a quick campsite meal.
Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Topping
In this easy shepherd’s pie recipe, we keep the carbs in check by using creamy mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes. The ground beef filling is cooked in the same skillet used for baking the pie, making assembly (and cleanup) a breeze.
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Casseroles make perfect meal-prep dinners, and this enchilada version is no exception. The whole casserole can be built and left to hang out in the refrigerator for up to three days—just throw it in the oven on a busy night and you have a healthy, easy dinner on the table in no time. This recipe is great when you don’t have any canned sauce on hand; just season crushed tomatoes with spices and salt for an instant enchilada sauce.
Slow-Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Freezer Pack
Prep the ingredients for this soup months in advance for a total hands-off meal that’s ready when you are. Vegetarian lentils and vegan coconut milk make this soup creamy and pack in plenty of plant-based protein and a hearty amount of fiber. To keep it vegan, opt for vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
This scrumptious and healthy salad combines elements of Caesar salad, pasta salad and chicken salad for an easy weeknight dinner that comes together in less than 30 minutes. To make ahead, prepare through Step 3 and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Chicken Freezer Burritos
Transform leftover chicken into a hearty burrito filling! You will be thrilled to have a stash of frozen burritos on hand that you can microwave for an instant healthy lunch or on-the-go dinner for a busy night.
Zucchini-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Tahini-Ranch Sauce
Ali Redmond
This veggie burger recipe is one you’ll want to make again and again. Savory chickpea and zucchini patties are topped with a creamy, herb-flecked tahini ranch sauce, juicy tomato slices and peppery arugula for a satisfying and healthy homemade veggie burger. The burger patties and tahini ranch sauce can be made in advance. Prepare through Step 3; cover separately and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.