5 meals. 1 hour of prep on Sunday. 20 minutes of kitchen time Monday through Friday.
Do just enough on Sunday so you don't hate Monday through Friday. Prep the parts that actually save you time, and make the rest of the week easier.
Sunday Prep
1 hour of prep on Sunday to make the weekdays easier!
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat 2 pounds of chicken breasts with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breasts, or until the chicken reaches 165°F. Let the chicken cool for 5-10 minutes, then shred while it's still warm.
- Store 2 cups of shredded chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. Label it Chicken Chimichangas.
- Toss 1 cup of chicken with 2 tablespoons of buffalo sauce. Set aside for the pizza.
- Place 2 flatbreads on a clean surface. Brush each one with a thin layer of buffalo sauce, about ¼ cup total. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella evenly over the flatbreads, then top with the buffalo chicken. Wrap each flatbread tightly in foil and freeze until Friday.
- Dice ½ a yellow onion and 1 green bell pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and label Philly Cheesesteak.
- Cut 4 cups of broccoli and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Label Honey Mustard Chicken.
- In a mason jar or small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup Dijon mustard, ¼ cup honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar. Refrigerate and label Honey Mustard.
- Pat 2 ½ pounds of chicken dry. Score the top of each chicken breast in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut all the way through. Place the chicken in a large zip-top bag or storage container. Add the following ingredients to the bag. Seal and toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Label "Honey Mustard Chicken" and refrigerate overnight.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Not feeling one of the recipes? Swap it out for a take-out night.
Monday's Dinner - Honey Mustard Chicken
Total Time: 35 minutes Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 2 ½ pounds chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Cook rice according to the package directions.
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place it on a large baking sheet. Arrange the broccoli around the chicken.
- Drizzle the broccoli with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 18-23 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F in the thickest part.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Brush or drizzle the chicken and broccoli with the honey mustard glaze.
- Turn the oven to high broil. Return the baking sheet to the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, watching closely, until the glaze is lightly caramelized. If you don't want to broil, you can bake for another 2-3 minutes instead.
- Serve the chicken and broccoli with rice and any remaining honey mustard glaze.
Tuesday's Dinner - Philly Cheese Steaks
Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion. diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 pound ground beef, 90% lean
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 oz white American cheese
- 4 hoagie rolls, 7" each
- Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, green bell pepper, ground beef, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the beef browns. Drain any excess grease if needed.
- While the ground beef cooks, slice the hoagie rolls in half and place them on a baking sheet.
- Once the ground beef is fully cooked, stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Tear 10 slices of the American cheese into pieces and stir them into the ground beef. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture is creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Warm the rolls in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until they are warm and lightly toasted.
- Divide the ground beef evenly among the rolls. Serve immediately with chips.
Wednesday's Dinner - Chicken Chimichanga
Cook Time: 40 minutes Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups of shredded chicken (made on Sunday or use rotisserie)
- ⅓ cup refried beans
- 1 ⅓ cup salsa, your favorite kind
- 2 teaspoons coriander, optional
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 6 sliced green onions
- 2-3 jalapeños, diced with seeds (remove seeds for no spice)
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 6-8 flour tortillas, 8 inches
- Toppings: pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, refried beans, salsa, coriander (if using), chili powder, cheese, green onions, and jalapeños.
- Add some filling to the center of each tortilla. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll tightly into a burrito shape. (Avoid overfilling; tortilla sizes vary, so you may get 6-8 chimichangas.)
- Place the chimichangas seam-side down on a large baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes, then carefully flip and bake for 10 more minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Let the chimichangas cool slightly for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy them with your favorite toppings, such as sour cream, guacamole, salsa, or pico de gallo.
Thursday's Dinner - Crock-Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
Cook Time: 5 hours Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup pepperoncini juice
- ½ cup sliced pepperoncini or 8 whole jarred pepperoncini peppers
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix or brown gravy mix
- mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or sandwich rolls for serving
Instructions
- Place the chuck roast flat in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Place the butter directly on top of the roast. Add the pepperoncini peppers around and on top of the meat, then pour in the pepperoncini juice. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and au jus mix evenly over the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Once cooked, tilt the slow cooker slightly and use a spoon to skim off the greasy layer from the top. You can also use a folded paper towel held with tongs to blot excess grease from the surface.
- Use two forks to shred the beef. Discard any large pieces of fat.
- Serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, or pile it onto sandwich rolls.
Friday's Dinner - Buffalo Chicken Flatbread
Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded chicken ( cooked Sunday or use rotisserie)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons buffalo sauce, divided
- 2 flatbreads I used Stonefire
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 green onions, sliced (optional)
- ⅓ cup blue cheese or ranch dressing
Instructions
- Bake your pizza straight from frozen at 400F for 15-18 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
- Slice green onions.
- Finish with green onions and dressing.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!