While holiday parties [whether that be at school, work, or home] seem to fill up calendars in November and December, there will always be nights where you sit there and think, “shoot, I still have to make dinner tonight.” I’m not overexerting myself here by offering 2 make-ahead meal ideas but I figured if your holiday season is just as busy as mine, 2 is all you can handle! Or your brain can handle right now.
So here are 2 make-ahead meal ideas that don’t necessarily require a recipe; all you need is 30 minutes on the weekend [and some glass containers that make reheating in the microwave easy]. Now when that dinnertime crunch hits, you don’t have to do anything but reheat and finish off the meal with a delicious Christmas cookie!
Let’s start with the first make-ahead meal: Peanut Beef Bowls [serves 4].
What you need:
Glass Containers
1 pound lean ground beef
1 package microwaveable Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup peanut sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
How to prep ahead:
FIRST, preheat oven to 425. Add broccoli to large baking sheet. Toss with olive oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
SECOND, while broccoli is roasting, cook rice according to package directions. THEN cook ground beef in large nonstick skillet, breaking into crumbles.
THIRD, while broccoli is roasting and beef is cooking, prepare peanut sauce. Once all is said and cooked, add peanut sauce to beef and stir to combine.
LASTLY, assemble the bowls as pictured! Cover and store in your refrigerator for 2-4 days. Reheat in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Easy enough right? The best part is that while you make the peanut beef bowls, you could prep 2 out of 4 foods in the next make-ahead meal: Chicken Sausage Veggie Bowls [serves 4].
What you need:
Glass containers
5-6 chicken sausage links, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach
1 package microwaveable Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
How to prep ahead:
FIRST, preheat oven to 425. Add sweet potato to baking sheet. Toss with olive oil. Roast for 30-35 minutes.
SECOND, while sweet potato is cooking, cook rice according to package directions. THEN cook sausage and spinach in a large non-stick skillet [you made need more oil here]. The spinach will not need to be added until the sausage is almost cooked through.
LASTLY, assemble the bowls as pictured! Cover and store in your refrigerator for 2-4 days. Reheat in microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Do you see the theme for these 2 make-ahead meals? You could roast both the sweet potato and broccoli at the same time. AND you could purchase a larger box or bag of rice to cook everything at once.
And if you don’t have time to prep ahead meals, think about chopping and washing meal components, such as prepping ahead produce items. That’s one way I always ensure we get extra fruit and veg in our diet every week.
So while you’re thinking about secret Santa, teacher presents, or your own holiday shopping, my hope is that I’ve inspired you with 2 weeknight meals or weekday lunches to make your holiday season a little more delicious and a lot less stressful!
