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Katie Serbinski, M.S., R.D., is a registered dietitian and millennial mom, blogging about healthy recipes, child and mom nutrition, and motherhood.

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Home » Food & Recipes » 5 Make Ahead Meal Ideas

5 Make Ahead Meal Ideas

Nov 15, 2016 4 Comments

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

Coffee = liquid courage to get the make-ahead meal job done!
Coffee = liquid courage to get the make-ahead meal job done!

I feel like an imposter writing a post about make ahead meal ideas when in fact this week I’ve done NOTHING to prep ahead for our weeknight dinners. We had a really busy weekend c/o Paw Patrol Live, a birthday celebration at my parent’s, Ted jet-setting for a work trip, and well, if I’m being honest, I was just too darn tired! I did however get my grocery shopping done on Friday and picked up more than a few grocery store short-cuts [pre-cut veggies, frozen produce, frozen fish, etc.]. But because we are heading into the busiest time of the year [I sort of feel like it started with Halloween], I’ve put together a few of my favorite make ahead meal ideas [beyond shredded chicken] that have jumpstarted the dinner-making process!

Lucky for us the crew spent some time at Nana and Grandpa's this weekend. Which meant I spent more time relaxing vs. prepping food for the week! I think I made a good choice ;)
Lucky for us the crew spent some time at Nana and Grandpa’s this weekend. Which meant I spent more time relaxing vs. prepping food for the week! I think I made a good choice 😉

If you keep scrolling, you’ll find the food prep pic included + the finished product—- in non-food blogging style, but real-life, real-mom fashion. Hence the lighting and shadows! Lucky for me I know you busy people aren’t judging. If it tastes good and the kids eat it, it’s all that matters!

Make Ahead Meal Idea #1: Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

So when I made this meal on a Sunday, I simultaneously cooked a batch of quinoa. When it was time for dinner on Tuesday, I sliced the cooked sausage, threw it in a skillet with a little olive oil, plus the roasted veggies and quinoa, and voila! DINNER! You can also see from the picture above that I had slow cooker apples, pork, and onions cooking too. We ate it that day though!

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

Make Ahead Meal Idea #2: Flatbread Pizzas

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

Here I have the ingredients for a sausage and mushroom flatbread pizza, but you could really prep any pizza ingredients you like ahead of time. Making the sauce + cooking the sausage and mushrooms was the real time saver! This combo would also be delicious in a pizza quesadilla, or pizza-dilla!

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

Make Ahead Meal Idea #3 &#4: Taco Baked Sweet Potatoes and Stir-Fry

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

During another round of food prep, I cooked the sweet potatoes in the microwave [on high, in 3 minute increments until cooked] and the ground beef with taco seasoning in a skillet. When it was time to eat a few days later, all I needed to do was bake the sweet potato with the beef + a little cheese until heated through! You’ll also see in this food prep pic more sausage, sauce, and mushrooms. We’ve been loving those flatbreads! And for the stir-fry, I suggest just chopping a few veggies ahead of time so when it’s time to make that 15-minute meal the most time intensive part is done!

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

Make Ahead Meal Idea #5: Bacon Mushrooms Burgers

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

I’m fine with a plain old cheeseburger. But I found some bacon, mushrooms, and onions in my kitchen when it was time to do my weekly food prep [I think Ted planted the bacon] and it hit me: LET’S MAKE BURGERS! I haven’t figured out how to prep burgers ahead of time… but if you know the trick, let me know!

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

While there are plenty of other recipes or make ahead meal ideas on my website, these are what’s shaking and baking right now in my kitchen. And because old habits do NOT die hard, check out my shredded chicken meal ideas—- shredded chicken is one of THE easiest ways to make a meal ahead of time! You could also prep a batch of Sunday gravy or soup on the weekend too… ok. Leaving you with that! I’m overwhelmed by a lot these days and if I throw too many ideas your way it will sound like rambling. Or have I already accomplished that?!

Now that we’ve hit THE busy season of the year, what are you doing to ensure your family is eating healthy?!

Turn to these make ahead meal ideas when you’re feeling short on time for a healthy weeknight meal! Simply just reheat and eat!

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Comments

  1. Katie @ Live Half Full says

    November 15, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    Meal planning and prepping breakfast is key for me. I feel like starting the day healthy keeps me motivated to go from there.

    Reply
  2. Jane says

    May 11, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    This is genius. Preparing for my meal is really essential. Thanks for sharing this.

    Reply
    • Katie says

      June 13, 2017 at 6:47 pm

      Thank you Jane! Glad you found this post helpful.

Trackbacks

  1. Italian Chicken Soup - Mom to Mom Nutrition says:
    November 19, 2016 at 7:50 am

    […] you wanted to make this soup even easier, you could take a tip from my make-ahead meal ideas and make the chicken ahead of time and freeze a batch. Then once the broth has simmered, you throw […]

    Reply

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Katie Serbinski at Mom to Mom Nutrition

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Hi, I’m Katie! Registered Dietitian, Mom, and Mealtime Negotiator. I’m on a mission to make mealtime happier, healthier, and easier with small children, despite what my 4 picky eaters have me believing. From family-friendly recipes to confessions about my unfiltered motherhood moments, I hope you grab a seat at my kitchen table!
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