Meal prepping has become one of the best ways for me to stay organized and save time during busy weekdays. My husband and I both have long, packed schedules, so I’ve started dedicating every Sunday to prepping meals for the week. It makes weekday cooking so much easierno last-minute stress, no takeout guilt, and everything is ready to grab, heat, and eat.

Each week, I try to balance my prep between breakfasts, proteins, sides, and quick dinners, so we have options that can be mixed and matched. This week’s meal prep includes comforting dal, juicy shawarma chicken, soft homemade breakfast sandwiches, flavorful meatballs, and fragrant turmeric rice.

Everything stores well in the fridge or freezer, so you can cook once and enjoy multiple meals throughout the week.

Why You’ll Love This Meal Prep Plan

• Perfect for busy weeks: You can have a full meal ready in minutes.

• Make-ahead friendly: Each recipe can be stored and reheated easily without losing flavor.

• Flexible combinations: Mix and match your proteins and sides to keep meals interesting.

• Balanced & nutritious: A good mix of protein, carbs, and flavor, all made from scratch.

• Minimal waste: All ingredients are pantry staples and used efficiently across multiple meals.

What I Prepped This Week

1. Breakfast Sandwiches

These soft, no-knead sesame buns with fluffy scrambled eggs make early mornings so much easier. I love baking the buns fresh because they stay soft for days, and assembling everything ahead means breakfast is always ready to go.

For the dough:

• 3 cups flour

• 7g yeast

• 1½ cups warm water

• 2 tsp salt

• Sesame seeds

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, salt, yeast, and water in a bowl. Cover and let rise for 2 hours.

2. Drop small blobs of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheet.

3. Preheat oven to 220°C.

4. Top with sesame seeds, let rise for 20 minutes, and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden and crisp on top.

5. Tip: Add an oven-safe bowl of water in the oven, it gives you that bakery-style crust.

For the sandwiches:

• Whisk 6 eggs with salt and pepper.

• Cook until softly scrambled and divide among 4 buns.

• Top with parmesan and a drizzle of sriracha.

• Wrap individually in foil or parchment paper and refrigerate.

Storage:

• Fridge: Up to 3 days.

• Freezer: Up to 1 month. Wrap each sandwich tightly in foil and freeze.

• To reheat: Reheat directly in the oven at 180°C for 8–10 minutes (or 15–20 if frozen).

2. Shawarma Chicken

Tender, marinated chicken with bold Middle Eastern spices, this one is perfect for rice bowls, wraps, or salad plates.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg boneless chicken thighs

• 250g boneless chicken breast (sliced thin)

• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 2 tbsp strained yogurt

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1–2 tbsp lemon juice

• 3 tsp each: salt, pepper, cumin, coriander powder

• 1 tsp each: turmeric and cinnamon powder

• 3–4 tbsp oil to cook

Instructions:

1. Marinate everything together for at least 30 minutes (or overnight for deeper flavor).

2. Heat oil in a pan and cook the chicken until golden and charred around the edges.

3. Let cool, then portion into airtight containers.

Storage:

• Fridge: Up to 4 days.

• Freezer: Up to 2 months.

• To reheat: Pan-fry with a splash of oil, or reheat in the oven at 180°C for 10 minutes.

3. Dal (Lentil Curry)

This cozy, protein-rich dal is one of my favorite easy dinners. It’s filling, packed with flavor, and tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp oil

• ½ cup moong dal (yellow lentils)

• ½ cup masoor dal (orange lentils)

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 small tomato, chopped

• 1 chicken stock cube

• 1 tsp each: turmeric, red chili, and cumin powder

• 2 tsp salt

• 6 cups water

• 1 tsp each: garam masala, chili flakes, and black pepper

For the tadka:

• Vegetable oil

• 4–5 garlic cloves, sliced

• 2 green chilies, chopped

• 1 tbsp chili flakes

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 2–3 dried red chilies

• 1–2 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. In a pot, heat oil and sauté onion and tomato until soft.

2. Add both lentils, stock cube, spices, and water.

3. Simmer until lentils are tender and creamy.

4. For the tadka: heat oil separately, add garlic and whole spices, and pour over the dal.

Storage:

• Fridge: Up to 4–5 days.

• Freezer: Up to 2 months.

• To reheat: Reheat on the stove with a splash of water until warm and creamy again.

4. Turmeric Rice

Fragrant, golden rice that goes beautifully with shawarma chicken, meatballs, or dal.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 2 cups basmati rice

• 2½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pot, sauté onion and garlic until soft.

2. Stir in turmeric and pepper.

3. Add rice and broth, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until fluffy.

4. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Storage:

• Fridge: Up to 4 days.

• Freezer: Up to 1 month (store in portioned freezer bags or containers).

• To reheat: Microwave with a splash of water, or steam on the stove for 3–5 minutes.

5. Meatballs Two Ways

I made a large batch of beef mince and flavored them two ways, one batch inspired by seekh kebabs, and the other with Asian-style seasoning. They’re versatile, great for freezing, and work with rice, noodles, or wraps.

For Seekh Kebab style:

• 400g beef mince

• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste

• 1 tbsp Shan Seekh Kebab masala

• 1 tsp each: coriander, cumin, and paprika powder

• 1 tsp Shan Tikka masala

• 1 tbsp chopped coriander

• 1 tsp each: tomato paste and mustard sauce

For Asian-inspired:

• 400g beef mince

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 1 tsp MSG

• 1 tbsp panko crumbs

• Chopped spring onions

Instructions:

1. Mix each batch separately and shape into small meatballs.

2. Pan-fry or bake until browned and cooked through.

3. Cool completely before storing.

Storage:

• Fridge: Up to 4 days.

• Freezer: Up to 2 months. Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to bags once solid.

• To reheat: Reheat covered in the oven at 180°C for 10–12 minutes or simmer in sauce for extra moisture.

Storing & Reheating Overview