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7 Easy Dinner Recipes, Plus A Time-Saving Meal Prep Plan

With an easy-to-follow guide to help you shop and prepare over the weekend.
Pink plate topped with orzo and salmon.

Photo, Erik Putz.

Want to kick off the week with a powerful sense of accomplishment? All it takes is a couple pantry checks, our itemized shopping lists and some (totally optional) prep—so you can spend way less time chopping on weeknights.

What do you need to get started? Below are the ingredients required, an easy-to-follow guide to help you meal prep over the weekend as well as the crowd-pleasing recipes that'll keep you cooking all week long.

Here are your week 1 recipes:

Monday: Salmon fillets with green beans and zucchini orzo

Ready in: 25 min. Serves: 4.

Start your month of meals off with this impressive, healthy and satisfying dish that only looks too fancy for a Monday. Get our salmon fillets with green beans and zucchini orzo recipe.

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Pink plate topped with orzo and salmon.Photo, Erik Putz.

Tuesday: Chicken, asparagus and udon noodle salad

Ready in: 20 min. Serves: 4.

Store-bought rotisserie chicken helps this meal come together super quickly. Prep tip: Keep asparagus bundled with a rubber band around woody ends. Slicing across the bunch will speed up your prep time. Get our chicken, asparagus and udon noodle salad recipe.

Pink bowl filled with udon, asparagus and chicken.Photo, Erik Putz.

Wednesday: Easy lamb bolognese

Ready in: 45 min. Serves: 4.

There's no need to wait hours for a hearty meat sauce with this easy, weeknight-ready pasta dish. Get our easy lamb bolognese recipe.

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Linguine with easy lamb bolognese sauce on pink plate.Photo, Erik Putz.

Thursday: Saucy sriracha pork with radish-cucumber salad

Ready in: 25 min. Serves: 4

Today's recipe is ready is less than half an hour, which means you get a delicious dinner as well as plenty of free time to enjoy this evening! Get our saucy sriracha pork with radish-cucumber salad recipe.

Pink plate topped with pork medallions and salad.Photo, Erik Putz.

Friday: Shakshuka pizza

Ready in: 35 mins. Serves: 4.

Meet the ultimate breakfast-for-dinner dish. Use store-bought pizza dough for a made-at-home pizza that might just be better than takeout. Get our shakshuka pizza recipe.

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Pink tray topped with pizza with eggs.Photo, Erik Putz.

Saturday: Super-fast chili

Ready in: 25 min. Serves: 4.

Yes, you can have a fresh, piping hot bowl of chili in just 25 minutes. Get our super-fast chili recipe.

Pink plate topped with tortilla chips and bowl of chili.Photo, Erik Putz.

Sunday: Skillet broccoli and potato frittata

Ready in: 40 min. Serves: 4.

Whether you serve this frittata for brunch or dinner, it'll make a filling and crowd-pleasing meal. Get our skillet broccoli and potato frittata recipe.

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Pink skillet filled with egg, broccoli and potato frittataPhoto, Erik Putz.Seven easy meals on pink backgroun

Week 1 Ingredients

Check your pantry for:

  • Olive oil
  • Canola oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Dijon mustard
  • Brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Honey
  • White balsamic vinegar
  • White-wine vinegar

Shopping list:

PRODUCE

  • 1 227-g pkg sliced button mushrooms
  • 1 142-g clamshell baby arugula (3 cups)
  • 1 340-g pkg trimmed green beans
  • 4 yellow onions
  • 5 green onions
  • 1 head garlic (3 cloves)
  • 1 small knob ginger (1 tbsp minced)
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 medium carrot (1 cup grated)
  • 1 English cucumber
  • 6 baby potatoes
  • 1 small broccoli crown (3 cups chopped)
  • 250 g radishes (2 cups sliced)
  • 227 g asparagus

HERBS

  • 1 clamshell dill (3 tbsp chopped)
  • 1 clamshell rosemary (1 tbsp chopped)

PROTEIN

  • 1 12-pack large eggs
  • 1/2 rotisserie chicken (3 cups shredded meat)
  • 4 skin-on salmon fillets (500 g total)
  • 500 g pork tenderloin
  • 450 g ground lamb
  • 225 g lean ground beef

DAIRY

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  • 3/4 cup crumbled feta
  • 2 cups grated white cheddar
  • grated parmesan (optional)
  • sour cream (optional)

Sunday Meal Prep Plan

Store everything in resealable containers. Chopped produce should be covered with a damp paper towel, then sealed and refrigerated (to keep from drying out).

Salmon Fillets with Green Beans and Zucchini Orzo

  • Whisk vinegar with Dijon, honey and 1/2 tsp salt
  • Trim beans (if needed) and cut in half

Chicken, Asparagus and Udon Noodle Salad

  • Whisk soy with vinegar, sesame oil, minced fresh ginger and brown sugar
  • Trim asparagus ends and thinly slice diagonally
  • Shred rotisserie chicken
  • Grate carrots and thinly slice green onions

Easy Lamb Bolognese

  • Chop onion
  • Grate parmesan (if using)

Saucy Sriracha Pork with Radish-Cucumber Salad

  • Whisk marmalade with sriracha and  1/2 tsp salt
  • Whisk 2 tbsp marmalade-sriracha mixture with vinegar and Dijon
  • Slice pork tenderloin into 1/2-in. rounds
  • Thinly slice radishes

Shakshuka Pizza

  • Stir marinara sauce with paprika and cumin
  • Thinly slice onion
  • Thinly slice roasted red peppers

Super-Fast Chili

  • Chop onion
  • combine chili and garlic powders, sugar and salt
  • Coarsely grate white cheddar (if using)
  • Thinly slice green onions (if using)

Skillet Broccoli and Potato Frittata

  • Cut broccoli into small florets
  • Chop onion
  • Coarsely grate white cheddar

Check out the recipes for Week 2.

This piece was originally published online in January 2020.

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The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

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