My 1hr 5-Step Prep Routine to Simplify Midweek Meals (+PDF)

My 5-Step Prep Routine

How it works? For 1hr I prep proteins, meal base, seasonal vegetables, and fast flavors. Sometime some of them, other times all and more. It depends on our schedule and what I have on hand. Clean-up and storage is included.

Let me run through the 5 categories:

1. Protein

The goal is to have ready-to-use protein in the fridge. I cook or prep at least one versatile protein to use it across multiple meals.

• Shredded chicken, lamb, pork, or beef
• Cooked ground meat
• Salmon (baked)
• Steak (pan-seared, grilled)
• Garlic shrimp (pan-seared)
• Tuna (pan-seared or cakes)
• Roast – chicken, beef, pork, lamb (oven baked, slow cooker, or pressure cooker)
• Eggs (hard-boiled, egg salad)
• Greek yogurt (InstantPot or yogurt maker)
• Sausages (oven-baked, pan-seared, grilled)
• Bacon (pan-seared, grilled)
• Meatballs (pan-seared, baked) – Italian beef meatballs, Italian lamb meatballs

2. Seasonal Vegetables

The goal is to prep seasonal vegetables, from chopping, pickling, to pre-cooking them. I typically roast some veggies but you can just focus on removing chopping to speed up dinners during the week.

• Broccoli (roast, steam, stir-fry)
• Bell peppers (chop, roast, sauté)
• Carrots (shred, roast, boil, steam)
• Zucchini / courgette (chop, spiralize (zoodles), roast, grill)
• Brussels sprouts (roast, sauté)
• Green beans (trim, steam, roast)
• Asparagus (roast, sauté, grill)
• Cauliflower (roast, boil, steam, rice)
• Mushrooms (slice, sauté, roast, grill)
• Tomatoes: tomato sauce
• Spinach and kale (chop, sauté)
• Cabbage (shredded, sauté)
• Corn (roast, boil, sauté, grill)
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes (roast, boil, mash)
• Edamame (shell, steam)
• Onions (chop, sauté, caramelize – for garnish or cooked dishes)
• Squash and pumpkins (chop, roast, mash, or purée (sweet and savory dishes)
• Salad (wash and dry, chop)
• Chickpeas (boil, roast, blend – hummus)
• Celery (chop)
• Lentils (boil)
• Black and black beans (soak, boil)
• Eggplant (roast, grill)

3. Bases / Carbs

The goal is to prep a carb base or bases that becomes the foundation of several dinners.

• White or brown rice
• Quinoa
• Couscous
• Pearl barley
• White or whole-wheat pasta (boil)
• Gnocchi
• Oatmeal (cook, overnight soak)
• Cornbread (bake)
• Biscuits (prepare dough)
• Pie crust (prepare dough or prepare crust)

E.g. cooked rice in the fridge can easily become:

• a rice bowl
• a quick fried rice
• a casserole
• or a side dish.

4. Flavor Prep

I think flavor prep is actually the most important step in my weekly routine. Sauces, dips, dressings, and spice mixes bring all components together, store well, and can be made quickly.

• Tzatziki
• Homemade spice mixes
• Pesto
• Mayonnaise
• Dressing
• Hummus
• Guacamole
• Pico de Gallo
• Dips
• Teriyaki sauce
• Satay sauce

5. Storage and Clean-Up

Nothing kills a great meal than hours of clean-up and piles of dishes in the sink. That’s why include clean-up and storage in the hour.

Make sure you fully cool the items and store them in the refrigerator or freezer in airtight containers.

1hr Prep Timeline

1hr hour, really? Trust me, you’ll get into a rhythm quickly and it will take you even less time with experience:

0–10 min: Start protein cooking (slow cooker and Instant Pot come in handy here)

10–25 min: Put vegetables in oven or chop and freeze them.

25-35 min: Cook grains, potatoes, or pasta

35–50 min: Blend sauce, make a dressing, or a spice mix

50–60 min: Store and clean-up

I’m counting hands-on time only. Potatoes don’t cook in 10 minutes obviously. With 5 categories and 1 hr you have roughly 12 minutes for each step which is plenty of time to put on a pot of rice for example and pop it in a container for example.

Example Dinner Plan

I like to think of it as a dinner rhythm rather than rigid meal plan. Creating meals by themes comes in super handy. Here is an example week:

Monday – Bowl Dinner: Rice + shredded chicken + roasted veggies + sauce

Tuesday – One Pot Skillet Dinner: Orzo + shredded chicken + prepped veggies + spice mix

Wednesday – Casserole: Rice + shrimp + frozen veggies + blender sauce

Thursday – Batch Cooking: Double or triple batch a freezer friendly hands-off recipe

Friday – Night Off: Freezer Friday meal or takeout