Sunday Meal Prep Plan: 4 Recipes, 4 Days, Every Meal

Here is a complete Sunday meal prep plan for one person: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack for Monday to Thursday, from four recipes and about two hours in the kitchen. Blueberry baked oats for breakfast, a harissa chicken traybake with couscous for lunch, a turkey and black bean chili for dinner, and boiled eggs as the snack. The oats and the chicken share one oven at 200°C (400°F), the chili simmers on the stove at the same time, and the timeline below keeps your hands on one job at a time. Monday to Wednesday go in the fridge. Thursday goes in the freezer and comes out on Wednesday evening.

Why these four recipes?

Each one was picked because it holds up. Baked oats and chili taste just as good on day three, and both the chili and the chicken freeze well, which makes Thursday easy. The oats and the chicken bake at the same temperature, so one oven does two jobs. And nothing relies on crunch, which is the first thing to go in a box.

Rice was left out on purpose. The UK Food Standards Agency advises eating cooked rice within 24 hours, which does not suit a four day plan. Couscous takes five minutes and freezes well. If you are watching the budget, our guide to weekly meal prep under $25 has cheaper swaps.

What do you need to buy?

• Breakfast: 200 g rolled oats, 2 eggs, 400 ml milk, 1 ripe banana, 150 g blueberries (fresh or frozen), 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
• Lunch: 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1 tin chickpeas (400 g), 2 red peppers, 1 red onion, 1 courgette (zucchini), 2 tbsp harissa paste, 200 g couscous, 1 stock cube, 200 g Greek yogurt, 1 lemon.
• Dinner: 500 g ground turkey, 1 onion, 1 green pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400 g), 1 tin black beans (400 g), 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 50 g grated cheddar to serve.
• Snack: 4 eggs and 4 pieces of fruit.
• From the cupboard: olive oil, salt and pepper.

Blueberry baked oats (4 breakfasts)

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F) and grease a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking dish.
2. Mash the banana in a bowl, then whisk in the 2 eggs, the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
3. Stir in the oats and two thirds of the blueberries, pour into the dish and scatter the rest on top.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle is set and the top is golden. Cool, then cut into 4.

Harissa chicken traybake with couscous (4 lunches)

1. Halve the chicken thighs, cut the peppers and courgette into chunks and the red onion into wedges.
2. On a large baking tray, toss everything with the drained chickpeas, the harissa, 2 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Spread it out in one layer so it roasts instead of steaming.
3. Roast at 200°C (400°F) for 30 to 35 minutes, turning once, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) in the thickest piece. Go by the thermometer, not the clock; how to stop overcooking chicken explains why.
4. For the couscous, dissolve the stock cube in 250 ml boiling water, pour it over 200 g couscous, cover for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
5. Stir 150 g of the yogurt with the juice of half the lemon and a pinch of salt for the sauce. Keep the rest of the yogurt and lemon for Thursday.

Turkey and black bean chili (4 dinners)

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large pot over a medium high heat. Brown the turkey with the chopped onion and green pepper for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add the crushed garlic, chili powder, cumin and smoked paprika and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, drained black beans and 200 ml water. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Keep the cheese in its bag and add it when you eat.

Boiled eggs (4 snacks)

Put 4 eggs in a small pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then move them to cold water. Keep them in their shells in the fridge, where FoodSafety.gov gives hard cooked eggs 1 week, and pair each one with a piece of fruit.

What is the timeline for the session?

1. 0:00 Oven on to 200°C (400°F). Eggs into a small pan of cold water and on to boil.
2. 0:05 Chop everything on one board: red onion, peppers and courgette for the tray, then onion and green pepper for the chili, garlic last.
3. 0:08 The eggs are boiling: set a 10 minute timer and keep chopping.
4. 0:15 Toss the chicken tray together.
5. 0:18 Eggs into cold water. Mix the baked oats and pour them into the dish.
6. 0:25 Both into the oven, chicken on the top shelf, oats below. Timers: 25 minutes for the oats, 35 for the chicken. Start browning the turkey.
7. 0:35 Spices, tomatoes, beans and water into the chili. Lid half on, simmer for 25 minutes.
8. 0:40 Kettle on. Make the couscous and the yogurt sauce, then wash the board and bowls.
9. 0:50 Oats out once set; leave them to cool in the dish.
10. 1:00 Chicken out once it reads 74°C (165°F). Chili off the heat.
11. 1:00 to 1:30 Let everything cool, spread out on the tray and in a wide dish.
12. 1:30 to 1:50 Pack, label and get every box into the fridge or freezer, inside the USDA's 2 hour window.

Which box do you eat on which day?

You end up with 12 meal boxes, plus 4 eggs and 4 pieces of fruit. Label every lid with its day.

• Monday, fridge: oats, chicken and couscous with yogurt sauce, chili, an egg. Good until Wednesday.
• Tuesday, fridge: the same lineup. Good until Wednesday.
• Wednesday, fridge: the same lineup. Good until Wednesday, so eat these on time.
• Thursday, freezer: oats, chicken and couscous, and chili go straight into the freezer once cool. Move them to the fridge on Wednesday evening and eat them on Thursday. Stir Thursday's yogurt sauce fresh; it takes a minute.
• Eggs, fridge: good until the following Sunday.

How do you reheat the boxes?

Oats: eat them cold, or warm them for 60 to 90 seconds in the microwave. Chicken and couscous: reheat until steaming, then add the yogurt sauce. Chili: reheat until it bubbles and is hot all the way through, then add the cheese. The USDA advises reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); stir halfway so there are no cold spots. Reheat each box only once, and when in doubt, throw it out.

Your Sunday, planned for you

Pick your days and meals, and Pann plans recipes like these, merges them into one timed session across oven, stove and board, writes the list and packs a box per meal with its day and how long it keeps.

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