If you’ve ever read my blog on a Monday you know I am a big fan of meal prep. I typically spend a couple hours on Saturday or Sunday prepping for the week. But since I’m only cooking for me it usually means I end up with the same meals on rotation throughout the week. Sometimes this works for me and other times it gets totally boring. Now I know myself and when I get bored with my food, I start to rebel and instead of eating those roasted veggies for the 5th night in a row, the chocolate and cereal start calling my name. Not that chocolate and cereal aren’t okay on occasion…they just don’t make for the most satisfying dinner in the world. So here’s my solution. One recipe, 3 different ways. I prepped the base on Sunday and had 3 different dinners/lunches throughout the week!
Here’s your Base
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 2 Zucchini
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 carrots
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach spinach
Directions:
- Begin my cooking your rice and chopping your veggies into small pieces and cooking your rice.
- In a skillet sprayed with olive oil, saute your carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini on medium heat until soft.
- Add in your cooked rice and spinach, and continue to simmer 3-4 minutes longer.
- Remove from heat and store for the week.
Now we get creative…
Monday: Make a stir fry by sautéing your rice blend in coconut oil and adding coconut aminos for flavor. Mix in a lean protein of your choice. I chose edamame but shrimp, chicken, or beef would all be great.
Tuesday: Rice and veggie mix sauteed with black beans, chili powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Topped with lime and avocado.
Thursday: Comfort cheesy rice. In a saucepan over low heat whisk together 2 oz of raw goat cheddar and 1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk until melty. Add in rice medley until warm. Serve with turkey meatloaf muffins.
What’s your favorite versatile dish to have on hand for the week???
{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
Love this!! Totally my thing! I always just roast a ton of veggies and then vary them around with different proteins or cooked with eggs or something. I can’t stand it when it gets boring, food is too precious to be boring
I totally agree! Why eat it if it’s boring?!
Great idea! When i’m alone at home, it’s sometimes hard to make different meals with the same things. Thanks for these recipes!
So glad you liked it! It’s definitely a challenge to cook for one.
Eric would make me put cheese all over it. Or I guess I could make it one way… split it … and then let him eat it with cheese! good thinking! (:
hahaha sounds good. Just split it up and it will be perfect for both of you!
I am getting ready to do a post similar to this! This is great because you can keep it in the fridge for the week and potentially have 3 different meals or side dishes.
Can’t wait to see what you came up with! This would work great with cauliflower rice too!
I love these ideas and I especially love the looks of Tuesday’s idea!
Thanks Kim!
Great ideas! I love meals like this.
Thanks Shannon!
You’re a bit more organized than me. I usually keep containers of cooked beans, quinoa and chicken in the fridge. Then I just add whatever veggies I have that week to make dinners.
That’s sounds great. You never know what you’re going to feel like!
I love how this dish can be transformed into 3 different meals – that’s such a good idea!
I like to just prep components of meals ahead of time, like rice and salmon, and then I can use them however I want throughout the week.
Great tip! I love to keep things unseasoned cause then you can season them as you go!
love this!! we double and triple our meals all the time. my favorite is probably chili!
Love chili and soups! They’re easy to freeze too!
Awesome idea! Eating the same old thing several times a week can certainly get boring and can definitely cause me to fall off of the “healthy” bandwagon (not that this isn’t okay, on occasion!
). I am loving the looks of Tuesday’s and Thursday’s dinner. A little bit of spice and a little bit of cheese…yum!
Glad you like them Hannah!
mmm i’m the same way! i’m a major repeater – sometimes it’s just easier! right now i’m on a total stir fry & lettuce cups phase! i love a big old hot stir fry with some chicken thrown in! and i just bought tessemae’s marinades and i’m totally obsessed with them!
Both sound amazing!
love this!! its so efficient
Thanks Kaitlin!
This is a great way to mix up those basic meals so you don’t get bored! Just what I need, since I seem to eat the same things over and over and it does get a tad boring sometimes.
I do the same thing! I’m a creature of habit I guess!
You can add so much flavor to rice….Love adding a kick to it
Agreed!
While I have been celiac + some for 10 + years my bro was just diagnosed 4 days ago and is going through with drawl… I need to show him these recipes because HE CAN EAT THEM and THEY ARE TASTY!! LOL
Yay! Please share them with him and wish him luck! It’s definitely a tough transition!
I’ve never mixed cheese with rice before… good idea!
It’s great!
This is such a cool idea. Makes for some really easy and delicious meals throughout the week. I need to be more planned so I can do this.
Thanks Maren! I’ll get you planning in no time!
I always have chicken baked and ready with no seasonings! I later add on some sauces/seasonings and throw it in whatever I am making as my vegetable that night along with some more spices/seasonings. Having the chicken on hand saves me tons of time and effort
Love + Shine C
That’s such a great idea!
AH, I LIVE for versatile meals like this, and leftovers rule! Quinoa is definitely my go-to as you can do so much with it – - soups, salads, veggie bowls, sweet breakfasts. I actually wrote a whole post on benefits & different ways with quinoa today!
I saw your quinoa post and loved it! I’m a huge fan of versatile ingredients!
This is such a great idea, Danielle! I don’t do nearly enough meal prep, mostly because I never know what I’ll be craving on a particular day, and I hate having to force down something I don’t want to eat just because I don’t want it to go bad. The only thing I regularly have on hand is baked chicken. As long as I have that, I can make some sort of meal, and if not… there’s always cereal
hahaha cereal is my go to also
HA what a great idea! If I was still living alone I would totally do this. However now that I live with my fiance, I’m sure this method would be unacceptable.
hahaha well you don’t have to tell him
your prep and creativity kills me girl!! I so wish I was a prep queen like you. However, this week I did make a ton of rice for the week! That counts for something… right??
Totally counts
this is SUCH a good idea! i like to have variety too, and i never make just plain rice because i feel like that takes so long to dress up. cooking veggies with the rice then just changing the spices/flavors totally solves this problem!
I agree. I get so bored with food sometimes unless I change it up!