Note: The Back-to-Busy Meal Plan includes five days of dinners, as well as five next-day lunch recipes that use up leftovers from the night before. Make sure to read both recipes ahead of time to avoid throwing away essential ingredients. 

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Sweet, savory, and just a touch tangy, this dinner covers all the flavor bases — and all the nutritional ones, too. By prepping the chicken, couscous, and veggies at the beginning of the week, you’ll cut your cooking time in half; then, it’s just a matter of throwing it all together and whipping up a quick yogurt sauce. For the next day’s lunch, the leftover roasted chicken turns into a sweet spin on the classic chicken salad sandwich with apples, apricots, and crunchy almonds. 

Dinner: Apricot Chicken With Roasted Veggies & Couscous 

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

3 cups (15 oz) baked apricot chicken*
1 cup roasted carrots*
1 cup roasted zucchini*
3 cups couscous*

For the sauce: 

½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons apricot fruit spread
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mint, finely chopped
Pinch of sea salt

Optional garnishes: Lemon wedges

*Prepared during Sunday Meal Prep

Instructions

Reheat the chicken, veggies, and couscous however you like: in a 400° F oven for 15 minutes, on the stovetop, or in the microwave. They can be heated separately or combined. 

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, add all ingredients and give a good stir to combine fully. Taste and add a touch more lemon juice or salt if needed.

Plate the chicken, veggies, and couscous and serve with the sauce on the side or drizzled on top, plus extra lemon wedges and mint leaves. 

Recipe credit: Aubrey Devin

Next-Day Lunch: Apricot, Apple & Almond Chicken Salad

Yield: 4 servings
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups baked apricot chicken, diced*
1 cup couscous*
1 cup sliced celery*
2 tablespoons apricot fruit spread
3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 small apple, diced
2-3 tablespoons almonds, chopped
2-3 tablespoons mint, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice from about ¼ lemon 
Bread or sandwich wraps, to serve

*Prepared during Sunday Meal Prep

Instructions 

Dice the chicken. Smaller pieces (similar in size to the nuts) give the dressing more surface area to coat, so every bite is more flavorful and balanced.

In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and give it a good stir. Add a touch more mayo if you like a creamier texture. Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt. Store in the fridge. 

Serve on toasted sourdough bread, in a wrap, or over mixed greens. Any leftovers make a great snack with crackers and sliced white cheddar cheese. 

Recipe credit: Aubrey Devin