Back-to-Busy Meal Plan: Sunday Meal Prep Instructions 

Ready to make family meal time easier — even during life’s busiest seasons? If you’re committed to trying our Back-to-Busy meal plan (and you’ve already stocked up on all the essential ingredients), here’s what you’ll need to do to prep for a week of stress-free meals. 

Back-to-Busy Meal Plan Sunday Meal Prep Instructions 

Total Time: 1 ½ hours 

Prep Ingredients: 

2 ½ lbs chicken breast, pat very dry and cut into 3-inch pieces 
2 packages chicken sausage, cut into ½-inch pieces 
2 lbs ground beef 
2 dozen eggs 
1 bunch carrots, cut at a diagonal into ¼-inch slices
5 ½ zucchini, cut into ½- to ⅓-inch round slices, divided 
Olive oil 
Garlic powder
Salt
2 tsp Dijon mustard
¾ cups apricot jam 
1 bag riced cauliflower 
4 ears corn, husked
1 package fusilli
9 eggs 
3 boxes pearl couscous
1 large bunch celery, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 bell peppers, sliced (about 3 cups) 

Instructions:

1. Prepare the proteins. 

Preheat the oven to 400° F and place racks in upper and lower levels. Take the chicken breasts, chicken sausage, ground beef, and 2 dozen eggs out of the fridge to bring to room temp. 

2. Cook the veggies. 

Prep the carrots and zucchini, saving the half of 1 sliced zucchini for the breakfast recipes. Line two baking sheets with parchment and add each veggie to its own tray. Drizzle each with 1 ½ to 2 tsbp olive oil, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp salt, then mix to fully coat and lay out in a single layer. Place carrots on the lower rack, zucchini on the upper. Set a timer for 20 minutes total, flipping halfway through, until zucchini is nicely browned (but not crispy) and the carrots are soft and cooked through. 

3. Prep the chicken and sausage.  

Prep the chicken and add to a mixing bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 2 tsp Dijon, then toss to combine. Add ¾ cups apricot jam, and stir again to coat. Set aside. 

Prep chicken sausage by cutting it into ½-inch pieces and set aside. 

4. Cook the ground beef on the stovetop. 

Place two medium-large sauté pans over medium-high heat. To each pan, add a drizzle of olive oil followed by 1 pound of ground beef. Break the beef up into smaller pieces, then let it brown, breaking it up more as it cooks. Turn temperature to medium. Add ½ bag riced cauliflower to each pan and mix to incorporate. Once the beef is cooked through, drain excess oil and add ½ tsp garlic powder and scant ½ tsp salt to each pan. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, then turn the heat off and let cool. 

The veggies should finish while the beef is cooking. Set aside in containers to cool and keep the baking sheets out. 

5. Add the chicken and sausage to the oven. 

On the parchment-lined baking sheets, add the apricot chicken to one tray and the sausage to the other. Place the chicken on the upper rack and the sausage on the lower. Cook for 15-20 minutes, turning the pieces halfway for even browning. 

After it’s done, lower the oven temperature to 350° F. 

6. Store your meats and veggies. 

Store the carrots, zucchini, chicken, sausage, and ground beef mixture in five separate containers. Place in the refrigerator. 

7. Cook the corn. 

In one medium-large pot of water, add the corn and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high, then lower to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Remove the corn with tongs, reserving the water for the eggs. Pack the corn in a storage container and refrigerate. Add a bit more water and raise heat to high to bring back to a boil. 

8. Cook the pasta and couscous.

Fill another medium-large pot of water with cold water and cook the fusilli according to package directions. Drain the pasta well, then add 1 tsp of olive oil and mix to coat fully. Let cool, then pack and refrigerate. 

Fill a third pot of water (or reuse the pasta pot) and cook couscous according to package directions. Let cool, then pack and refrigerate. 

9. Hard-boil and store the eggs. 

In the first pot of boiling water, gently add 9 eggs and set a timer for 11 minutes. Prepare an ice bath. Once eggs are done cooking, remove and place in the ice bath for a few minutes. Pack and refrigerate once cooled. 

10.  Chop and store the raw veggies. 

Prep the celery and bell peppers, then refrigerate in separate containers. 

11. Make the breakfasts. 

Once you’re done prepping your dinners, it’s time to put together the three breakfasts: the Baked Gruyere & Veggie Egg Cups, Apricot & Nectarine Baked Yogurt Bars, and Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats. 

Recipe credit: Aubrey Devin