Cooking for a large family every single day can take up a LOT of time.

One thing I’ve found really helpful over the years is bulk meal prepping. Instead of starting from scratch every evening, I spend some time preparing several meals at once so that I’ve got food ready for the week ahead.

This particular weekly meal prep included six different family meals, including curries, chicken, pasta, homemade quiche and our weekly chicken biryani.

Some of the meals went straight into the freezer, some were marinated ready to cook later, and the biryani was our dinner on meal-prep day.

It’s not the type of meal prep where you have seven identical little containers of chicken and broccoli lined up beautifully in the fridge.

We’re feeding a family here, loves.

This is real-life family meal prep!

Here’s everything I prepared.

What I Made in This Weekly Meal Prep

My first job was simply to sit down and write out what I wanted to make and which day we would eat each meal.

For this particular week, I prepared:

• Cheese, onion & mushroom quiche
• Tandoori chicken legs
• Lamb & pepper curry
• Chicken niblet & aubergine curry
• Chicken, broccoli & mushroom pasta sauce
• Chicken biryani

Having the meals written down before starting makes the whole prep session much easier because I know exactly what I’m working towards.

Then it was time to get cooking.

1. Cheese, Onion & Mushroom Quiche

My eldest had been asking me to make a quiche, so I decided to prepare one for a weekend lunch.

I made the pastry myself and filled it with cheese, onion and mushrooms.

You could easily change the vegetables depending on what you have available. Broccoli or sweetcorn would also work nicely.

Quiche Pastry Ingredients

• 1½ cups plain flour
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp coarse black pepper

Quiche Filling Ingredients

• 1½ cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 100g mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• ½ tsp coarse black pepper
• 2 eggs

How I Prepared It

I mixed the pastry ingredients together to form a dough.

Once the dough was ready, I lightly floured my work surface and rolled it out large enough to fit my round baking tin.

I greased the tin, placed the pastry inside and cut away the excess.

I then used a fork to make a pretty edge around the pastry.

For the filling, I peeled and sliced a small onion. I placed it in a microwave-safe bowl with a little cold water and microwaved it for approximately one minute.

This softens the onion and takes away some of that strong raw-onion flavour.

I added the onion to the grated Cheddar cheese and mushrooms, followed by one egg and some coarse black pepper.

I didn’t add extra salt to the filling because the cheese was already salty enough.

After mixing everything together, I spooned the filling into the pastry case.

Finally, I lightly whisked the second egg and poured it over the top.

Rather than baking the quiche immediately, I covered it with foil and put it into the freezer ready for our weekend lunch.

And when we eventually ate it?

MashaAllah, it was lovely.

Definitely one I needed to make again!

2. Tandoori Chicken Legs

The next thing I prepared was an easy tandoori-style marinade for chicken legs.

This is a brilliant thing to do during a meal-prep session because you don’t actually have to cook the chicken that day.

Make the marinade, coat the chicken and leave it in the fridge ready to cook when you need it.

Tandoori Chicken Leg Ingredients

• 6 chicken legs, preferably with skin
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 tbsp mint sauce
• 2 tbsp tandoori masala
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp garam masala
• Juice of 2 lemons

How I Prepared Them

First, I cut a few slits into each chicken leg. This helps the marinade get into the chicken rather than simply sitting on the surface.

I added all of the marinade ingredients to a large bowl and mixed everything together.

Then I coated the chicken legs thoroughly in the marinade, covered the bowl and put it into the fridge.

I like to leave the chicken marinating overnight if possible.

When I’m ready to cook the chicken, I usually bake it uncovered in a 200°C fan oven for approximately 45 minutes, turning the chicken after around 35 minutes. Always check that your chicken is thoroughly cooked before serving.

We served ours with chips or roast potatoes and vegetables.

Very little work required on the actual day.

Exactly what I want from meal prep.

3. Lamb & Pepper Curry

Next I moved onto two curries.

I often prepare two curries together because the base ingredients are so similar. Instead of chopping onions, garlic, ginger and chillies twice, I can prepare a larger amount and divide it between two pans.

Work smarter, loves. Not harder.

Lamb & Pepper Curry Ingredients

• Approx. 600g mixed lamb pieces
• 2 onions
• 7 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 chilli
• 4 tomatoes
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• 3 mixed bell peppers
• ½ tbsp salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• 400ml water

How I Made the Lamb Curry

I used my trusty little food processor to chop the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli.

Honestly, where would I be without that thing?

Not very far.

I heated the oil and cooked the onion mixture before adding the spices, tomatoes, chopped peppers and lamb.

I stirred everything together over a medium heat.

Once the mixture had come to the boil, I added approximately 400ml of water, covered the pan and reduced the heat.

I allowed the curry to cook for approximately 30 minutes, until the meat was cooked and everything had come together nicely.

Once it was ready, I transferred it into a container and allowed it to cool ready for the freezer.

On the day we ate it, I served the lamb and pepper curry with rice.

4. Chicken Niblet & Aubergine Curry

At the same time as making the lamb curry, I prepared a chicken niblet and aubergine curry.

Because both curries use such similar base ingredients, making them side by side saves quite a bit of preparation.

Chicken Niblet & Aubergine Curry Ingredients

• Approx. 1kg chicken niblets
• 2 onions
• 7 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 chilli
• 4 tomatoes
• ¼ cup sunflower oil
• 1 large aubergine
• ½ tbsp salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• 400ml water

How I Made It

The method was very similar to the lamb curry.

I cooked the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli mixture before adding the spices, tomatoes, chopped aubergine and chicken niblets.

Once everything had come to the boil, I added approximately 400ml water, covered the pan and left it to cook on a lower heat for around 30 minutes.

Once cooked, this curry also went into a container ready for the freezer.

I’d originally planned to make chapatis when we ate this one.

Did I?

No.

I didn’t have time.

So we had rice.

This is exactly why I like flexible meal planning rather than creating a plan so strict that missing the Tuesday chapatis becomes a household emergency.

5. Chicken, Broccoli & Mushroom Pasta Sauce

Next I made a pasta sauce packed with chicken and vegetables.

I only prepared the sauce during my meal-prep session rather than cooking and freezing the pasta with it.

Then, on the day we wanted the meal, I could cook fresh pasta and simply reheat the prepared sauce.

Chicken, Broccoli & Mushroom Pasta Sauce Ingredients

• Approx. 500g chicken breast
• 500g passata
• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 chilli
• 300g mushrooms
• 450g broccoli florets
• ¼ cup sweetcorn
• ½ tbsp salt
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

How I Made the Pasta Sauce

I chopped the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli in my mini food processor.

I then chopped the broccoli, mushrooms and chicken breast into smaller pieces.

I heated a little oil in a pan and added the chicken.

I cooked it until the chicken was no longer pink and the excess liquid had reduced before adding the salt and spices.

Next went in the onion mixture, followed by the broccoli, mushrooms and sweetcorn.

I allowed the vegetables to soften slightly before adding 500g of passata.

Because I knew I’d be reheating the sauce later in the week, I didn’t want to overcook it.

I brought it to the boil, cooked it very briefly and switched off the heat.

Once cooled, it was ready to store.

When pasta night arrived, I cooked the pasta fresh and mixed it with the reheated chicken, broccoli and mushroom sauce.

Easy!

6. Chicken Biryani

Finally, I made chicken biryani.

Unlike most of the other meals in this prep, the biryani wasn’t destined for the freezer.

We usually eat biryani on the day I make it, and at the time I was making this pretty much every week.

Chicken Biryani Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, approx. 1kg, skin removed and cut into pieces
• 650g basmati rice, soaked in cold water for at least 30 minutes
• 1 cup yoghurt
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• 2 onions
• 7 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 2 chillies
• 4 tomatoes
• 600g potatoes
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 5 cloves
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 star anise
• 3 bay leaves
• 500ml cold water
• 500ml boiled water

How I Made the Chicken Biryani

I started by soaking the basmati rice in cold water for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I used my food processor — yet again — to prepare the onions, garlic, ginger and chillies.

I peeled and chopped the potatoes and prepared the tomatoes.

Biryani uses quite a few more whole spices and seasonings than my everyday curries, but that’s what gives it that lovely flavour and aroma.

I heated the oil and cooked the onion mixture before adding the tomatoes, potatoes, chicken and spices.

After allowing everything to cook for around five minutes, I added the yoghurt.

I let that cook for a few more minutes before adding approximately 500ml cold water.

Once everything had come to the boil, I covered it and cooked the chicken mixture for approximately 45 minutes.

Then I drained the soaked rice and added it to the pan along with approximately 500ml boiled water.

I brought everything back to the boil, reduced the heat and cooked it for around 12 minutes.

I then switched off the heat and left the biryani sitting on the hob for another 10–15 minutes, allowing the residual heat to finish the cooking.

And that was dinner.

MashaAllah — delicious!

What We Ate During the Week

After my big cooking session, most of the hard work for the week’s dinners was already done.

We had the tandoori chicken legs with chips or roast potatoes and vegetables.

The lamb and pepper curry was served with rice.

For pasta night, I cooked fresh pasta and combined it with my prepared chicken, broccoli and mushroom pasta sauce.

We ate the chicken niblet and aubergine curry with rice after my ambitious chapati plans failed to materialise.

And at the weekend, we baked and ate our cheese, onion and mushroom quiche, served with chips and — for reasons known only to us at the time — some random fish fingers.

Perfectly normal family meal.

Why I Bulk Prepare Family Meals

The thing I like about this kind of meal prep is that I’m not necessarily cooking seven complete dinners and putting them into seven boxes.

I’m doing the time-consuming parts in advance.

One meal might be completely cooked and frozen.

Another might be assembled and ready to bake.

The chicken can sit marinating in the fridge.

A pasta sauce can be prepared ahead while I cook the actual pasta fresh.

And I’ll still cook something like biryani from start to finish on meal-prep day so we have a fresh dinner that evening.

That flexibility makes bulk cooking much more realistic for me.

It means that later in the week, when life gets busy, I’m not staring into the fridge at 5pm wondering what on earth I’m going to feed everybody.

Well…

Hopefully I’m not.

My Tips for a Successful Weekly Bulk Meal Prep

After doing this type of meal prep many times, there are a few things that make it much easier.

Plan your meals before you start. Knowing exactly what you’re preparing stops you jumping randomly between recipes.

Group similar jobs together. If two curries need onions, garlic, ginger and chilli, prepare those ingredients together.

Use shortcuts that genuinely save you time. My mini food processor gets used constantly because chopping all those onions and garlic cloves by hand would make the process considerably longer.

Don’t cook everything completely if you don’t need to. Sometimes preparing a marinade or sauce is enough.

Keep the meal plan flexible. If you planned chapatis but Wednesday arrives and you absolutely cannot be bothered, make rice. Life will continue.

Make food your family actually eats. Meal prep only saves money and time if people eat what you’ve prepared.

And finally…

Have a cup of tea and a cupcake when you’re finished.

An essential part of the process, if you ask me.

Large Family Weekly Meal Prep Complete!

So that was one of my weekly bulk meal-prep sessions: six family meals prepared or partly prepared in one day, ready to make the rest of the week a little easier.

It takes some effort upfront, but opening the freezer later in the week and finding dinner already waiting for you?

Beautiful.

If you’re new to bulk cooking, you don’t have to prepare six meals at once. Try doubling tonight’s curry and freezing half, marinating tomorrow’s chicken while you’re making dinner, or preparing two sauces at the weekend.

Even getting one meal ahead can make a busy week easier.

And that, really, is the whole point.