Chilli is one of those one pot wonders you can make a vat of and eat throughout the week, whether you serve it up with rice or on a jacket potato. For a healthy version try this recipe from the Hairy Bikers. [Photo: Food and Drink/REX/Shutterstock]

Pot roast your beef at the weekend and you’ve got a whole load of meals ready for the week ahead, whether it’s as a traditional plate with veg, cut into slices and served with salad and chutney or simply in a sandwich. Try Jamie Oliver’s recipe here. [Photo: Food and Drink/REX/Shutterstock]
Pot roast from the oven
Food and Drink

Make up one of these badboys at the weekend and you’ll have plenty left for at least the first half of the week. Try Diana Henry’s recipe for Roast Squash and Spinach Lasagne. [Photo: Monkey Business Images/REX/Shutterstock]

If you make yourself a batch of meatballs at the weekend, you’ll get plenty of meals out of them. Just pick what you’re serving them with, whether it’s Italian-style with pasta and a tomato sauce, or gravy and mash. The world’s your oyster (or meatball). Try this recipe from The Saucy Cook. [Photo: Instagram/The Saucy Cook]

Another one-pot wonder, make a warming lamb tagine and you can experience the taste of the east over and over again through the week. Try this easy recipe from BBC Good Food. [Photo: Instagram/jamiemuzzer]

A decent frittata will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Not only can you chuck pretty much anything you want in it, from veg to spaghetti and cheese, but it can also be eaten for any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here’s a recipe from Kitchn. [Photo: Sipa USA/REX/Shutterstock]
Nearly set frittata moves under a broiler to finish cooking
Food

Make up a big batch of fishcakes at the weekend, freeze them, and you have easy access to meals whenever you need. They’re a fond favourite with adults and children alike and won’t let you down in your hour of need. Try this easy recipe from BBC Good Food. [Photo: Instagram/seanwalkington]

You can’t go wrong with a vat of soup to last you through the week. Pick pretty much any style – pea and ham, pumpkin, tomato, carrot and coriander – and you can make up a batch at the weekend then dip into it for easy lunches and dinners. Here’s a list of soup recipes from the Naked Chef himself. [Photo: Instagram/yourfone]

No, curries are most definitely not just for weekends. Spend the time making up a load of really tasty Chicken Tikka Masala at the weekend and you can relive it over and over again through the week, served up with rice, or breads, or whatever you fancy. Here’s Madhur Jaffrey’s recipe by The Happy Foodie [Photo: Getty]

You can make burritos ahead of time and freeze or chill them, then just heat up when you need them. Nice and easy for those evenings when you just don’t have time to cook from scratch. Try this recipe from Kitchn. [Photo: Getty]

If you put the time and effort into preparing pulled pork at the weekend, you’ll reap the rewards during the week. Eat it as a plate of comfort food with sweet potato mash and veg, or just pop it in a bun for a pulled pork burger. Here’s how to cook the perfect pulled pork. [Photo: Instagram/c_mcd]

Once you’ve made this simple Nigella Lawson recipe you can freeze the chicken in its marinade for up to three months. Not just that – the leftover chicken can also be frozen for up to two months. Just defrost it overnight in the fridge before you use it. Perfect for cooking up that evening for a tasty, easy weekday dinner. [Photo: Getty]

Yes it might sound like we’re stating the obvious here, but if you roast a huge chicken on Sunday, you’ll have plenty left for dinners in the week. Not to mention your sandwiches for work! Here’s Delia Smith’s tips on how to roast the perfect chicken. [Photo: Food and Drink/REX/Shutterstock]

It’s fairly easy to make anyway, but if you just don’t have time you can make one ready to go. Try this make-ahead mac’n’cheese from Williams Sonoma – just bake it straight from the freezer. [Photo: Instagram/poppydurnall]

This recipe from Jason Atherton is apparently perfect for batch cooking – you can cook the sauce and divide it into freezable portions, then just reheat while you cook the potatoes. [Photo: Instagram/lacucinadijessika]