Simplify Your Life With These 13 Delicious Make-Ahead Meals

Updated on 2/9/2015 at 6:00 AM

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Weight Watchers

We partnered with Weight Watchers to share healthy make-ahead recipes that require hardly any effort in the kitchen.

When life gets busy, I crave quick-and-easy comfort food. Cheesy hamburgers dripping with ketchup, a big bowl of thick fettuccine bathed in cream sauce, buckets of fried chicken — you get what I'm talking about. Takeout or delivery turns into the hectic-weeknight savior, which isn't so great for the waistline. Well, get ready to have your mind blown with the healthiest one-pot comfort-food recipes that save you time, totally deliver on the melty level, and stick with your healthy eating goals. Source: Lizzie Fuhr, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Sugar

Slow-Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Get the flavors of your favorite restaurant-style sweet-and-sour chicken from your own slow cooker. This one-pot chicken dish cooks all day long, making its own lovely sauce.

Pasta With Butternut Squash and Ricotta

Made with whole wheat pasta and rich butternut squash, a bowl full of this baked pasta with ricotta cheese really hits the spot.

Vegan Stuffed Shells

These vegan stuffed shells are savory and satisfying — and free of all things meat. And it's totally OK to eat more than one.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Make life easier and use precooked chicken for an easy Mexican dinner casserole that's cheesy deliciousness. And any remaining enchiladas make a gooey lunch the next day.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Chili

Just imagine the spicy goodness topped with melted cheese, calming your frazzled busy-day nerves while spreading comfort through your happy belly. This slow-cooker chicken chili simmers all day for the perfect welcome home.

Slow-Cooker Vegan Chickpea Curry

Be adventurous with flavor, and try a recipe that's stuffed with chickpeas and lots of veggies and covered in a slurpable curry sauce. The vegan dish comes together in your slow cooker, taking the stress out of dinner. And you'll come home to the most amazing-smelling house.

Baked Penne With Turkey, Mushroom, and Roast Pepper Ragù

Cut the fat, thanks to lean ground turkey, with a baked casserole packed with mushrooms and red peppers. It's an easy dish that you can prep the night before baking, so all you have to do is pop it in the oven after a long day.

Macaroni and Cheese With Broccoli

You'll never believe this recipe for baked macaroni and cheese — filled with broccoli, creaminess, and a touch of crunch, thanks to breadcrumbs — is healthy. But it is — and it's a great casserole that can be prepped ahead of time and works double duty as lunch the next day.

Slow-Cooker Mexican Chicken

You only need a few minutes in the morning to prep this slow-cooker Mexican chicken for a meal that's oh so good. It's filled with healthy protein and tons of flavor.

Chicken Sausage, Mushroom, and Pasta Casserole

This combo of ingredients mingles together, delivering flavors of your favorite pizza wrapped up in pasta. The saucy casserole can be prepped on a Sunday night, so you can toss it in a dish and bake it any night of the week.

Slow-Cooker Lasagna

You guys. Slow-cooker lasagna. Really, there's nothing else to say.

For more delicious recipes, visit WeightWatchers.com, and be sure to check out the NEW Weight Watchers OnlinePlus with 24/7 expert chat. A whole new way to do Weight Watchers, available entirely online or on your phone — no meetings.