This is Week 2 of the freezer meal prep series. If you followed Week 1, you've already got naan dough balls, chana masala portions, and dal in the freezer. This week we branch out - Indian, Mexican, Mediterranean, and Italian all make appearances. Different flavors every night, same system.
Sunday Batch Cook
Shopping List
- 1 block extra-firm tofu (14 oz)
- 3 large onions
- 1 head garlic, 1-inch ginger
- 2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans
- 2 cans (15 oz) black beans
- 2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans
- 3 cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 bunch kale
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- Tortillas (for enchiladas)
- Shredded cheese (for enchiladas)
- Halloumi (1 block)
- 1 cup cooked lentils (or 1/2 cup dry)
- Quinoa (1 cup dry)
- Vegetables: bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrots
- Fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, mint
- Spices: cumin, coriander, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, Italian seasoning
- Tahini, lemons
What You're Making
- Rajma masala - Double batch (8 servings). 22g protein each.
- Black bean enchiladas - Full recipe (6 servings) + one extra tray for the freezer. 24g protein each.
- Dal soup - Double batch (8 servings). 18g protein each.
- Greek egg muffins - 8 muffins (using remaining eggs). 10g protein each.
- Quinoa - Cook 1 cup dry (makes about 3 cups). For grain bowls later in the week.
- Prep vegetables - Dice bell peppers, slice cucumber, shred carrots. Store in containers for quick assembly meals.
Prep Timeline
- 0:00 - Dice all onions, mince garlic, grate ginger. Start rajma masala (simmers longest). Start quinoa on a back burner. Prep enchilada filling.
- 0:30 - Assemble enchiladas in two baking dishes and put in oven. Start dal soup. Dice vegetables for the week and store.
- 1:00 - Mix egg muffins and bake (swap with enchiladas or use a second rack). Rajma is simmering, dal soup is simmering. Quinoa is done - cool and store.
- 1:30 - Enchiladas out of the oven. Wrap the second tray in foil for the freezer. Egg muffins done. Dal soup done.
- 2:00 - Portion rajma (4 fridge, 4 freezer). Portion dal soup (4 fridge, 4 freezer). Label everything, clean up.
The Week: Day by Day
Monday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + Greek yogurt (17g) = 37g
- Lunch: Rajma masala from fridge + naan from Week 1 freezer stash (22g + 6g) = 28g
- Snack: Hummus with sliced bell peppers and carrots (8g) = 8g
- Dinner: Black bean enchiladas from fridge (24g) + side salad = 24g
Daily total: 97g protein
Easy start to the week. Everything is grab-and-reheat. The naan dough balls from last week's session thaw in 30 minutes on the counter.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + glass of milk (8g) = 28g
- Lunch: Dal soup from fridge (18g) + 1 naan from freezer (6g) = 24g
- Snack: Baked falafel bites - make fresh, they're fast (14g) + cilantro-mint chutney = 14g
- Dinner: Crispy tofu stir fry - press tofu, cube, and stir fry with prepped vegetables (28g) + rice = 28g
Daily total: 94g protein
The tofu stir fry is fast because you prepped the vegetables on Sunday. Just press and cube the tofu, then everything goes in the wok. Make extra falafel bites if you want - they're a great snack to have around.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + Greek yogurt (17g) = 37g
- Lunch: Black bean enchiladas from fridge (24g) = 24g
- Snack: Masala peanut chaat (12g) = 12g
- Dinner: Halloumi chickpea grain bowl - grill halloumi fresh, use prepped quinoa and chickpeas, prepped vegetables (32g) = 32g
Daily total: 105g protein
The grain bowl comes together fast with quinoa already cooked and vegetables already chopped. Grill the halloumi, warm the chickpeas, assemble. The halloumi needs to be cooked fresh for that crispy exterior.
Thursday
- Breakfast: 2 egg muffins (20g) + milk (8g) = 28g
- Lunch: Rajma masala from fridge + jeera rice or plain rice (22g + 8g) = 30g
- Snack: Leftover falafel bites from Tuesday (14g) = 14g
- Dinner: Pasta e fagioli - quick Italian bean and pasta soup using cannellini beans (22g). Uses similar onion-garlic base you already know. = 22g
Daily total: 94g protein
Pasta e fagioli is a one-pot recipe that comes together fast. If you make a double batch, the extra freezes well for future weeks.
Friday
- Breakfast: Shakshuka with feta and chickpeas - quick one-pan breakfast (28g) = 28g
- Lunch: Dal soup from fridge (18g) + naan from freezer (6g) = 24g
- Snack: Spiced cottage cheese bowl (22g) = 22g
- Dinner: Thaw chana masala from Week 1 freezer stash (16g) + 2 naan from freezer (12g) + raita (8g) = 36g
Daily total: 110g protein
Friday pulls from both this week's batch cook and last week's freezer stash. That's the system working as intended - your freezer gets deeper over time, giving you more options with less effort.
The Numbers
Weekly average: 100g protein per day, and that's before adding any incidental protein from milk, nuts, or extra snacks. With simple additions you're easily at 120g+. The big difference from Week 1 is variety - five different cuisines across the week, all built from the same prep system.
What's in Your Freezer Now
After two weeks of this system, your freezer should have:
- 4 portions rajma masala
- 4 portions dal soup
- 1 tray black bean enchiladas (6 servings)
- Remaining chana masala and simple dal from Week 1
- Naan dough balls
- Frozen spinach cubes
That's 20+ meals in the freezer. At this point you could skip a batch cook entirely and still eat well for a week. That's the whole point - the system builds on itself. Each week you cook a bit, eat a lot, and your freezer safety net grows deeper.
Read the fundamentals post if you haven't already, and start with Week 1 if this is your first time.