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Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan or just wanting to get more plants in your family’s diet, these meatless Monday ideas will make getting dinner on the table quick and easy. Find everything from Instant Pot recipes, make ahead slow cooker recipes, dump casseroles and 1 pot recipes here!
Eating meatless on Mondays doesn’t have to be boring, bland or time consuming! Bookmark this post or pin it for later so you’re always prepared and have tons of delicious, quick recipes in your back pocket!
Below you’ll find some of my all time favorite recipes that are both meal prep and family approved!
The best way to make sure you get dinner on the table every night is to plan ahead! Use this list to help you and your family eat out less, save money, and get organized when it comes to planning weekly dinners!
Slow Cooker Recipes
I love slow cooker meals on busy week days. Nothing makes me feel more productive a recipe that allows me to dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning, walk away, and then come back to a perfectly cooked, warm hearty dinner in the evening. Plus, slow cooker meals usually make for the BEST leftovers and are almost always freezer friendly, too!
- Hearty Vegetable Stew
- Slow Cooker Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Vegetarian Green Chili Stew
- Spaghetti Sauce from the Slow Cooker
- Slow Cooker Vegan Tikka Masala
- Vegetarian Thai Red Curry
- Vegan Stuffed Peppers
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Bean Soup
How Do I Freeze Slow Cooker Meals?
There are generally two ways you can do this: freeze all the ingredients together before cooking or freeze the meal after cooking. I love these reusable gallon sized bags!
This post, 5 Vegan Freezer Meals in 1 Hour is a great resource and bundle of recipes that uses the freezing before cooking method!
Both methods are really great for meal planning and will help save you time throughout the week. They also make great gifts for expecting moms!
A few tips for freezing!
- Get as much air out of the bags before freezing as possible! This will prevent freezer burn and ensure your meals stay fresh for months.
- Freeze the bags as flat as possible. This helps keep the meals compact and easy to store in the freezer! You can also freeze soups in these really cool single serving silicone cubes!
- Move the bags to the fridge 48 hours before you need them to ensure they have time to fully thaw.
Instant Pot Recipes
- Spicy Creamy Instant Pot Ramen
- Instant Pot Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Lentil Tacos
- Cauliflower Potato Leek Soup
- Instant Pot Curry
- Beer Braised Jackfruit Enchiladas
- Instant Pot Lasagna
- Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Generally when the Instant Pot screen reads ‘burn’ it means that something is sticking or burning to the bottom of the inner pot. To avoid this, be sure to add enough liquid to your meals, avoid putting tomato sauce on the bottom of the pot, and make sure the pot is deglazed before pressure cooking. Always follow the Instructions carefully to prevent this message as much as possible.
It depends. If you know you definitely added enough liquid and there should be no reason it’s really burning, you can usually ignore it and it will correct itself and come to pressure. If it won’t come to pressure, press cancel, remove the lid, deglaze the bottom of the pot and then resume cooking.
Make Ahead Dinners
If you don’t own a slow cooker or Instant Pot, these make ahead meals are for you! All the meals here can be made a few days in advance and enjoyed throughout the week! Great for both lunch and dinner meal prep!
- Easy Vegan Burrito Bowls
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- Cauliflower Alfredo
- Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwiches
- Mushroom and Lentil Pie
- Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Vegan Fried Rice
- Vegetarian Sweet Chili
Meal Prep Storage Ideas
When making meals ahead, you want them to stay as fresh as possible! Before investing your time in prepping ahead, make sure to also invest in high quality storage containers.
I always recommend using glass over plastic. Glass will keep your food fresher a lot longer. I also love using glass mason jars for individual portions! They work great for freezing as well!
30 Minute Meals
The best recipes to have bookmarked for weeks when you don’t have time to plan and just need to get something delicious on the table in 30 minutes or less!
- Vegan Hamburger Helper (One Pot Pasta!)
- Creamy Taco Pasta
- Vegan Orange Chicken
- 30 Minute Peanut Noodles
- Vegan Pad Thai
- Lentil and Mushroom Tacos
- Southwestern Salad
- Easy Veggie Pizzas
1 Pot Recipes
The second best thing to recipes that are quick and easy is a recipe that uses very little dishes! If you’re like me, the last thing you want to have to do after cooking your family dinner is a ton of dishes.
Here you’ll find recipes that either use just 1 pot or are dump and bake casseroles! I make one of these at least once a week!
- Vegan Butter Chicken with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
- One Pot Vegan Jambalaya
- Easy Vegan Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Buffalo Cauliflower and Chickpea Casserole
- Lemongrass and Coconut Yellow Curry
- Southwestern Black Bean Casserole
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- 1 Pot Vegan Barbacoa
Did you find this post helpful? Please leave a leave a comment in the comment section letting me know what recipe you tried and loved! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
Please also stay in touch with me in our Facebook group, on Pinterest or follow me on Instagram! Sign up for my email list, too! I send my email subscribers exclusive email-only recipes!
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