This is my favorite video Ethan has ever done. I fear that it may be less "algorithm friendly" than "How to make a delicious sandwich" or "best way to cook bacon at home," but I would love (and pay for) 10 more in this series. I loved that some of the meals were a little odd, maybe not ready for a thumbnail or instagram -- because they demonstrate the thought process of pulling something together last-minute that still works even better than something more polished. I was also inspired by the small detail of coming home after a week of travel and (after doom-scrolling for a while) going to the store for just a handful of basic fresh ingredients. And, even more outside the main scope of the video, I was super inspired by the way Ethan integrates a wide variety of activity and exercise (golf, traditional lifting, jogging, hot yoga) into his day, and his clear commitment to work/life balance. I don't know what we need to do to support more content like this, because it's clearly as much work as a regular video and probably appeals to a smaller audience, but I'd pay for more if I could!
This is cooking not a meal prepping like the previous video mealnprepping with beef. He doesn't braise or precook the chicken so he can prepare meal faster.
@@87911 Did you not watch the entire second half of the video? He braises the chicken and uses it in 5 different recipes. Not to mention, the whole point of this video is to show a realistic week. He used the leftovers as prep for the next day.
These videos where Ethan goes through a real "pseudo meal prep" and then shows what he does with the protein during the week are easily his most practically helpful videos. I love the science deep dives and fancy dishes, but my life is busy AF and I only have time to get fancy in the kitchen at most once or twice a week. The rest of the time, I need something that can be ready in 5-15 min, tops, especially for lunch.
@@EthanChlebowski These, and more macro-friendly videos please! Your macro-friendly recipes actually taste like normal food rather than dry-scooping whey powder.
We need these videos every week. It’s a nice crossover into the fitness community. We need more people who can actually cook and not just dump protein powder into a recipe and call it healthy/good tasting
You’re meal prep using slow cooked meat from two weeks ago was perhaps the most useful cooking video I’ve seen. I already tried it after buying a 10 lb slab of pork for $11. I slow cooked 5lbs and used it throughout the week to make variations of the same meals you did - Tinga tacos, ban mi sandwich, and pasta with meat. I also used it in a stir fry. I still have another 5lbs frozen and next time a slow cook meat is on sale, I’m going to buy and repeat the process again. Such a useful video. Will also be trying this chicken meal prep.
Some would say the pinnacle of cooking is working at a 3 Michelin star place or something, but to me it’s this. The whole cooking great food at a pinch with what you have and doing it every day like this is hard and its a skill. You seem to have it and so does Kenji. Cooking like this is what I aspire to eventually do.
This might be the BEST video you've ever made. And that's no small compliment given the high quality videos you usually make. This video is exactly what I strive to achieve as a home cook. Prep a main ingredient (protein) during the beginning of the week and then use pantry staples, leftovers, and a few grocery buys to make simple, inexpensive meals based on whatever it is I'm in the mood for at that moment. Brilliant strategy and I love that you've laid it out for us to follow in a very simple manner. Thanks Ethan!
I really love this "food I made with random shit I found" thing. I'm always really scared with recipes turning out too different when I make it with ingredients that only half fit, so the improvisation in this video was comforting because the presentation of even most home cooks on youtube is that they always know what they're doing. It feels good to know that things can turn out well even if you don't plan everything out to a T. Most relatable and notable moments were the "I'm so tired I can barely even talk so I made a sandwich out of a pizza" on Monday as well as the "this pita bread was in my freezer for a month" lmao
I'm going to pile on into the praises for this video and concept Ethan. You've been absolutely crushing it recently between this prepping/philosophical content and the ingredient subtype breakdowns. Really hitting the sweet spot merging education and science with relatability and unabashed truth/openness.
This honestly just makes me feel so envious that you can set your own schedule. I'm so glad some people get to live this way and wish it was more common. When basically 9 hours of everyday is already pre-scheduled by your employer it makes it so much more demotivating to be creative and active outside of work. Man all this food looks incredible.
Its actually so nice to see that all the food you make for your videos doesn't go to waste. I'm sure it can be annoying at times, but you definitely utilize it throughout your weeks.
This feels like such a cosy insight into what you really eat. And it’s cool to see how you spend your time, taking advantage of good weather to play golf and working into the evening afterwards is a great example of being consistent, not rigid.
I love this! “Ingredient stacking” is something I rarely consider, but this shows just how effective it can be in making lunch and dinner less of a chore.
These “Meal Prep Without Actually Meal Prepping” videos are so useful. I have a massive pork shoulder braised and sitting in my fridge right now, alongside a whole chicken I pressure cooked. Ready to whip up meals for our family of 3 this week.
I follow a lot of chefs on TH-cam and it can be daunting and soul crushing to see them use a grocery list of expensive items that you can't afford! Relatability is important!! Thanks Ethan for this video. You made multiple meals out of simple food we all have access too!!❤️❤️
I braised some Chuck roast last week and my most picky kid told me that he "'couldn't stop eating it". I have some frozen thighs and can't wait to try this meal. I even happen to have the white cheddar powder too - I originally got it for popcorn and didn't think about making cheesy pasta. Edit: I has some tostadas left over from the crunch wraps too. This video seems tailor made for me! Lol
This is possibly my favorite series of yours. Starting with a base of a protein that can last throughout the week and building out meals from there has made cooking so much more pleasant. After watching the first video I braised a chuck roast from Costco and made pastas, sandwiches, quesadillas, and rice bowls for me and my wife and this video has given me some ideas to put something together with some chicken. Cooking is enjoyable but between work, life, etc. it can feel cumbersome trying to put together meals all the time so getting the protein out of the way and keeping my fiber options simple but complimentary to the protein is very helpful and makes meals come together so much more quickly.
Might not copy the exact ingridients but Ethan gives me ideas how to really make a "lazy" meal for the weekdays. Such relatable content from the grocery part down to really using them for the rest of the week/month.
This type of video is AWESOME! Ways to vary the "meal prep" videos is really useful and helps me have more confidence in the kitchen. One question - what's the longest you've let chicken dry brine? I thought I remember you or Kenji at one point saying not to dry brine longer than 8-12 hours, but I can't remember why - taste or texture gets weird after that? Am I just remembering incorrectly? If there were no terrible effects, I think having some ready-to-go brined chicken in our fridge to cook fresh at any time throughout the week would be awesome.
I loved the braised beef prep from a few weeks ago, but my family doesn’t anything that feels like “leftovers”. I was able to sneak some of it into a Bolognese sauce. Today, you’ve inspired me to grab a bunch of proteins from the freezer, have them prepped and ready in my fridge, but still cook them fresh for that day’s meal. Also - you gave me a great idea of what the heck to do with my leftover quesadilla ingredients. About to go make a taco salad!
This is so perfect!! I watched the meal prep video last week and tried to do something like it but I don't really like that kind of beef so I struggled to actually follow through with it. I'm sometimes wary of just buying ingredients without knowing exactly what I want to cook because I don't like to waste food, but the use of chicken in this video and the multitude of different ways you made meals while still sticking to the same basic formula (meat, vegetables, flavorings) is the perfect combination of laziness and creativity for a person like me who likes to cook but can get overwhelmed by the prospect of meal prep. The true improvisation is really really motivating!!
Nice! This is how I cook basically every week. The main difference is that I cook all of the protein (chicken in this case) on the same day. I keep it super simple from a seasoning perspective on that initial cook and then make flavor mods when putting together the actual dish. Still allows me to save time during the week, but I’m not eating the same exact meal every day. The key to success is having a well stocked pantry and fridge/freezer to make the meal complete.
Love the banana pepper liquid with the oil for dressing! Bet that salad would be great with Napa cabbage, too. (I really dislike leafy lettuce). Also like the slow braise on the chicken!
Love your videos and Sunday Cooking Club newsletters. You are such an inspiration! I have been doing this type of meal prep since I retired as it allows my passion for cooking to get to a level of creativity I never knew I had! I call these meals my "Chopped" meals (as in the TV show). The best thing is that my husband thinks I am a cooking wizard that can put a meal together with just about anything I have in the fridge or pantry!
This is how I cook too. I would love to see your take on how you choose your produce to minimize waste and also get lots of fresh veggies in your food.
Thank you, Ethan, for sharing the biggest tip in preventing food waste! If you don't have room (or the desire) to freeze proteins, you can *always* salt them at the time of purchase and get an extra couple days to a week of fridge storage out of them; and since you're going to want to salt them anyway, it's a win-win.
I know I'm late to the channel, just wanted to drop a line that this style of meal prepping is speaking to my soul, thanks for making this video and the other ones on this particular subject too.
I do this! I usually bake one of those 10 pound bags of chicken thighs for my roommates and I every week. the giant bags have skins and bones which I take out after baking and throw in a slow cooker for broth
As someone who's just trying chicken in my diet due to its remarkably low calories, and hates meals prepping this is a perfect in-between. You get quick easy savory meals with optional variety everyday!
Honey-mustard is great on chicken & as a salad dressing & it's two ingredients, Natural Nate's "Texas" honey, & Gordon's Spicy Brown mustard, is the brands I'd pick.
thank you Ethan! This video was recommended to me but I used to watch your videos a lot a couple years ago and stopped. I think I’ll keep watching your videos to instill some creativity in the kitchen for myself. I have so many ingredient foods in my pantry and fridge but just don’t know how to assemble them into a nice meal anymore. I’ll slowly get better though
As a depressed person this is such a humble brag about your daily schedule, but I'm here for it! Keeping humor in the mix always helps, one step at a time climbs the ladder. Thanks for sharing with us, Ethan!
Cleaning & Decluttering while cooking sounds so simple but it never came naturally to me. Thank you very much for making these videos. It has actually made a positive impact on my life.
I love these meal prep videos you've been doing, also been loving your comparison videos. Have you done a pulled pork meal prep video? If not I'd love to add my vote for that. Cheers, happy holidays.
I like those videos, this is a similar weekday cooking situation to what I already do, but this videos help me be a little more creative in what dishes I can make with my bulk. Ethan maybe you can make one like that for vegans/vegetarians, having bulk meat on hand is less tricky then a pot of beans.
i hope people actually listen and watch, them implement, your ancillary kitchen tasks i.e. clean/prep as you go. it makes cooking at home so much more expedient and doable. love the content lad
Great comment about how traditional meal prep can take away the fun of cooking during the week. I like that while it’s chicken all these days, it’s cooked and presented in a bunch of different ways rather than being the same grilled chicken through till Wednesday.
I can't praise you enough. My week is going so much smoother after prepping protein like how you showed in this video and using it to make similar dishes.
This concept has been so helpful to me since the first video a couple of weeks ago! I'd love to see you do this kind of video with some non-meat protein options like beans or tofu.
I would love a video from you on how best to use your freezer for home cooking. For example, I never thought jt freeze fresh made bread products or homemade tortillas, but it's a game changer. So other tips like that for ingredient components we could pull out to still cook a proper meal.
Great video! With three kids, this is how I often cook- didn’t know it had a name! It just makes sense to cook extra if I’m cooking something anyway. “Ingredient stacking” for the win. I love what you did with the chicken. I am always looking for new ideas, so thank you!!’ Going to watch the braised beef video next.
Hi Ethan! Longtime fan of your channel and meal prepper. I love your approach to cooking and got a lot of inspiration from this video. Like many other Asian Americans though, I am lactose sensitive. Would love to see a video that doesn't incorporate cheese!
I'm a single mom of a teen, located in a bit of a food desert. It's a challenge. Fresh ingredients are hard to come by and questionable at times. This "meal prep" video (and others by Ethan) have been very helpful and inspiring. I definitely need to stock the kitchen with staples like oil, spices, creme, pasta, sauces, and pickled condiments. All things to transform protein on the fly. I'd love to watch Ethan do his magic on cooking shows like Netflix Cook at All Costs or Snack vs Chef.
Ethan I think an idea for a video is all about the freezer.. because if I can make at home flour tortillas and freeze them that helps my meal prep.. but I honestly don’t know what foods freeze well and which ones don’t
Totally relate to daylight savings ruining golfing! We play par 3 at like 330pm so we can try to get 9 or 18 holes in depending on how fast it moves. Also great recipes and framework for super useful weekday cooking on a busy schedule. Keep stuff like this coming
This is basically how I've always cooked / how I learned to meal prep. The starting point is always 'what do we already have in stock?' so I'm not buying unnecessary items and am using food before its use by / best before date to avoid waste. I take a list to the supermarket / farmers' market / wholesaler, but if I see something that's great value that wasn't on my list, I'll grab that as well or instead of something on my list (depending on budget). This way I'm making best use of my money as well as my time. Meal planning happens when I get home and unpack - I do this on a one-week whiteboard so I can adjust as we go through the week if needed (because sometimes life gets in the way...). As I do this, I'm thinking 'bang for my (time) buck' - what's the least time I can spend in the kitchen for the most flavour and value? So if on Sunday I make a roast / barbecue meat, I'm thinking about what vegetables can be cooked alongside to use for multiple meals, how can I keep back some of the meat for lunch the next day or to roll over into another dinner. If I'm cooking rice or pasta, I always cook at least double so I have it ready to go for another meal or to toss in the freezer for a quick meal. Most nights I'm only cooking for 2, but I'll make enough for 3 so I automatically have lunch for work the next day. Or do a double batch of anything that can be frozen for those nights we just can't be bothered to cook, or if we're working different hours and therefore need to eat at different times. Also gives us a 'menu' of options so we don't necessarily have to eat the same meal as each other if, for example, I feel like making a dish my partner doesn't like. I was also lucky in a way to grow up in a family that had a 'make do and mend' attitude, partly because my parents are boomers and partly because my dad died young and mum raised us on her own for several years and had a limited income. So I learned to make meals from whatever was on hand and to cook a lot of things from scratch, because takeaway was a luxury and supermarkets weren't open the long hours they are in many places now. Learning how to combine basic items and understanding flavour means I can always make something that meets my needs.
Great video as always. That being said, this kind of approach only really works if cooking is also your hobby. Me personally, I like cooking huge meals for meal prep 1-2 times a week, but if I had to spend time in the kitchen every night after work, I'd probably be too tired to do it more often than not.
Even tho Monday was a so called weird day for you, it was awesome to see some unique ideas with the pizza for how to utilize leftovers. Very realistic for how the week goes and great ideas for recipes. Thoroughly enjoyed this video!
The thing I do that makes a huge difference is buying produce I use a lot, like onions of example, in a big bag. Then I dice it all up at once and put it in gallon freezer bags. You lose a bit of texture and I wouldn't use them for every application, but I find many recipes do just fine with frozen onions, peppers, garlic, and even herbs. Dill in particular freezes really well!
Hi Chef Ethan! Thank you for inspiring me to cook!! You helped make cooking delicious and easy. I have a request : can you pls make a meal prep week for chicken breast (same as this one) ? And one with canned salmon? 😁😁😁
Chilaquiles and migas are go-to for me! I like the cracked and small chunks of tortilla chips (Juanita’s if you are in the PNW, I haven’t found any better after living in TX for 20 years) from the bottom of the bag! Quick and easy
Fantastic video as always Ethan! Would really love to know more about your pre production process ie writing the script and what you mean by that and the general framework of your videos.
Having a peek at what you realistically eat during the week was really cool. Your braising video was honestly a game-changer. Yesterday was spicy pork tacos, today was stir-fry with shredded pork and eggs, tomorrow's going to be the garlicky pasta with the meat topping. I'm a student and I also struggle hitting the calorie counts I need to (I eat VERY clean and am underweight) so having a way to implement more calorie-dense meat into my diet while also making it easy to throw together delicious meals has been incredible 🙏
On the Poblano peppers, Not sure when scrapped off the burnt dark parts if you also removed it he skin? The poblano taste better if you remove the skin - the skin has a slight bitter taste. I usually bake or broil a few poblanos at a time in the oven, put them in the bag or container or wrap with a towel to steam it, then remove the whole skin. Then I have a poblano meal prep for the week!
Ok, so I thought I was always doing meal prep wrong because I hate eating the same thing every day for a week and I HATE left-overs older than a day. This method of cooking a big batch of a protein and then basing your meals around that is a lot more realistic for me. It still gives me variety while saving me time, whether I cook chicken, pork, beef. I normally cook fish the day I'm eating it. So, yes, more meal-prep videos. I've always considered myself an above-average home cook and I've learned a LOT from these videos, so I definitely want to see more of them.
Would love the see your breakfast, between meals and snacks. Also would love the see if you could do some meals high in fiber or how to increase fiber in your meals videos. As always great video and delicious, easy to make food.
This is how I cook on a day to day basis, I hate to have to do a pre-determined recipe, it's taking all the creativity out of cooking. I imagine it's much easier when you only cook for yourself and maybe another non-picky human tought. I imagine it's harder when you cook for a lot of people. It's so much fun seeing someone else cooking like that, thanks for the inspiration!
Oh I love this video, especially the Ingredient Stacking thing! It'll definitely make me feel less bad about always having leftovers one way or another. lol
My brother, the onlyyyyyyy thing you’re missing (atleast via the website) is the macros man that’s it and this will legitimately become my meal prepping Keep doing these it’s awesome ❤
This is my favorite video Ethan has ever done. I fear that it may be less "algorithm friendly" than "How to make a delicious sandwich" or "best way to cook bacon at home," but I would love (and pay for) 10 more in this series. I loved that some of the meals were a little odd, maybe not ready for a thumbnail or instagram -- because they demonstrate the thought process of pulling something together last-minute that still works even better than something more polished. I was also inspired by the small detail of coming home after a week of travel and (after doom-scrolling for a while) going to the store for just a handful of basic fresh ingredients. And, even more outside the main scope of the video, I was super inspired by the way Ethan integrates a wide variety of activity and exercise (golf, traditional lifting, jogging, hot yoga) into his day, and his clear commitment to work/life balance. I don't know what we need to do to support more content like this, because it's clearly as much work as a regular video and probably appeals to a smaller audience, but I'd pay for more if I could!
This is cooking not a meal prepping like the previous video mealnprepping with beef. He doesn't braise or precook the chicken so he can prepare meal faster.
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@@87911 Did you not watch the entire second half of the video? He braises the chicken and uses it in 5 different recipes.
Not to mention, the whole point of this video is to show a realistic week. He used the leftovers as prep for the next day.
Vote for a playlist actually titled "Things the Ethan Actually meal prep and Cook for himself in Real Life." More meal prep videos please
I'll try to do these every once in awhile!
Second this motion.
These videos where Ethan goes through a real "pseudo meal prep" and then shows what he does with the protein during the week are easily his most practically helpful videos. I love the science deep dives and fancy dishes, but my life is busy AF and I only have time to get fancy in the kitchen at most once or twice a week. The rest of the time, I need something that can be ready in 5-15 min, tops, especially for lunch.
@@EthanChlebowski These, and more macro-friendly videos please! Your macro-friendly recipes actually taste like normal food rather than dry-scooping whey powder.
We need these videos every week. It’s a nice crossover into the fitness community. We need more people who can actually cook and not just dump protein powder into a recipe and call it healthy/good tasting
You’re meal prep using slow cooked meat from two weeks ago was perhaps the most useful cooking video I’ve seen. I already tried it after buying a 10 lb slab of pork for $11. I slow cooked 5lbs and used it throughout the week to make variations of the same meals you did - Tinga tacos, ban mi sandwich, and pasta with meat. I also used it in a stir fry. I still have another 5lbs frozen and next time a slow cook meat is on sale, I’m going to buy and repeat the process again. Such a useful video. Will also be trying this chicken meal prep.
U can make flautistas, burritos, rice bowl, lettuce wraps.
Some would say the pinnacle of cooking is working at a 3 Michelin star place or something, but to me it’s this. The whole cooking great food at a pinch with what you have and doing it every day like this is hard and its a skill. You seem to have it and so does Kenji. Cooking like this is what I aspire to eventually do.
But 3 Michelin star chefs don't cook 3 star dishes for themselves at home either. Their process probably looks somewhat like this
This might be the BEST video you've ever made. And that's no small compliment given the high quality videos you usually make. This video is exactly what I strive to achieve as a home cook. Prep a main ingredient (protein) during the beginning of the week and then use pantry staples, leftovers, and a few grocery buys to make simple, inexpensive meals based on whatever it is I'm in the mood for at that moment. Brilliant strategy and I love that you've laid it out for us to follow in a very simple manner. Thanks Ethan!
I really love this "food I made with random shit I found" thing. I'm always really scared with recipes turning out too different when I make it with ingredients that only half fit, so the improvisation in this video was comforting because the presentation of even most home cooks on youtube is that they always know what they're doing. It feels good to know that things can turn out well even if you don't plan everything out to a T.
Most relatable and notable moments were the "I'm so tired I can barely even talk so I made a sandwich out of a pizza" on Monday as well as the "this pita bread was in my freezer for a month" lmao
I'm going to pile on into the praises for this video and concept Ethan. You've been absolutely crushing it recently between this prepping/philosophical content and the ingredient subtype breakdowns. Really hitting the sweet spot merging education and science with relatability and unabashed truth/openness.
This honestly just makes me feel so envious that you can set your own schedule. I'm so glad some people get to live this way and wish it was more common. When basically 9 hours of everyday is already pre-scheduled by your employer it makes it so much more demotivating to be creative and active outside of work. Man all this food looks incredible.
It's probably easier because you know exactly how much time every day and don't need to guess.
This is one of the most insane TH-cam videos I've seen in my entire life it's absolutely surreal watching someone with their life this together
Its actually so nice to see that all the food you make for your videos doesn't go to waste. I'm sure it can be annoying at times, but you definitely utilize it throughout your weeks.
This is perfect for me. I struggle with leftovers and doing something like this is the perfect in-between AND doesn't lock me in on specific meals.
This feels like such a cosy insight into what you really eat. And it’s cool to see how you spend your time, taking advantage of good weather to play golf and working into the evening afterwards is a great example of being consistent, not rigid.
I love this! “Ingredient stacking” is something I rarely consider, but this shows just how effective it can be in making lunch and dinner less of a chore.
These “Meal Prep Without Actually Meal Prepping” videos are so useful. I have a massive pork shoulder braised and sitting in my fridge right now, alongside a whole chicken I pressure cooked. Ready to whip up meals for our family of 3 this week.
I follow a lot of chefs on TH-cam and it can be daunting and soul crushing to see them use a grocery list of expensive items that you can't afford! Relatability is important!!
Thanks Ethan for this video. You made multiple meals out of simple food we all have access too!!❤️❤️
good lunchbox meals would be good! eg. recipes that work well eaten cold too. for uni students, work etc
Easily one of my favorite videos you have made thus far, would love for this type of series to become a regular thing, so helpful and encouraging.
I braised some Chuck roast last week and my most picky kid told me that he "'couldn't stop eating it". I have some frozen thighs and can't wait to try this meal. I even happen to have the white cheddar powder too - I originally got it for popcorn and didn't think about making cheesy pasta.
Edit: I has some tostadas left over from the crunch wraps too. This video seems tailor made for me! Lol
This version of meal prepping is so helpful I've been looking for ways to prep chicken thighs for the week. Can't wait to try!!
This is possibly my favorite series of yours. Starting with a base of a protein that can last throughout the week and building out meals from there has made cooking so much more pleasant. After watching the first video I braised a chuck roast from Costco and made pastas, sandwiches, quesadillas, and rice bowls for me and my wife and this video has given me some ideas to put something together with some chicken. Cooking is enjoyable but between work, life, etc. it can feel cumbersome trying to put together meals all the time so getting the protein out of the way and keeping my fiber options simple but complimentary to the protein is very helpful and makes meals come together so much more quickly.
Might not copy the exact ingridients but Ethan gives me ideas how to really make a "lazy" meal for the weekdays. Such relatable content from the grocery part down to really using them for the rest of the week/month.
This is the most real life meal prep I’ve seen ever. This is how I cook !
Love these ideas! I'd love to see this series continue with some ideas for this style of meal prep for people who pack lunches for work or school.
This type of video is AWESOME! Ways to vary the "meal prep" videos is really useful and helps me have more confidence in the kitchen.
One question - what's the longest you've let chicken dry brine? I thought I remember you or Kenji at one point saying not to dry brine longer than 8-12 hours, but I can't remember why - taste or texture gets weird after that? Am I just remembering incorrectly? If there were no terrible effects, I think having some ready-to-go brined chicken in our fridge to cook fresh at any time throughout the week would be awesome.
I loved the braised beef prep from a few weeks ago, but my family doesn’t anything that feels like “leftovers”. I was able to sneak some of it into a Bolognese sauce. Today, you’ve inspired me to grab a bunch of proteins from the freezer, have them prepped and ready in my fridge, but still cook them fresh for that day’s meal. Also - you gave me a great idea of what the heck to do with my leftover quesadilla ingredients. About to go make a taco salad!
This is so perfect!! I watched the meal prep video last week and tried to do something like it but I don't really like that kind of beef so I struggled to actually follow through with it. I'm sometimes wary of just buying ingredients without knowing exactly what I want to cook because I don't like to waste food, but the use of chicken in this video and the multitude of different ways you made meals while still sticking to the same basic formula (meat, vegetables, flavorings) is the perfect combination of laziness and creativity for a person like me who likes to cook but can get overwhelmed by the prospect of meal prep. The true improvisation is really really motivating!!
Nice! This is how I cook basically every week. The main difference is that I cook all of the protein (chicken in this case) on the same day. I keep it super simple from a seasoning perspective on that initial cook and then make flavor mods when putting together the actual dish. Still allows me to save time during the week, but I’m not eating the same exact meal every day. The key to success is having a well stocked pantry and fridge/freezer to make the meal complete.
Love the banana pepper liquid with the oil for dressing! Bet that salad would be great with Napa cabbage, too. (I really dislike leafy lettuce). Also like the slow braise on the chicken!
Love your videos and Sunday Cooking Club newsletters. You are such an inspiration! I have been doing this type of meal prep since I retired as it allows my passion for cooking to get to a level of creativity I never knew I had! I call these meals my "Chopped" meals (as in the TV show). The best thing is that my husband thinks I am a cooking wizard that can put a meal together with just about anything I have in the fridge or pantry!
This is how I cook too. I would love to see your take on how you choose your produce to minimize waste and also get lots of fresh veggies in your food.
Thank you, Ethan, for sharing the biggest tip in preventing food waste! If you don't have room (or the desire) to freeze proteins, you can *always* salt them at the time of purchase and get an extra couple days to a week of fridge storage out of them; and since you're going to want to salt them anyway, it's a win-win.
I know I'm late to the channel, just wanted to drop a line that this style of meal prepping is speaking to my soul, thanks for making this video and the other ones on this particular subject too.
I do this! I usually bake one of those 10 pound bags of chicken thighs for my roommates and I every week. the giant bags have skins and bones which I take out after baking and throw in a slow cooker for broth
As someone who's just trying chicken in my diet due to its remarkably low calories, and hates meals prepping this is a perfect in-between. You get quick easy savory meals with optional variety everyday!
Honey-mustard is great on chicken & as a salad dressing & it's two ingredients, Natural Nate's "Texas" honey, & Gordon's Spicy Brown mustard, is the brands I'd pick.
thank you Ethan! This video was recommended to me but I used to watch your videos a lot a couple years ago and stopped. I think I’ll keep watching your videos to instill some creativity in the kitchen for myself. I have so many ingredient foods in my pantry and fridge but just don’t know how to assemble them into a nice meal anymore. I’ll slowly get better though
Yeah this is great for someone who has access to their kitchen at every point of the day
I'm only 2 minutes 22 seconds in but... more like this please! So far this is right up my alley, exactly what I needed! Thanks 🙂
As a depressed person this is such a humble brag about your daily schedule, but I'm here for it! Keeping humor in the mix always helps, one step at a time climbs the ladder. Thanks for sharing with us, Ethan!
I love that you are going through the food that you have made for other videos and not waste or spoile anything 🌸
THIS is real life. It’s exactly the kind of content we need
Mad respect that you edit your own videos.
Cleaning & Decluttering while cooking sounds so simple but it never came naturally to me. Thank you very much for making these videos. It has actually made a positive impact on my life.
I love these meal prep videos you've been doing, also been loving your comparison videos. Have you done a pulled pork meal prep video? If not I'd love to add my vote for that. Cheers, happy holidays.
I like those videos, this is a similar weekday cooking situation to what I already do, but this videos help me be a little more creative in what dishes I can make with my bulk.
Ethan maybe you can make one like that for vegans/vegetarians, having bulk meat on hand is less tricky then a pot of beans.
Love how genuine you are in these videos and how easy these recipes can be made! Such a useful video.
Suburban mom pasta looks fire. Also admiring your restraint from crushing leftover pizza by itself.
Your tip around clean while you cook is a game changer... It's a massive time saver.
i hope people actually listen and watch, them implement, your ancillary kitchen tasks i.e. clean/prep as you go. it makes cooking at home so much more expedient and doable.
love the content lad
Great comment about how traditional meal prep can take away the fun of cooking during the week. I like that while it’s chicken all these days, it’s cooked and presented in a bunch of different ways rather than being the same grilled chicken through till Wednesday.
I can't praise you enough. My week is going so much smoother after prepping protein like how you showed in this video and using it to make similar dishes.
This concept has been so helpful to me since the first video a couple of weeks ago! I'd love to see you do this kind of video with some non-meat protein options like beans or tofu.
Ethan always coming through with the efficient ideas for home cooking and love the inclusion of atomic habits, great read
I would love a video from you on how best to use your freezer for home cooking. For example, I never thought jt freeze fresh made bread products or homemade tortillas, but it's a game changer. So other tips like that for ingredient components we could pull out to still cook a proper meal.
Please please please make more of these!!!! This is the content I need in my life!!!! I feel inspired!!!
Great video! With three kids, this is how I often cook- didn’t know it had a name! It just makes sense to cook extra if I’m cooking something anyway. “Ingredient stacking” for the win. I love what you did with the chicken. I am always looking for new ideas, so thank you!!’ Going to watch the braised beef video next.
Hi Ethan! Longtime fan of your channel and meal prepper. I love your approach to cooking and got a lot of inspiration from this video. Like many other Asian Americans though, I am lactose sensitive. Would love to see a video that doesn't incorporate cheese!
I'm a single mom of a teen, located in a bit of a food desert. It's a challenge. Fresh ingredients are hard to come by and questionable at times. This "meal prep" video (and others by Ethan) have been very helpful and inspiring. I definitely need to stock the kitchen with staples like oil, spices, creme, pasta, sauces, and pickled condiments. All things to transform protein on the fly. I'd love to watch Ethan do his magic on cooking shows like Netflix Cook at All Costs or Snack vs Chef.
Ethan I think an idea for a video is all about the freezer.. because if I can make at home flour tortillas and freeze them that helps my meal prep.. but I honestly don’t know what foods freeze well and which ones don’t
After braising some chicken thighs this morning, I wondered if Ethan had a video for what to do with the shredded bits! My hero! Thank you!
Fire content as always. You have ramped up my cooking rotation 10 fold.
How long does it take you to shoot and edit a video? The amount of detail you put into these is insane
Totally relate to daylight savings ruining golfing! We play par 3 at like 330pm so we can try to get 9 or 18 holes in depending on how fast it moves.
Also great recipes and framework for super useful weekday cooking on a busy schedule. Keep stuff like this coming
This philosophy of cooking is definitely inspiring
Loving this meal prep series!!
You are doing a great job! I have seen your channel grow and seeing your channel helps for day to day cooking, is really helpful
This is basically how I've always cooked / how I learned to meal prep. The starting point is always 'what do we already have in stock?' so I'm not buying unnecessary items and am using food before its use by / best before date to avoid waste. I take a list to the supermarket / farmers' market / wholesaler, but if I see something that's great value that wasn't on my list, I'll grab that as well or instead of something on my list (depending on budget). This way I'm making best use of my money as well as my time.
Meal planning happens when I get home and unpack - I do this on a one-week whiteboard so I can adjust as we go through the week if needed (because sometimes life gets in the way...). As I do this, I'm thinking 'bang for my (time) buck' - what's the least time I can spend in the kitchen for the most flavour and value? So if on Sunday I make a roast / barbecue meat, I'm thinking about what vegetables can be cooked alongside to use for multiple meals, how can I keep back some of the meat for lunch the next day or to roll over into another dinner. If I'm cooking rice or pasta, I always cook at least double so I have it ready to go for another meal or to toss in the freezer for a quick meal.
Most nights I'm only cooking for 2, but I'll make enough for 3 so I automatically have lunch for work the next day. Or do a double batch of anything that can be frozen for those nights we just can't be bothered to cook, or if we're working different hours and therefore need to eat at different times. Also gives us a 'menu' of options so we don't necessarily have to eat the same meal as each other if, for example, I feel like making a dish my partner doesn't like.
I was also lucky in a way to grow up in a family that had a 'make do and mend' attitude, partly because my parents are boomers and partly because my dad died young and mum raised us on her own for several years and had a limited income. So I learned to make meals from whatever was on hand and to cook a lot of things from scratch, because takeaway was a luxury and supermarkets weren't open the long hours they are in many places now. Learning how to combine basic items and understanding flavour means I can always make something that meets my needs.
Omg you edit these videos yourself?! That very impressive. I absolutely love the graphics on the science/experiment ones
i LOVED this video, big fan but like many others have said one of the best videos you have made
This type of meal prep is perfect for my life. More please
Great video as always. That being said, this kind of approach only really works if cooking is also your hobby. Me personally, I like cooking huge meals for meal prep 1-2 times a week, but if I had to spend time in the kitchen every night after work, I'd probably be too tired to do it more often than not.
Even tho Monday was a so called weird day for you, it was awesome to see some unique ideas with the pizza for how to utilize leftovers. Very realistic for how the week goes and great ideas for recipes. Thoroughly enjoyed this video!
The thing I do that makes a huge difference is buying produce I use a lot, like onions of example, in a big bag. Then I dice it all up at once and put it in gallon freezer bags. You lose a bit of texture and I wouldn't use them for every application, but I find many recipes do just fine with frozen onions, peppers, garlic, and even herbs. Dill in particular freezes really well!
Just started home cooking when I moved to my own place, and I am definitely gonna try this Thank you !!
Hi Chef Ethan! Thank you for inspiring me to cook!! You helped make cooking delicious and easy. I have a request : can you pls make a meal prep week for chicken breast (same as this one) ? And one with canned salmon? 😁😁😁
Chilaquiles and migas are go-to for me! I like the cracked and small chunks of tortilla chips (Juanita’s if you are in the PNW, I haven’t found any better after living in TX for 20 years) from the bottom of the bag! Quick and easy
That's a Masterclass.
Oh and you're a G.O.A.T at cuisine, I always as more amazed by you than by the chefs I work with.
Fantastic video as always Ethan! Would really love to know more about your pre production process ie writing the script and what you mean by that and the general framework of your videos.
Thank you for making this!! You’ve addressed all my resistance to meal prepping. ❤🎉🎉🎉
Haven't heard of Made In until your Carbon Griddle and Press. Thanks for the intro.
I'd be curious to see what the macros are like for these meals next time!
Definitely can do that next time around 👍
That's what I was thinking. The meals looks delicious but also looks so little food to tackle macros, specially protein.
@@waxxyy2 you can just add more chicken if you're worried about protein. Protein powder as well.
Having a peek at what you realistically eat during the week was really cool. Your braising video was honestly a game-changer. Yesterday was spicy pork tacos, today was stir-fry with shredded pork and eggs, tomorrow's going to be the garlicky pasta with the meat topping. I'm a student and I also struggle hitting the calorie counts I need to (I eat VERY clean and am underweight) so having a way to implement more calorie-dense meat into my diet while also making it easy to throw together delicious meals has been incredible 🙏
This was a great video, thank you. This and the braising stuff has caused me to re-evaluate my entire meal prepping strategy.
I love this format, more of this please!
I LOVE this new series. It’s so flexible and doable with a varied schedule!❤
15:41 how do you defrost the bread or any other frozen thing quickly?
On the Poblano peppers, Not sure when scrapped off the burnt dark parts if you also removed it he skin? The poblano taste better if you remove the skin - the skin has a slight bitter taste. I usually bake or broil a few poblanos at a time in the oven, put them in the bag or container or wrap with a towel to steam it, then remove the whole skin. Then I have a poblano meal prep for the week!
Ok, so I thought I was always doing meal prep wrong because I hate eating the same thing every day for a week and I HATE left-overs older than a day. This method of cooking a big batch of a protein and then basing your meals around that is a lot more realistic for me. It still gives me variety while saving me time, whether I cook chicken, pork, beef. I normally cook fish the day I'm eating it. So, yes, more meal-prep videos. I've always considered myself an above-average home cook and I've learned a LOT from these videos, so I definitely want to see more of them.
Squat form on point
Another fantastic video! I always look forward to your weekday meals video to give me inspiration!
Would love the see your breakfast, between meals and snacks. Also would love the see if you could do some meals high in fiber or how to increase fiber in your meals videos. As always great video and delicious, easy to make food.
This is how I cook on a day to day basis, I hate to have to do a pre-determined recipe, it's taking all the creativity out of cooking. I imagine it's much easier when you only cook for yourself and maybe another non-picky human tought. I imagine it's harder when you cook for a lot of people. It's so much fun seeing someone else cooking like that, thanks for the inspiration!
Hands down my favorite YTer, keep it up Ethan!
Man, I just went thru a container of Ethan Braised Shredded Meal-Prep beef. Now for chicken, looking forward to it!
Oh I love this video, especially the Ingredient Stacking thing! It'll definitely make me feel less bad about always having leftovers one way or another. lol
Ethan, Can you advise the difference between white and black pepper and where and when to use them please?? Love your channel, great stuff.
I love this video , very helpful. I do wish you included calorie counts or estimates but none the less so helpful
My brother, the onlyyyyyyy thing you’re missing (atleast via the website) is the macros man that’s it and this will legitimately become my meal prepping
Keep doing these it’s awesome ❤
I love these meal prepping series, they really help me save time and eat well at the same time.
These are the most useful videos for a novice cook that relies on recipes.