Ever wonder how a few hours of meal prep can guarantee an entire week of palatable, exciting dishes? With the correct recipes that have great staying power, your meals can potentially improve in taste with time. From meals starring an aromatic roast chicken to hearty rice bowls, we've compiled the best meal prep ideas for your feast throughout the week.

Julia Hartbeck suggests that a whole chicken can be roasted over the weekend and utilized in many delectable strides during the week. Julia Child, the renowned chef, used to pack her roast chicken with sautéed veggies, lemon slices, and fresh herbs, and then massage a pat of butter over the skin. Following this traditional French practice, the chicken should be trussed for even cooking.

You can also consider preparing a versatile chili that can be served with cornbread, pasta, or rice, and your preferred toppings. This quick recipe, which requires less than an hour, incorporates fresh poblano and toasty ancho chile powder and canned beans.

The customizable Spinach lasagna, known for its simplicity and generous cheese serving, can be tightly wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil or packed into freezer-safe containers for freezing.

If you're looking for a simple yet satisfying option, try the easy-to-prepare rice bowl, which can be embellished with a fried or hard-boiled egg. This recipe can be portioned in advance and garnished with sliced avocado whenever you're ready to eat.

Expert on Italian cuisine, Marcella Hazan provides a comforting classic ragù recipe that requires a few hours of simmering. Although it may not be practical for a weeknight, it can be easily prepared in advance for future meals.

A favored Malagasy recipe proposing lentils cooked with tomatoes and aromatics in a combination of coconut milk and water can be stored refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to a month.

Kwame Onwuachi's beloved red beans and rice recipe, inspired by his mother, can be preserved in the refrigerator for four days or frozen for up to three months. Enjoy a hearty grain bowl that can be tailored to your preference of grains, protein, and greens.

Ever considered making ample breakfast in advance? Try the versatile egg cups that can be stored in the refrigerator for five days or frozen for three months.

Bryant Ng offers a scrumptious dish containing a rich curry made with curry powder, fresh ginger, and fish sauce poured over seared pork meatballs. This meal can be enjoyed with naan, rice, pasta, or a hoagie roll.

A Mexican pork stew enriched with hominy can be refrigerated for several days or lyophilized for longer storage. An enticing beef stew featuring tender chunks of beef and potato cooked in a Dutch oven can feed up to six.

Breakfast for the week can be sorted with an amazing version of overnight oats that can be made five days in advance. If you desire, fresh fruit can be added to the dish right before serving.

Other options include the light, garlicky chicken stew served with bright herbs and sweet peppers or the hummus topped with a plethora of chicken and cauliflower spiced with a shawarma-inspired array of spices and buttery pine nuts. Your meal prep list can also feature stuffed shells that taste just as great when reheated.

A list of flexible meal prep ideas would be incomplete without honorable mentions of quick cassoulet, vegetarian stew pea dishes and taquitos stuffed with an array of ingredients to go with beans, rice, and pico de gallo for your convenient meal prep days.