Welcome to Protein Meal Prep: Part 17! (If you’re catching up, you can find last week’s post here.)

Happy Monday! We’re rolling into another week of protein prep and I’m honestly so glad I’ve built this routine. Taking a couple of hours on Sunday to get meals ready always makes me feel less scattered during the week. I know I have balanced options waiting for me, and it saves me from scrambling (or reaching for takeout) when things get busy.

This week I leaned into a mix of cozy and practical. For breakfast, I did a roasted veggie + chicken sausage hash topped with cottage cheese scrambled eggs (seriously such a good combo – creamy, high protein, and reheats well). For something seasonal, I baked pumpkin spice protein muffins. Shocker because I always talk about how I don’t like pumpkin… but Tyler really wanted them and I can’t lie, they are pretty tasty. And then for lunch/dinner, I went with Thai basil chicken bowls. This is one of my favorite meals of all time but one that I never make at home because I never knew if I could do it justice. Spoiler alert: it came out DELISH and its surprisingly easy to make!

Overall, it’s a lineup that feels balanced, satisfying, and gives me a little variety without overcomplicating prep. Let’s get into the recipes…

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1. Breakfast Hash Bowls ?

I’m ALWAYS on a breakfast prep kick, and these hash bowls are such a win. They’ve got roasted potatoes, peppers, and onions for that classic hash vibe, plus chicken sausage for protein and cottage cheese scrambled eggs to keep things extra filling. I portioned them into meal prep containers so they’re ready to grab and reheat all week.

PS: if you’re nervous about reheating scrambled eggs, I promise the cottage cheese off-sets the texture, keeping them SUPER creamy and delish!

Makes: 4 servings | Protein: ~23g per serving

Ingredients:

• 2 small potatoes, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 servings breakfast chicken sausage, diced
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• Optional: chives (for topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. On a large sheet pan, combine the potato, bell pepper, onion, chicken sausage, half of the olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a dash of salt & pepper. Toss to combine.
3. Bake for 20–30 minutes, until potatoes are tender and everything is crisp.
4. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan on medium/low heat. Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Pour eggs into the pan along with the cottage cheese. Mix frequently until cooked through.
5. Evenly distribute the hash mix between four meal prep containers. Top each with a serving of the scrambled egg mixture.
6. Optional: sprinkle with chives. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for an easy reheat breakfast.

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2. Pumpkin Spice Protein Muffins ?

I know, I know… I don’t like pumpkin! BUT it wouldn’t be fall without a little pumpkin moment, right? These muffins are moist, lightly sweetened, and packed with protein thanks to almond flour, protein powder and greek yogurt.

Makes: 10-12 muffins | Protein: 6.5-8g per muffin

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt)
• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond flour
• ½ cup vanilla or unflavored protein powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips
• Optional: cinnamon & brown sugar for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and optional toppings.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Divide batter evenly into muffin tin (about 12 muffins).
5. Optional: sprinkle tops with cinnamon and brown sugar.
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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3. Thai Basil Bowls ?

This was my lunch/dinner prep of the week and it was so flavorful. It’s got a little spice, lots of veggies, and the basil brings everything together. I use Thai holy basil when I can find it, but regular basil works in a pinch too!

Makes: 4 servings | Protein: ~35g per serving

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 lb ground chicken
• 3 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 cups green beans, diced
• 2–3 long red chili peppers, diced
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp coconut aminos
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp agave or honey
• 1 cup Thai holy basil (or regular basil)

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add ground chicken, chili garlic sauce, and onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
3. Once chicken is browned, add green beans and chili peppers. Sauté another 2 minutes.
4. Stir in oyster sauce, coconut aminos, fish sauce, and agave. Cook 3–5 minutes until flavors combine and green beans are tender.
5. Mix in basil just until wilted.
6. Evenly distribute rice and chicken mixture into four meal prep containers. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for an easy grab-and-go meal.

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As always, let me know what you make by leaving a comment or tagging me on IG/TikTok. I love seeing all your creations!! And I’ll see you back here next week for Part 18 🙂

– Erika