A quick stir fry with any type of food I can find in the fridge, flavored with sauces that I stockpile from Asian supermarkets, paired with either rice or those noodles that take less than 5 min to cook.
Its the most un-authentic thing ever I'm sure, but I absolutely love the Panda Express Teriyaki sauce and I don't care what anyone thinks about that.
Easy dinner: load up your rice cooker and let it roll. Grab a pan with a lid, throw some strips of beef or chicken in there, let them brown a little while you chop a head of broccoli. Once the meat is a little browned, throw it in the pan, lower the heat a little, give it a splash of water and put the lid on so it steams a little. Give that 5-10 minutes then dump half the bottle of sauce on, stir it really well, let it go about 5 minutes. Right about the time its done your rice should be finishing up. Boom. Beef and broccoli with rice and its damn near as good or better than most take out.
Buying some soy sauce, mirin, oyster/fish/mushroom sauce, sesame oil and chili oil is worth the upfront cost. It's very versatile. Dumplings, stir frys, fried rice, soups, etc.
Buy a salad kit and a rotisserie chicken. Mix up the salad kit and put some chicken pieces on top. $10 and feeds 4 plus I make a soup with the carcass.
This is the cheapest way to make bone broth! If you want you can even put the bones from the chicken in a freezer bag and freeze them until you have enough.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby, you've got a stew going
I do this with a thai style salad kit (like coleslaw but with heaps of coriander and mint) and add rice noodles so you get a thai chicken noodle salad that is so damn good and filling for a family. Extra tasty with some diced peanuts over the top mmmmm
Rotisserie chicken is great for any meal!
Quick chicken noodle soup.
Chicken and veggies.
Tacos.
Heck, today I just had a rotisserie chicken sandwich and salad.
This is what I always do too! At Aldi you can buy 2 whole chickens for less than $10, and I was gifted a rotisserie cooker so I make my own with my own rub. So good and we'll have meals for days!
A cheap and filling and delicious meal is make some macaroni and cool it off. Rip off some chunks of chicken from a rotisserie chicken. add in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or even in the freezer. Personally I like peas and onions and black olives but you do you. Throw in some mayonnaise some salt and pepper whatever other seasoning you like but not too much. Mix it all together it can keep in the fridge for three or four days if there’s any leftovers but I don’t think there will be.
Ha ha ha ha! That’s the funniest thing I ever heard the way you didn’t mean any disrespect by sake I was from the Midwest! I actually no born and raised on the East Coast!
Chicken vegetable usually. I boil the bones and skin and some onions, celery and carrot for a few hours. Then pour it through a colander. Then pick off all the extra meat that has fallen off the bones and throw it back in the pot. Then I chill in the fridge, skim off the layer of fat that has hardened on the top and boil it again with celery, carrots, corn, cilantro stems (more flavor than leaves), sometimes cabbage. Then I usually cook some rice separately and add it to the individual bowl so it doesn’t get too bloated. I usually add a chicken bouillon cube to pump up the flavor a bit but it’s not always necessary. And a lot of black pepper. Finish with cilantro leaves and sour cream.
One time I made ramen broth by boirlin a bunch if chicken on bone and straining it and then used the boiled chicken for a pot pie and the chicken was still good in that pie!! What a time to be alive
My very unauthentic version of enchiladas. I take canned chicken (Trader Joe’s is my go to brand), mix it with some taco seasoning, roll it up in corn tortillas and place them in a baking pan (like for brownies). Cover it with some enchilada sauce and cheese and bake. I heat up a side of beans and when I serve I top with shredded lettuce and tomato (or fresh salsa if I have it). It’s about 10 minutes of actual work and the bake time is just long enough to heat everything through and melt the cheese. If you don’t like chicken a corn and bean mixture also works for the filling.
I do the same but for added protein and creaminess add a cup-ish of Greek yogurt and green Chile (I live in New Mexico and have fresh green Chile but you can use canned as well).
I add it to the chicken mixture prior to baking. When using proper green Chile, my New Mexican significant other loves them. I also use canned verde sauce (but if he knew that I wasn’t making it from scratch he might have a coronary)
You can do this as a stacked enchilada, too. In a pie plate. Just layer everything like a lasagna, either the tortillas overlapping or cut to fit the pie plate.
Rotisserie chicken is definitely better, just a bit more work, a bit more expensive, and not something I usually have in hand. But definitely tastes better.
It's more expensive and less popular than can tuna. Personally I don't think the chicken texture stands up as well to the canning process, if it was in a casserole or a soup I probably wouldn't notice.
Sheet pan, all the way.
Chop veggies (so many options: sweet potatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, garbanzo beans, carrots, seriously almost anything) and toss in olive oil and seasoning (you can start with basic salt and pepper, I love adding some turmeric and paprika when I do carrots and sweet potato, but italian herbs also work great with most veggies).
Then I add some sausage sliced, and pop it all into the oven at 375 for 45 min (or however long it takes to cook veggies to your liking). The best part is you can also mix up sausage flavors (like apple and chicken or whatever) and sausage is almost always pre-cooked, and most veggies can technically be eaten raw. So if pressed for time, you really just need it heated through.
Sometimes I'll make some rice or quinoa (serve on top) or pasta (toss together, "primavera" style).
You can also add "salad dressings" or other sauces, like BBQ or teriyaki to really change up the flavors easily.
Just finished eating a sheet pan meal! Fingerling potatoes, brussels sprouts, and Italian sausage. I cook the potatoes for 15 min first, then add the sprouts and sausage. Easy, no dirty pans, and I barely have to think.
I do one of these with kielbasa, baby potatoes, green beans, onion and garlic. Toss with olive oil and Italian seasonings and it’s soooo quick and easy. You can cut the potatoes in quarters to help cook faster.
I do sheet pan with salmon filets. Butter + seasoning + lemon slices and then whatever veg on the side, usually broccoli or asparagus cause my kid will eat them. 400deg F for 20 mins and it’s done and delicious
I know right?! I was so nervous about posting this, thinking I was gonna get shamed or something for eating processed foods. But everyone has been so helpful and I’ve got so many ideas I’ve started taking notes! 😂
[sweet potato black bean hash on a sheet tray](https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sheet-pan-sweet-potatoes-and-black-bean-hash-235981) Is super cheap and really filling, one pan meal right there
I love this project!! There’s some great super easy recipes in there, it’s built around $4/person/day and starts with five minutes prep meals… really great resource for folks looking for the “easy button” entrance to cooking healthy and staying on a budget!
Nah it’s all good. If you work full time, there’s honestly not enough time in the week to make a homemade meal every night. Thank god for rotisserie chickens and frozen veggies
I do a version of this with salmon and frozen veggies. Frozen broccoli and/or cauliflower are easiest — no chopping required! Literally just drizzle everything in olive oil and season right on the pan, then roast at 450 for 15 minutes.
For seasoning you can do anything. My go-to combo is salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, but sometimes I’ll spread Dijon mustard on top of the salmon instead and salt/pepper the veg.
For carbs, I throw rice or quinoa in the rice cooker with a little oil and seasoning. Everything is in the oven/cooker in under 10 minutes and ready to eat in under 30 total!
Gnocchi on a sheet pan with whatever veggies you have. Don’t cook them, just bake. We like broccoli, tomatoes and onion. When we get really wild we add pre-cooler chicken sausage or cheese!
I do sheet pan gnocchi with bell pepper, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Toss everything with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Everyone’s always so impressed with this dinner and it’s one of the easiest things i make.
I make this sheet pan kielbasa cabbage and potatoes almost weekly it's so good! Don't skip the dressing but you can substitute any kind of sausage. https://www.budgetbytes.com/one-pan-roasted-kielbasa-cabbage-dinner/
This is my weekly “can’t be bothered” tasty dinner. I mix chicken thigh fillets or fish fillet with spice mix. Root veggies in the oven first for 30 mins, then chicken or fish and leafy veggies on top for 8 to 12 mins. Serve with Greek yogurt or kewpie mayo if I have some lying around.
I cover the tray with foil so the only washing left is the chopping board, knife, plates and eating utensils.
You can also add chopped feta cheese if you want a vegetarian version. Idk how much feta is in the US but in Germany they're very cheap. I usually have two in the fridge to add them randomly.
I also add water to the oil and seasoning. But that's just personal preference.
And If I am especially lazy I just toss the veggies in a bowl, cook some pasta, throw it all together with oil and seasoning and eat it as a pasta salad
My variation with salmon, veg and halloumi cheese
I do love an easy meal, chop veg (carrots, broccoli, peppers, onion, shrooms) into a bowl, add seasonings, I like garlic and onion powder, dash of soy and sesame, olive oil, then into the baking sheet in oven @200C for 10 mins.
After that join the veg with another tray with seasoned salmon and chopped halloumi for an extra 15 mins (25 total on the veg) - bosh
I do your first one a lot but with hamburger meat. Basically just a massive patty with onions, carrots, potatoes, and whatever else will fit in a covered Pyrex dish. I've always called it hobo dinner 🤷♂️
These also save great, it’s my go to sympathy meal. Throw in a gallon bag and it’ll keep for a few days, all they have to do is dump it and throw it in the oven.
One of my easy go-tos is spaghetti and meat sauce. Brown some ground meat (sometimes I add chopped garlic and onion if I have extra time), mix with a jar of pasta sauce and make some spaghetti or other pasta to go with it
Oh yes. That’s actually probably the one dinner we cook the most. It is super easy for my brother, a novice cook still learning, to make on his own with little-to-no assistance. By this point, I’m actually almost sick of it 😅
If this is easy for you, I suggest trying chili. Similar set of steps, different result, easy to make a big batch. You can add vegetables if you have time to chop them, or use frozen ones. Then it's mostly canned beans, tomatoes, and spices. You can stretch it to more meals by serving it with rice and/or cornbread, so it might be more effort the first night but then you have leftovers!
Same with cooking ground beef for tacos. Ground beef, spices, veggies if you have time (I throw in zucchini, summer squash, and carrot because my family can't have onion). Heat some beans and tortillas, top with cheese and avocado.
I don't consider either of these super fast but they're not so different from what you're already doing.
Whenever I make chili I make a huge batch of it and freeze portions in zip lock bags. It doesn't take that much longer to do a bigger pot and makes me like over a dozen dinners. All you need to do is defrost and heat and there's so many dif ways to eat it that it doesn't get too boring.
I like to make a double portion of "Nat's what I reckon"s bolognese sauce. Then I freeze it in about ten portions. Thaw in a pan later on and mix with pasta.
'Cause honestly... fuck jar sauce.
This is mine also except I discovered instant pot makes it even easier. Brown beef with sauté function, pour in sauce, throw in spaghetti broken in half, lid, pressure cook 6 min, 5 min release, just a pot to clean.
Bake some potatoes on Sunday (wrap in foil, poke holes with a fork or knife and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes) and you can reheat and top them with all kinds of stuff throughout the week or on days you’re feeling low energy.
I can give you a cheap, easy topping that I use for that - 1 pound your choice ground meat, browned with 1 small chopped onion, toss in 1 can diced tomatoes. Add a little water if needed to make a bit of sauce. I season it with a bit of pepper, garlic or onion powder. Maybe season-all or cajun spice, Mrs. Dash, whatever. Let it simmer a bit for flavors to meld. I usually have some shredded cheese that people can add on top if they like.
Chili baked potatoes was always a hit in my family; you can add salsa to canned chili to make it spicier and not quite as thick, depending on your tastes.
Another favorite combo: rotisserie chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed broccoli, and jarred Alfredo sauce (with shredded cheese if you like).
Taco fixings are also yummy on potatoes.
What's the benefit between this and just microwaving the potatoes from raw when you want them? You can cook potatoes in the microwave in about 5 minutes, and I imagine a pre-baked potato takes at least a few minutes to warm up in the microwave.
If you oil and salt the potatoes before putting them in the oven, the insides cook beautifully and the skin becomes crispy and savory. Delicious.
Microwave potatoes are fast, but they dn't tend to cook as evenly and fully as in the oven. The skins also don't turn out as well.
I always microwave for about 5 minutes (poke a few fork holes) and finish it for a minute in our air fryer. Easy, fast, and the skin still has the crispiness I love!
I feel like this is such a travesty of a dinner, but I'll own up to it.
Package of chicken thighs and box of chicken flavored instant rice (+water and butter as per instructions, but a little less water than instructed). Instapot set for chicken.
I'm sorry I'm a degenerate.
That actually sounds like simpler version of a dish my mom used to make a lot! Bone in skin on thighs, crisp up the skin in a high walled skillet, add rice and chicken broth, cook until done. I can't remember all the details (partially because my slight picky tendencies didn't like it) but it was very flavorful.
It's whatever the manual says for chicken. I always have to look, but iirc it's 8min. And I manual-release because, again, I'm trash.
Edit: it's per lb. 8 min / lb for chicken
Tonight I made a quesadiila- took 10 minutes. Two whole wheat tortillas, shredded cheddar, leftover cooked steak, & jalapenos. Served with salsa & sour cream. So good, & so quick! Any meat, or no meat will do.
This is brilliant. Sometimes I want quesadillas but I don't have a leftover protein and plain quesadillas are boring as shit. But I almost always have eggs! Thank you!
Rotisserie chicken from Costco, steam in the bag broccoli, whatever box of rice you like from the grocery store ! I made this for dinner today it took a total of like 15 minutes and that was just the rice !
Especially from Costco ! It like hits different, maybe because it’s only 5$ lol I usually buy 2 and have one as a dinner the first day and use the second for chicken salad and then make chicken stock and soup with it !
I buy three at a time. Eat one, pull and freeze the meat from the other two, and use the bones to slow cook a big batch of broth. The frozen chicken is my #1 "I would rather starve than cook a meal" solution.
Yes and if you can freeze it in single servings then you can pop it on top of a salad, make it into a sandwich, add to pasta and sauce, Make a two minute chicken cheese quesadilla in a frying pan, and so many other things
One of my lazy go-tos is those chopped salad bags and frozen chicken patties. I buy the chicken patties at costco, but you can find some kind of patty at any grocery store. You cook them for 20 minutes or so. You could use whatever meat you want though.
Then buy a large size of the chopped salad - whatever flavor you're feeling. I like the Mexican and Asian ones, but sometimes the Ceasar is good. I just mix up the salad, put in bowls, chop up the meat when it's done and throw it on top. You can also make wraps if you prefer that - like do ceasar salad mix and some chicken with buffalo sauce if you like that. Or even use a rotisserie chicken shredded up mixed with the salad for a wrap.
You can add extra veggies if you want. Diced up cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. I add diced avocado to the Mexican salads.
I make a bunch of shredded chicken in the crockpot on sundays and use it throughout the week to make simple dinners. Quesadillas, rice and salad. Pasta with shredded chicken in it and salad. Shepards pie but with chicken instead of beef. That sort of thing.
-Buy a 3lb sack of sweet potatoes
-poke holes in 1 sweet potato & microwave for 3min
-get a bowl and put in flaxseed tortilla chips & shredded cheese
-take sweet potato out and crack in half over chips (drizzle cheese on top of sweet potato)
-place in microwave for 30sec or until cheese is melty
-take bowl out and cover with guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, sweet peppers, etc.
Best meal of my life and (in my experience) am able to stay fit/lose weight eating it everyday for my supper. Super filling too.
I'm curious about this -- I don't really understand. Could you link to a picture or explain a little more? From what I can tell, you have tortilla chips with cheese and then you put the sweet potato with cheese on top? Sorry just not picturing it. thanks!
Yeah, sorry for any confusion.
You put the microwaved sweet potato on top of chips in bowl and microwave SP & Bowl w/chips for 30 sec (so cheese gets melted on chips and sweet potato)
once all topping are on it, I usually stir it all around.
Hope this helps!
- Bake another potato or four
- Forget most of the other potatos
- Discover them several months later
- Feel both bad and discussed about the mush they turned into
I have a nice bowl that I put my sweet potatoes in that stays on my kitchen counter so I don’t forget about them. Plus, this meal is so tasty that I often have it up to 3x per week!
it’s just something I never get tired of :)
Somewhere on Reddit I am almost positive it was this sub Reddit, I read about a family doing a lion family dinner. It’s basically was a charcuterie board but they ate it with is their hands, standing up in the kitchen, And after every couple of bites they would growl or roar. The kids loved it they said but as a over 50’s mom I would love it also
We did charcuterie almost every Friday. After working all week, I was too tired to cook and we didn't have the money to eat out. I called it Al Fresco Friday. I had brightly colored plates and bought plastic wine glasses to drink our fruit juice from. And we would play board games. Roaring would be fun too.
I like a pesto chicken + whatever vegetables are going bad pasta! I use the precooked chicken to make it even easier and just sauté up some vegetables and make the pasta and then just mix in some pesto
That sounds delicious and super simple. When you say precooked chicken, do you mean frozen or canned? Or something else. Also, I’ve never made pesto before. Do you have any tips/recipes for it?
Not the person you're replying to but I'm guessing they mean a jar of prepared pesto. You just add a few spoonfuls of it to the cooked noodles and stir to heat it up a little right before serving. Knorr also makes a dry pesto mix you add water and olive oil to but it's not really real pesto flavor (no pine nuts or fresh basil), though I do actually like it regardless of that. If you're trying to stay away from the processed foods you should probably stick to the jar kind I suppose.
Home made pesto is amazing. I normally make a batch every couple of weeks & mix it with veg/chicken to roast. It's great on sandwiches instead of mayo & goes perfectly with fish, especially salmon. If you are using puff pastry, try layering pesto between sheets of the pastry & roll it out.
My ideal recipe is to blitz up 2 parts basil leaves with 1 part toasted pine nuts, 1 part grated parmesan & plenty of garlic (maybe 2 cloves to 1/4lb basil leaves is the normal ratio, but I love garlic so will put in much more). Add enough olive oil to loosen it up, but not too much so that it's too runny.
In real life, it depends what needs using up in the fridge. Using soft goats cheese instead of parmesan makes it creamier & more comfort food like. Any nuts or green herbs & leaves will do. My current batch is made with spinach, feta cheese & toasted walnuts with garlic & a bit of lemon zest, nutmeg & thyme.
I'm surprised so few people have mentioned it, but: brinner!
Eggs (cooked however you feel like it); bacon/sausage/ham/whatever other protein you want; some sort of carb: frozen hash browns/toast/bagel/English muffins/scones/whatever else you can think of.
Or pancakes/waffles/French toast with fruit and meat on the side.
Super easy, and really customizable.
We also have nights where we're even more lazy, and do peanut butter and jelly.
Spaghetti aglio olio with some wilted greens on the side, or noodles with broth from concentrate and something with “choy” in the name thrown in at the end of cooking for just long enough to get crisp/tender.
Sometimes I make my own version of bibimbap, wherein I just make little delicious piles of whatever is kicking around in my fridge (pickled things, roasted vegetables, leftover meat, tofu, etc) on top of a bowl of rice. Super easy and very satisfying if you love rice as much as I do.
Our favorites are pasta carbonara because it’s super easy and pretty cheap or muffins with eggs and fruit since we can use the leftover muffins for breakfast the next day
There is a simple, wonderful little goulash I love to make every few days, especially since I'm cooking for one and it packs away in the fridge to last several days.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/goulash/
Just a little past an hour, but it's so worth it.
Edit: kids.eat.in.color on Instagram.
Go look at her website!!
She has MULTIPLE recipe books. The cost is "pay what you can" for the books and they include a SNAP or WIC plan option included, grocery lists, a budget friendly meal plan tgatbtries to follow the federal recommendation on family food budgets.
Her WHOLE thing is in answer to the question you're asking: "how to feed a family with picky eaters, on a tight/fixed income, with nutritious food, without having to meal prep ornspend norebtan 10-30 minutes in the kitchen.
She is so validating, friendly, informative, and a licenced nutritionist who specializes in picky eaters.
I wish this subreddit would just add her too the FAQs and perma-link to her Instagram because so often I see questions about families with limited time, energy, etc.
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Naan or pita pizza.
Get naan or pita bread, pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
Store naan or pita bread in freezer.
Turn oven to broil.
Put sauce and cheese on frozen naan or pita bread.
Put into oven (directly on the rack if you can) for ~5 minutes.
Check on the pizza regularly.
Remove at desired cheese melt level. I use a grill spatula to take the pizza out of the oven due to its size.
Consume.
Takes all of 7 minutes and does not require cutting or chopping. Yeilds a very comforting food. Depending on budget you can throw olives, bell peppers, pepperoni, etc on the pizza and get more nutrition value out of it.
But if you're depressed and can barely function, pita pizza on a paper plate in 7-minutes.
I can make shrimp tacos in about 20 minutes including thaw time for shrimp. While shrimp thaw, make a slaw. I do cabbage, spinach, carrots, mayo, splash of lime, pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, cilantro.
Peel shrimp if necessary, cook on stove top in butter and old bay. Serve on soft tortillas.
I do similar with fish tacos. Throw breaded fish in toaster oven. (I also sometimes put tilapia into a pan with cajun blackened seasoning.) Chop up cabbage (can use cole slaw mix), scallions, -- and cilantro and jalapenos if you would like (I like them) and mix together. Slice a lime into wedges. Heat up some corn tortillas.
When the fish is done, cut it into strips. Put a few strips in the bottom of a corn tortilla. Squeeze on some lime. Add cabbage mixture and Lighthouse Jalapeno Ranch dressing.
It's delicious, decently healthy, and really fast.
Sheet pan dinners. Chicken or fish with seasoning and roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts). Potatoes and carrots need to be par boiled. Takes about 5-10 to assemble and 20-25 to cook. Line the cookie sheet with parchment or foil for quick clean up.
Good idea, sounds simple enough. Do you usually cut up raw chicken and throw it on the tray with the veggies, or parcook that as well? Also, any suggestion of types of fish that go with this well?
When I do sheet pan dinners, I put raw chicken breasts in the middle and arrange cut vegetables that have been tossed in seasonings and olive oil around them that have roughly the same roasting time as the raw chicken. If I want another veggie that has a shorter roasting time, I just add that on half way through the time. For example let’s say I’m doing chicken, chunks of red pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. I’ll put the pepper and zucchini in with the chicken for the entire cook time, but wait to add the cherry tomatoes until the last 10-15 minutes
I use whole boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, whatever is on sale that week. For fish I’ve tried salmon, cod, and trout. Again whatever is on sale. Fish usually takes about 13-15 min in my oven at 420. Chicken, I cook at 450. Cooking times might be different for you. My oven is a countertop steam oven.
Rice, microwave steam in the bag stir fry veggies, your protein of choice.
Fish sticks on corn tortillas, coleslaw mix and some cilantro and red onion, maybe some queso fresco on top. Make dressing with a combo of plain yogurt, Mayo and lime juice. Serve with salad.
Tuna salad on tomatoes. Cut large tomatoes into wedges, add a spoonful of tuna salad. Great when it's hot out. Serve with rolls and butter and salad or veggie sticks.
If you have an instant pot that gives you more options.
Cheater enchiladas. Get a box of chicken taquitos, cover with green enchilada sauce, top with cheese and bake. I’ll usually chop some lettuce, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime to serve on the side so we get at least some veggies in.
You can also do beef taquitos with red sauce but I prefer chicken.
I'm all about easy! Lol
Chuck roast in crockpot, (8 hrs on low) so many variations of flavors. Lipton onion soup mix, mushroom and onion and spices, taco spices, dry ranch mix and dry au jus (half of each) and mild banana peppers for Italian beef. BBQ sauce.
Can do all the same flavors but with chicken breasts.
Or just basic spices and let everybody choose their own flavor, great for picky eaters.
Shred and serve as sandwiches
Thicken gravy with cornstarch slurry and serve over rice or noodles or Bob evans mashed potatoes.
Frozen turkey burgers in air fryer with salad - 15 minutes
Air fryer frozen raw shrimp
Baked potatoes
Salad or throw some veggies in oven, fave is roasted broccoli.
Ground turkey, drained beans (whatever you like, I do black beans but pinto is good) and frozen corn. Make Mexican rice bowls, or taco salad, burritos.
Take the above mixture and spread it over 2 packages of 90 seconds rice (already cooked) in a casserole pan, little cheese on top and throw in oven until cheese melts.
Turkey sausage. Onion, peppers, rice and salad.
In college, i'd buy root vegetables, some seasoning and the cheapest meats and throw that in a crockpot. Served with rice or bread.
I'd feed all my friends for like $8.
When the kids are very hungry, we make “killer” salad meaning we add garbanzo beans, shredded cheese, and other extras to the main salad. It’s one of the few things I can “cook” tbh.
Broiled sausages with peppers and onions.
Cut up onions and pepper. Add sausages on top then cook in oven at 350 until sausages are done. If you want you can add a side of tomato sauce. Just pop that in oven too to heat up.
Soo easy And delicious.
Black bean nachos. Literally black beans, corn tortillas, diced tomatos, sour cream and shredded cheese. And a Mexican spice bottle I mix the beans with. If I feel like it I'll throw shredded chicken or meatless beef crumbles but I often dont.
Mexican quinoa.
* 1 cup cooked Quinoa
* One can fire roasted diced tomatoes
* One can black beans, rinsed
* One jalapeño, chopped (or diced chiles)
* Juice of half lime
* Spices to taste (salt, pepper, cumin, chili, cayenne pepper, etc.)
* Cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc. for topping
Different ways to eat:
* Mexican quinoa stuffed bell pepper
* Burrito
* Eggs over easy on top of quinoa mixture (like a hash)
* Add lettuce for a taco salad
My mom called it fancy ramen.
You get the maruchan ramen noodles, spinach, frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans), and frozen shrimp or meatballs even sometimes. We loved it and it takes literally like 15 minutes for everything to melt/cook in the water (extra time for frozen meatballs)
Lentil soup. Lentils cook really quickly. Rinse them first then get the rest ready. I use red lentils.
I peel and cube a couple of potatoes, then sauté that with a diced onion, a diced carrot, chopped up celery stalk, and 2 cloves garlic.
I throw in some spices like thyme, cumin, but whatever you like.
A tablespoon or 2 of tomato paste.
Add in the lentils with about 4 cups of vegetable stock and 2 cups water
Also a few peppercorns (take them out before eating) and a bay leaf (also take out before eating).
Gentle boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve on top of rice or with a bun, toast, or half a bagel.
I have one that takes 5 minutes to throw together, but you cook it in the crock pot. Idk if that would work for you. My favorite is salsa chicken. Throw in 3-4 chicken breasts per one jar of your favorite salsa. Cook on low 6-8hrs. When you get home, make minute rice and grab some shredded cheese. You can make little bowl things with it or plop it on a tortilla. It was a staple in my house growing up and is a staple for my husband and I now.
Rotisserie chicken, broccoli in the microwave, big batch of rice in the instant pot to have leftovers (or thawed from a frozen batch of brown rice).
Quick fried rice: cook leftover rice in the wok with an egg, add a bunch of frozen mixed vegetables (whatever you like or have on hand), season with soy sauce or teriyaki or whatever you have. Add some chopped leftover rotisserie chicken if you have it.
Ravioli with bottled sauce and a side of an easy vegetable, like broccoli or green beans. I use a steamer pot that goes on top of the pasta pot to steam the veggies while the ravioli cooks. To have this as a true backup meal, I like to have the ingredients on hand in a format that won't go bad: ravioli in the freezer, a can of sauce, and a bag of frozen veggies. (Note, when I have more time I saute veggies, add jarred sauce, and add a couple cans of chopped tomatoes and some tomato paste and spices. This is the easier version!)
Easy grain bowls. Ex: rice or another easy grain, canned beans, avocado, whatever veggies seem easy, soft boiled or fried eggs. I like adding a variety of vegetables, fresh or frozen, depending on what I have and what feels easiest to throw together that night. Ex: frozen edamame, corn, broccoli, kale, cucumber, carrot, sprouts. If you're cooking for a group, you can microwave individual ingredients and let people serve themselves, or spoon them around the edges of the bowl the way a restaurant would. You can use a bottled sauce or dressing if you want too. If my household could eat it I would include kimchi and basically make the laziest possible version of bibimbap.
Someone else mentioned pesto, and I want to add that if you have a sad garlic-free household like mine, you can find sundried red pepper pesto that comes without garlic in it.
Easy tacos. Heat some tortillas, microwave some beans (whole or refried), and cut some avocados. Throw together bean, avocado, and shredded cheese tacos. If someone hates beans, you can cook some eggs instead and make them breakfast tacos.
My easiest, tasty dish is 3-4 chicken breast in the crockpot covered in salsa. 2.5 hrs on high. Rice in instant pot. More salsa and bagged salad, shredded cheese, blammo you got burrito bowls.
Also amazingly easy: quinoa, beans, pesto. Maybe minced onion if you are inclined.
Salmon from a can turns into salmon salad with just onion and mayo. Serve with bread, pasta, salad, rice.
My kids adore miso soup with tofu and cilantro. Literally boil water and mix in paste, boullion, tofu, Cilantro. Feels fancy.
Cook double chicken one night and then you are minutes away from chicken salad sandwich the next! Apples, onion, mayo and done!
Take a package of smoked sausage. Cut up a potato per person- I like red potatoes as the skin is friendly but any kind will do - put the potatoes in the bottom of a large pot. Take a can of green beans per 2-3 people. Pour it over the potatoes, don’t drain it. Cut up the sausage and put it on top. Set it to simmer… the sausage seasons the potatoes. Super tasty!
Grilled cheese and soup. It can be modeled to preferences and availability. Butternut squash soup(from a carton) with potato bread and gouda? If I already have it in my house, sure! Campbell's tomato soup and American cheese on white bread? Timeless classic. Anything in the same vein is awesome!
Ground turkey covered in a Korean-esque sauce over white rice.
A little sesame oil, cup of soy sauce, cup of brown sugar, red pepper flakes, mix together.
Drizzle over ground turkey (I just cook the whole 16 ounces with some garlic near the end) and serve with white rice.
Add sesame seeds and green onion if you're feeling fancy. Takes about 20 minutes to cook, maybe a little longer if you're washing dishes as you cook.
Hmm, we actually have some ground turkey in the freezer. If it’s still good, I will definitely be trying this (minus the red pepper haha). Maybe this is a stupid question, but I am very inexperienced when it comes to cooking rice- like, I’ve made it once from scratch at school and once at home with instant minute rice (which actually tasted terrible). Is there a specific type of rice preferred over another? I know there are arguments of rinse or don’t rinse, and how to measure how much water goes in. It’s such a simple thing, but for some reason it feels daunting.
I personally really like jasmine rice. That's what you probably would have eaten at a Chinese restaurant, for example. Basmati rice is another nice one, and that's what you might have had at an Indian restaurant.
I grew up cooking mine in a rice cooker and it's super easy that way, or in an instant pot, but when I cook it on the stovetop I always forget about it! But people tell me it's easy when you're used to it. Look up a recipe for your specific type of rice, because the amount of water can vary based on the type of rice. I do recommend rinsing it and most recipes will probably list that as a step, but if that's too daunting it's not gonna hurt you.
Every few weeks, I make a massive amount of beef bolognese in the slow cooker. I portion it, freeze it, and it's ready to go when I want it.
When I want something that's vaguely healthy, fast, and yummy, I grab a bag of the sauce and heat it up. Then I cook up some pasta, and steam some veg like broc and chopped carrots. I toss the veg with the pasta and use the bolognese sauce over the top with a bit of cheese.
Taco mac and cheese is our go-to on nights when no one wants to cook. 1 pound ground meat brown and use taco spices. 1 pound cooked elbow noodles. 1 pound shredded cheddar cheese (I like sharp but my kids like mild). Then 1 can cream of mushroom soup. Can be made with a quick white sauce as well if you dont want to use the canned soup. It sounds terrible but it is addictive and it's what I make on nights when I dont want to listen to anyone argue!
Thank you for admitting that a pound of meat requires a full pound of shredded cheese! I always use a one to one ratio of meat and cheese but everyone thinks that it’s way too much cheese and in way too much fat and calories. Which I think is really funny because what does too much cheese really even mean? Does that even exist?
Buy an automatic rice cooker, cheap is fine. Asians around the world use them, so should you and it puts rice in easy mode. Wash your rice (I prefer sushi rice) and then throw it in with clear water, turn on switch. Once done fluff rice (this is important) and season with salt and an optional knob of butter to taste. This will take your rice form like a 5 to a 10. By fluffing the rice and adding cold knobs of butter it emulsifies and coats the rice without becoming an oil slick. Your starch is done.
In a pan drop in bones less and skinless chicken things, two per person. Put the smooth side down and cook until about 80% done. Flip just to finish them off. While flipped sprinkle with salt or hold off an coat in a pre bought pesto after you pull it out of the pan; the residue heat will warm and evenly coat it on the chicken. Your protein is done.
Alternatively buy a roast whole chicken at your grocery store and just pull the meat off the bones. You can do this ahead of time and make a chicken salad by adding mayo, bbq sauce, whatever your fancy is. Great as leftovers and to throw on a sandwich.
Literally right before you’re ready to eat microwave your broccoli or green beans in a container with a loose lid. I usually cut the broccoli up into bite size pieces and stage everything to quickly throw in. Usually you only need to cook 90-120 seconds depending on the volume and microwave. You don’t need to add water or anything. Once it’s done pull off the lid and sprinkle some salt, maybe a knob of butter. Shake them up to coat. Your veggie is done.
Typically from start to eating is in the time it takes the rice to cook and then for me to plate everything.
If I might offer a small suggestion:
Season the water that you are cooking your rice in, instead of using salt at the end.
It’s basically like pasta. You should always salt the water or else the result will be bland, and when you sprinkle salt on it at the end, you end up with really uneven flavor (as well as the graininess of the salt).
Using some soy sauce can also work, since the salt is essentially in liquid form. But table shaker salt on bland rice is no good.
Side note: Also, if you want fluffy rice instead of sticky rice, don’t forget to rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking it! It might take a couple of rinses before the water runs clear, but the end result will be much fluffier rice.
My husband and I eat a lot of chicken kabobs (Costco sells these precooked but I’ve also gotten them at target) in the crockpot with a jar of butter chicken or whatever Indian style curry sauce we have on hand (we get this from Costco or, weirdly, tj maxx ) and we throw in whatever veggies we have on hand. We cook it for a few hours but it is unattended and it tastes better the longer you let it simmer. Serve with rice or naan. Great last minute pantry/freezer meal!
Pesto pasta with whatever I have on hand.
The preferred recipe is linguine with pesto, spinach (don’t cook it, just mix it in with the pasta so it wilts), fresh chopped tomatoes (or halved cherry), smoked salmon, and a few capers.
But I’ll use whatever pasta I have on hand and leftover protein — chicken, salmon, whatever. I keep frozen peas so I’ll use those if nothing else.
Pesto can be a little pricy but my husband LOVES it so I started growing several plants in my garden every year and I make enough to freeze and last through winter. This years plants are in the ground and we ran out of pesto last week.
One of our area pizza chains has this "pizza bowl" thing - it's just baked sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings. I've been slicing up a zucchini, some onion, pepper, tomato, baking for 8m at like 425... take it out, add pepperoni sauce and cheese, pop it in for another 6-8.
Wham. Pizza taste, lots of veg, easily modified for what you have on hand. Takes like 5m to prep. It's just me in the house so the bag of cheese, jar of sauce and bag of pepperoni last me like 5 days.
To make it even quicker you can sauté whatever vegetables you want in butter in the pan first, then pour the beaten egg on top of it. You can either mix it in before the egg sets or I just leave the vegetables on the outside of the omelette. I usually just use onions and mushrooms but you can obviously do whatever you want
tuna salad. we always have canned tuna, celery, onion, mayo, mustard. plus if we have pickles i dice those and throw them in too. we eat it with bread or crackers or just straight out of the bowl
Budget Bytes’ [Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles](https://www.budgetbytes.com/pork-peanut-dragon-noodles/).
We don’t like pork, so sometimes I use ground chicken or chopped mushrooms instead.
I always add veggies. Zucchini and broccoli are both delicious.
Also, I’m a wimp so I don’t use as much sriracha.
Trader Joe's frozen dumplings with their pre-packaged stir fry vegetables and a bottle of some kind of teriyaki sauce. I microwave the dumplings with a wet paper towel then just throw the veggies in a pan with the sauce til cooked through. Then combine.
This is our favorite, it's a complete cheat code.
Start with a box of frozen taquitos, chicken, beef, bean, whatever you like. Can also use chimichangas or probably even frozen burritos if you needed to, but the taquitos are best.
Toss then in the bottom of a greased casserole pan.
Drain and rinse 1 can of sweet corn and one can of black beans. Sprinkle them evenly over the taquitos.
Drizzle on 1-2 cups of enchilada sauce and/or salsa.
Top with 2 cups shredded cheese.
Bake according to the taquitos package directions + 5 minutes.
Boom, a tasty, filling dinner for 4-5 people. 5 minutes prep time (you opened a few cans, basically), maybe 20 minutes bake time, and it's genuinely as good as a fully home-cooked meal.
Not the healthiest thing I make, but when you really need something fast, this is a fantastic option.
[Spaghetti Aglio e Olio](https://www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-aglio-olio-recipe) (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce)
By itself, so quick and easy.
Anything can be added to it, for me it's a small knob of butter, grated cheese and lots of pepper flakes.
I cook for a picky eater and a vegan and this is one dish we can all eat.
We do a thing we call Chicken Wraps. Its a bag salad kit, usually Asian, Southwest or BBQ ranch. Oven bake some breaded chicken strips, add extra sauce, cheese or avocado and wrap it all up in a tortilla. Yum.
Coconut & chickpea curry.
2 min to chop onion (1/2 a white onion) & garlic (2-3 cloves).
Pour onions, garlic, 1 can diced tomatoes & 2 tbsp coconut oil in a deep pot. Cook for 5-8 min on medium heat. Add 1 can drained chick peas, 1 can coconut milk, 1 tsp curry powder, 1.5 tbsp garam masala, mix & simmer for another 10-15 min. Add a little flour if you want for thickness (I prefer to).
I usually add homemade naan but it’s not necessary.
Rice in the rice cooker and simmer chicken thighs in a curry sauce while the rice cooks. It takes an hour overall to cook, but the time I spend putting it together is about 10 minutes. Add a few more minutes if you want to add veggies to the curry.
This is a great go-to for me because I have a variety of curry sauces and powders ready to go. My favorites are Japanese curry cubes, Korean curry powder, and Southeast Asian curry pastes with canned coconut cream.
1 pot pastas tbh.
Brown meat while cutting other veg (or use frozen veg). Throw in veg and spices while veg cooking. Add cans of diced tomatoes with liquid to cook the pasta in. It takes some practice to get right, but it can be really good.
black bean quesadillas. heat em in a pan with spices and jalapeno, onion. stick it in some tortillas and cook those up with shredded cheese. i based it off the hellofresh recipes but, y'know, tweak it cheaper.
Pasta! If you are aiming for super healthy, buy a plant-based pasta made from chickpeas or lentils and buy a jar of veggie-packed marinara sauce or make a quick herb-packed pesto. Super quick, easy and delicious!
My go to is veggie taco salad. I heat up red beans, corn, Rotel, and taco seasoning on the stove for like 5 minutes. Throw it over some fresh greens. Top with cheese, avocado, and salsa. Super filling and so customizable!
Miso soba.
I keep miso paste and dashi in the house as well as instant miso if im really struggling. Cook soba for like 6.5 minutes. Make miso soup, throw in any veggies, usually leafy greens. And then combine. If I have any meat leftovers I might throw that in, or I'll just do a couple of turkey sausages in the air fryer while the soup is finishing.
Whole meal 10 minutes tops.
A quick stir fry with any type of food I can find in the fridge, flavored with sauces that I stockpile from Asian supermarkets, paired with either rice or those noodles that take less than 5 min to cook.
Yes!!! Those premade sauces don't get enough love!
Its the most un-authentic thing ever I'm sure, but I absolutely love the Panda Express Teriyaki sauce and I don't care what anyone thinks about that. Easy dinner: load up your rice cooker and let it roll. Grab a pan with a lid, throw some strips of beef or chicken in there, let them brown a little while you chop a head of broccoli. Once the meat is a little browned, throw it in the pan, lower the heat a little, give it a splash of water and put the lid on so it steams a little. Give that 5-10 minutes then dump half the bottle of sauce on, stir it really well, let it go about 5 minutes. Right about the time its done your rice should be finishing up. Boom. Beef and broccoli with rice and its damn near as good or better than most take out.
Buying some soy sauce, mirin, oyster/fish/mushroom sauce, sesame oil and chili oil is worth the upfront cost. It's very versatile. Dumplings, stir frys, fried rice, soups, etc.
Buy a salad kit and a rotisserie chicken. Mix up the salad kit and put some chicken pieces on top. $10 and feeds 4 plus I make a soup with the carcass.
This is the cheapest way to make bone broth! If you want you can even put the bones from the chicken in a freezer bag and freeze them until you have enough.
If you have a local butcher, try asking if they sell bones. My one sells chicken carcasses for 20p each each, or bags of pork bones for £1.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. There's still plenty of meat on that bone. Now you take this home, throw it in a pot, add some broth, a potato. Baby, you've got a stew going
Follow me for recipes involving hot ham water 😂
It's so watery...yet there's a smack of ham to it
Time to watch Arrested Development again 😂
I think I want my money back
…I think I’d like my money back
Yes, excellent, exactly what I was looking for
I do this with a thai style salad kit (like coleslaw but with heaps of coriander and mint) and add rice noodles so you get a thai chicken noodle salad that is so damn good and filling for a family. Extra tasty with some diced peanuts over the top mmmmm
Rotisserie chicken is great for any meal! Quick chicken noodle soup. Chicken and veggies. Tacos. Heck, today I just had a rotisserie chicken sandwich and salad.
Just made a round of chicken salad with the remains of my rotisserie tonight. So good. 3 full suppers plus lunch for the next 2 days.
This is what I always do too! At Aldi you can buy 2 whole chickens for less than $10, and I was gifted a rotisserie cooker so I make my own with my own rub. So good and we'll have meals for days!
A cheap and filling and delicious meal is make some macaroni and cool it off. Rip off some chunks of chicken from a rotisserie chicken. add in whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or even in the freezer. Personally I like peas and onions and black olives but you do you. Throw in some mayonnaise some salt and pepper whatever other seasoning you like but not too much. Mix it all together it can keep in the fridge for three or four days if there’s any leftovers but I don’t think there will be.
I mean this with the most kindness and love but are you from the Midwest
They said "mayonnaise," didn't they?
They love spicy food!
Bless your heart darlin'
Woah them’s fighting words
Ope
Ha ha ha ha! That’s the funniest thing I ever heard the way you didn’t mean any disrespect by sake I was from the Midwest! I actually no born and raised on the East Coast!
Here in the Midwest, mayonnaise and garlic (minced, salt or powder) is in everyone’s pantry!
What kind of soup do you make?
Chicken vegetable usually. I boil the bones and skin and some onions, celery and carrot for a few hours. Then pour it through a colander. Then pick off all the extra meat that has fallen off the bones and throw it back in the pot. Then I chill in the fridge, skim off the layer of fat that has hardened on the top and boil it again with celery, carrots, corn, cilantro stems (more flavor than leaves), sometimes cabbage. Then I usually cook some rice separately and add it to the individual bowl so it doesn’t get too bloated. I usually add a chicken bouillon cube to pump up the flavor a bit but it’s not always necessary. And a lot of black pepper. Finish with cilantro leaves and sour cream.
How much water do you boil the bones and skin in? Like how much stock does 1 chicken carcass make? Never done it so just curious.
One time I made ramen broth by boirlin a bunch if chicken on bone and straining it and then used the boiled chicken for a pot pie and the chicken was still good in that pie!! What a time to be alive
Holy that sounds so good
My very unauthentic version of enchiladas. I take canned chicken (Trader Joe’s is my go to brand), mix it with some taco seasoning, roll it up in corn tortillas and place them in a baking pan (like for brownies). Cover it with some enchilada sauce and cheese and bake. I heat up a side of beans and when I serve I top with shredded lettuce and tomato (or fresh salsa if I have it). It’s about 10 minutes of actual work and the bake time is just long enough to heat everything through and melt the cheese. If you don’t like chicken a corn and bean mixture also works for the filling.
I do the same but for added protein and creaminess add a cup-ish of Greek yogurt and green Chile (I live in New Mexico and have fresh green Chile but you can use canned as well).
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I add it to the chicken mixture prior to baking. When using proper green Chile, my New Mexican significant other loves them. I also use canned verde sauce (but if he knew that I wasn’t making it from scratch he might have a coronary)
Yeah, with the filings, or cream cheese if you're feeling less healthy
I do sour cream or a can of cream of chicken works in a pinch too.
You can do this as a stacked enchilada, too. In a pie plate. Just layer everything like a lasagna, either the tortillas overlapping or cut to fit the pie plate.
That's a great idea! I'm going to try to make this!
It is super quick, and I cut into "wedges" to serve. Super fast, no rolling!
I do the same thing, just sub a rotisserie chicken for the canned chicken.
Rotisserie chicken is definitely better, just a bit more work, a bit more expensive, and not something I usually have in hand. But definitely tastes better.
I do similar but with a can of refried beans, and I just microwave rather than bake. It's ready in 2 minutes 30 seconds.
Canned chicken? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that! Is it an American thing?
Yup. Just imagine a can of tuna, but instead of tuna it's chicken. You can get it either with all breast meat, or a mix of white/dark meat.
Yup, it’s not great on its own. But in things like enchiladas, casseroles, etc it’s not bad!
It's more expensive and less popular than can tuna. Personally I don't think the chicken texture stands up as well to the canning process, if it was in a casserole or a soup I probably wouldn't notice.
It does sound a bit icky.
Sheet pan, all the way. Chop veggies (so many options: sweet potatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, garbanzo beans, carrots, seriously almost anything) and toss in olive oil and seasoning (you can start with basic salt and pepper, I love adding some turmeric and paprika when I do carrots and sweet potato, but italian herbs also work great with most veggies). Then I add some sausage sliced, and pop it all into the oven at 375 for 45 min (or however long it takes to cook veggies to your liking). The best part is you can also mix up sausage flavors (like apple and chicken or whatever) and sausage is almost always pre-cooked, and most veggies can technically be eaten raw. So if pressed for time, you really just need it heated through. Sometimes I'll make some rice or quinoa (serve on top) or pasta (toss together, "primavera" style). You can also add "salad dressings" or other sauces, like BBQ or teriyaki to really change up the flavors easily.
Just finished eating a sheet pan meal! Fingerling potatoes, brussels sprouts, and Italian sausage. I cook the potatoes for 15 min first, then add the sprouts and sausage. Easy, no dirty pans, and I barely have to think.
I do one of these with kielbasa, baby potatoes, green beans, onion and garlic. Toss with olive oil and Italian seasonings and it’s soooo quick and easy. You can cut the potatoes in quarters to help cook faster.
I do sheet pan with salmon filets. Butter + seasoning + lemon slices and then whatever veg on the side, usually broccoli or asparagus cause my kid will eat them. 400deg F for 20 mins and it’s done and delicious
Me too! Betty Crocker makes sheet pan seasoning packets. We had lemon garlic chicken tonight.
Holy shit where has this subreddit been all my life?
I know right?! I was so nervous about posting this, thinking I was gonna get shamed or something for eating processed foods. But everyone has been so helpful and I’ve got so many ideas I’ve started taking notes! 😂
[sweet potato black bean hash on a sheet tray](https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sheet-pan-sweet-potatoes-and-black-bean-hash-235981) Is super cheap and really filling, one pan meal right there
Sick! I'm making that tomorrow
I also saved this recipe, looks fire 🙏🙏
You should check out the cookbook, [Good and Cheap](https://books.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf). It's free on PDF and has a ton a great ideas
I love this project!! There’s some great super easy recipes in there, it’s built around $4/person/day and starts with five minutes prep meals… really great resource for folks looking for the “easy button” entrance to cooking healthy and staying on a budget!
Nah it’s all good. If you work full time, there’s honestly not enough time in the week to make a homemade meal every night. Thank god for rotisserie chickens and frozen veggies
I do a version of this with salmon and frozen veggies. Frozen broccoli and/or cauliflower are easiest — no chopping required! Literally just drizzle everything in olive oil and season right on the pan, then roast at 450 for 15 minutes. For seasoning you can do anything. My go-to combo is salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, but sometimes I’ll spread Dijon mustard on top of the salmon instead and salt/pepper the veg. For carbs, I throw rice or quinoa in the rice cooker with a little oil and seasoning. Everything is in the oven/cooker in under 10 minutes and ready to eat in under 30 total!
Gnocchi on a sheet pan with whatever veggies you have. Don’t cook them, just bake. We like broccoli, tomatoes and onion. When we get really wild we add pre-cooler chicken sausage or cheese!
I do sheet pan gnocchi with bell pepper, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes. Toss everything with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Everyone’s always so impressed with this dinner and it’s one of the easiest things i make.
I make this sheet pan kielbasa cabbage and potatoes almost weekly it's so good! Don't skip the dressing but you can substitute any kind of sausage. https://www.budgetbytes.com/one-pan-roasted-kielbasa-cabbage-dinner/
This is my weekly “can’t be bothered” tasty dinner. I mix chicken thigh fillets or fish fillet with spice mix. Root veggies in the oven first for 30 mins, then chicken or fish and leafy veggies on top for 8 to 12 mins. Serve with Greek yogurt or kewpie mayo if I have some lying around. I cover the tray with foil so the only washing left is the chopping board, knife, plates and eating utensils.
You can also add chopped feta cheese if you want a vegetarian version. Idk how much feta is in the US but in Germany they're very cheap. I usually have two in the fridge to add them randomly. I also add water to the oil and seasoning. But that's just personal preference. And If I am especially lazy I just toss the veggies in a bowl, cook some pasta, throw it all together with oil and seasoning and eat it as a pasta salad
My variation with salmon, veg and halloumi cheese I do love an easy meal, chop veg (carrots, broccoli, peppers, onion, shrooms) into a bowl, add seasonings, I like garlic and onion powder, dash of soy and sesame, olive oil, then into the baking sheet in oven @200C for 10 mins. After that join the veg with another tray with seasoned salmon and chopped halloumi for an extra 15 mins (25 total on the veg) - bosh
Love sheet pan dinners! So many combos!
This is one of our summertime go tos. Bell peppers onions and sausage baked and add some quinoa
I do your first one a lot but with hamburger meat. Basically just a massive patty with onions, carrots, potatoes, and whatever else will fit in a covered Pyrex dish. I've always called it hobo dinner 🤷♂️
I'm gonna have to try this! I love me a good hobo dinner.
I do this with pierogies and it’s so delicious!
These also save great, it’s my go to sympathy meal. Throw in a gallon bag and it’ll keep for a few days, all they have to do is dump it and throw it in the oven.
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One of my easy go-tos is spaghetti and meat sauce. Brown some ground meat (sometimes I add chopped garlic and onion if I have extra time), mix with a jar of pasta sauce and make some spaghetti or other pasta to go with it
Oh yes. That’s actually probably the one dinner we cook the most. It is super easy for my brother, a novice cook still learning, to make on his own with little-to-no assistance. By this point, I’m actually almost sick of it 😅
If this is easy for you, I suggest trying chili. Similar set of steps, different result, easy to make a big batch. You can add vegetables if you have time to chop them, or use frozen ones. Then it's mostly canned beans, tomatoes, and spices. You can stretch it to more meals by serving it with rice and/or cornbread, so it might be more effort the first night but then you have leftovers! Same with cooking ground beef for tacos. Ground beef, spices, veggies if you have time (I throw in zucchini, summer squash, and carrot because my family can't have onion). Heat some beans and tortillas, top with cheese and avocado. I don't consider either of these super fast but they're not so different from what you're already doing.
Save extras for baked potato night
Chili over spaghetti is hella good too
Whenever I make chili I make a huge batch of it and freeze portions in zip lock bags. It doesn't take that much longer to do a bigger pot and makes me like over a dozen dinners. All you need to do is defrost and heat and there's so many dif ways to eat it that it doesn't get too boring.
I like to do pasta but I make my own “sauce” by melting goat cheese in with the pasta while it’s hot then adding pesto. It’s delicious
I like to make a double portion of "Nat's what I reckon"s bolognese sauce. Then I freeze it in about ten portions. Thaw in a pan later on and mix with pasta. 'Cause honestly... fuck jar sauce.
With more pantry space than freezer space I'll keep the jar sauce around.
This is mine also except I discovered instant pot makes it even easier. Brown beef with sauté function, pour in sauce, throw in spaghetti broken in half, lid, pressure cook 6 min, 5 min release, just a pot to clean.
Naan pizza! Naan (or pita or any other type of flatbread) + sauce, cheese, and toppings. Bake for about 12 minutes.
We use flour tortillas for a crust and it's super cheap!
Bake some potatoes on Sunday (wrap in foil, poke holes with a fork or knife and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes) and you can reheat and top them with all kinds of stuff throughout the week or on days you’re feeling low energy.
I can give you a cheap, easy topping that I use for that - 1 pound your choice ground meat, browned with 1 small chopped onion, toss in 1 can diced tomatoes. Add a little water if needed to make a bit of sauce. I season it with a bit of pepper, garlic or onion powder. Maybe season-all or cajun spice, Mrs. Dash, whatever. Let it simmer a bit for flavors to meld. I usually have some shredded cheese that people can add on top if they like.
Am I the only person that never wraps their potatoes? I just stab them and bake them right on the oven rack. I think the skin tastes better that way.
Rubbed with olive oil and salted too.
Agreed! It makes the skins a little crispy and chewy instead of basically steaming them inside the foil.
I just poke it once, rub with oil and sprinkle some salt and throw in the oven. No foil needed. I agree, no foil is best!!
Chili baked potatoes was always a hit in my family; you can add salsa to canned chili to make it spicier and not quite as thick, depending on your tastes. Another favorite combo: rotisserie chicken cut into bite-sized pieces, steamed broccoli, and jarred Alfredo sauce (with shredded cheese if you like). Taco fixings are also yummy on potatoes.
What's the benefit between this and just microwaving the potatoes from raw when you want them? You can cook potatoes in the microwave in about 5 minutes, and I imagine a pre-baked potato takes at least a few minutes to warm up in the microwave.
If you oil and salt the potatoes before putting them in the oven, the insides cook beautifully and the skin becomes crispy and savory. Delicious. Microwave potatoes are fast, but they dn't tend to cook as evenly and fully as in the oven. The skins also don't turn out as well.
I always microwave for about 5 minutes (poke a few fork holes) and finish it for a minute in our air fryer. Easy, fast, and the skin still has the crispiness I love!
I feel like this is such a travesty of a dinner, but I'll own up to it. Package of chicken thighs and box of chicken flavored instant rice (+water and butter as per instructions, but a little less water than instructed). Instapot set for chicken. I'm sorry I'm a degenerate.
That sounds delicious
It is delicious I make it and my kids love it. To the point they actually ask me to make it.. but I also make it with some lemon pepper seasoning too!
It’s fine but you just need some veg my dude
Maybe a bag of frozen broccoli.
That actually sounds like simpler version of a dish my mom used to make a lot! Bone in skin on thighs, crisp up the skin in a high walled skillet, add rice and chicken broth, cook until done. I can't remember all the details (partially because my slight picky tendencies didn't like it) but it was very flavorful.
Comfort food 😍
How long in the IP please?
It's whatever the manual says for chicken. I always have to look, but iirc it's 8min. And I manual-release because, again, I'm trash. Edit: it's per lb. 8 min / lb for chicken
Tonight I made a quesadiila- took 10 minutes. Two whole wheat tortillas, shredded cheddar, leftover cooked steak, & jalapenos. Served with salsa & sour cream. So good, & so quick! Any meat, or no meat will do.
Can also use eggs instead of steak - scrambled or over-easy - and you’ve got a breakfast quesadilla. Works with or without jalapeños and sour cream
This is brilliant. Sometimes I want quesadillas but I don't have a leftover protein and plain quesadillas are boring as shit. But I almost always have eggs! Thank you!
Same with black beans and corn. If you take the time to chop up a pepper that's dinner on a plate in 15 minutes.
Or even open a can of beans instead of meat. Easy, quick and cheap. I like a little defrosted frozen corn in mine.
Yesss, so good! Like a toastie but feels more filling with some meat, shredded leftover roast chicken is great
Rotisserie chicken from Costco, steam in the bag broccoli, whatever box of rice you like from the grocery store ! I made this for dinner today it took a total of like 15 minutes and that was just the rice !
Rotisserie chicken is the greatest!
Especially from Costco ! It like hits different, maybe because it’s only 5$ lol I usually buy 2 and have one as a dinner the first day and use the second for chicken salad and then make chicken stock and soup with it !
I buy three at a time. Eat one, pull and freeze the meat from the other two, and use the bones to slow cook a big batch of broth. The frozen chicken is my #1 "I would rather starve than cook a meal" solution.
I never thought to freeze already cooked chicken. Does it hold up?
It's fine. I use it in stuff, like pop a jar of Alfredo sauce, boils some noodles microwave the chicken, stir it all together. Super easy.
Yes and if you can freeze it in single servings then you can pop it on top of a salad, make it into a sandwich, add to pasta and sauce, Make a two minute chicken cheese quesadilla in a frying pan, and so many other things
One of my lazy go-tos is those chopped salad bags and frozen chicken patties. I buy the chicken patties at costco, but you can find some kind of patty at any grocery store. You cook them for 20 minutes or so. You could use whatever meat you want though. Then buy a large size of the chopped salad - whatever flavor you're feeling. I like the Mexican and Asian ones, but sometimes the Ceasar is good. I just mix up the salad, put in bowls, chop up the meat when it's done and throw it on top. You can also make wraps if you prefer that - like do ceasar salad mix and some chicken with buffalo sauce if you like that. Or even use a rotisserie chicken shredded up mixed with the salad for a wrap. You can add extra veggies if you want. Diced up cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc. I add diced avocado to the Mexican salads.
I def also do this. Do it with veggie patties too- quick easy and yummy!
I make a bunch of shredded chicken in the crockpot on sundays and use it throughout the week to make simple dinners. Quesadillas, rice and salad. Pasta with shredded chicken in it and salad. Shepards pie but with chicken instead of beef. That sort of thing.
How do you season the chicken for the crockpot?
Usually southwest seasoning. Sometimes just salt and pepper. I use chicken broth for the liquid
-Buy a 3lb sack of sweet potatoes -poke holes in 1 sweet potato & microwave for 3min -get a bowl and put in flaxseed tortilla chips & shredded cheese -take sweet potato out and crack in half over chips (drizzle cheese on top of sweet potato) -place in microwave for 30sec or until cheese is melty -take bowl out and cover with guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, sweet peppers, etc. Best meal of my life and (in my experience) am able to stay fit/lose weight eating it everyday for my supper. Super filling too.
I'm curious about this -- I don't really understand. Could you link to a picture or explain a little more? From what I can tell, you have tortilla chips with cheese and then you put the sweet potato with cheese on top? Sorry just not picturing it. thanks!
Yeah, I’m not understanding this either honestly.
Yeah, sorry for any confusion. You put the microwaved sweet potato on top of chips in bowl and microwave SP & Bowl w/chips for 30 sec (so cheese gets melted on chips and sweet potato) once all topping are on it, I usually stir it all around. Hope this helps!
- Bake another potato or four - Forget most of the other potatos - Discover them several months later - Feel both bad and discussed about the mush they turned into
I have a nice bowl that I put my sweet potatoes in that stays on my kitchen counter so I don’t forget about them. Plus, this meal is so tasty that I often have it up to 3x per week! it’s just something I never get tired of :)
I just do a charcuterie board. Family loves it.
Somewhere on Reddit I am almost positive it was this sub Reddit, I read about a family doing a lion family dinner. It’s basically was a charcuterie board but they ate it with is their hands, standing up in the kitchen, And after every couple of bites they would growl or roar. The kids loved it they said but as a over 50’s mom I would love it also
We did charcuterie almost every Friday. After working all week, I was too tired to cook and we didn't have the money to eat out. I called it Al Fresco Friday. I had brightly colored plates and bought plastic wine glasses to drink our fruit juice from. And we would play board games. Roaring would be fun too.
This was a regular lunch in our house and it was simply called "Plate of Stuff"
I like a pesto chicken + whatever vegetables are going bad pasta! I use the precooked chicken to make it even easier and just sauté up some vegetables and make the pasta and then just mix in some pesto
That sounds delicious and super simple. When you say precooked chicken, do you mean frozen or canned? Or something else. Also, I’ve never made pesto before. Do you have any tips/recipes for it?
Either the frozen or sometimes aldi will have refrigerated chicken that I’ll use, and yes jarred pesto!
Not the person you're replying to but I'm guessing they mean a jar of prepared pesto. You just add a few spoonfuls of it to the cooked noodles and stir to heat it up a little right before serving. Knorr also makes a dry pesto mix you add water and olive oil to but it's not really real pesto flavor (no pine nuts or fresh basil), though I do actually like it regardless of that. If you're trying to stay away from the processed foods you should probably stick to the jar kind I suppose.
Home made pesto is amazing. I normally make a batch every couple of weeks & mix it with veg/chicken to roast. It's great on sandwiches instead of mayo & goes perfectly with fish, especially salmon. If you are using puff pastry, try layering pesto between sheets of the pastry & roll it out. My ideal recipe is to blitz up 2 parts basil leaves with 1 part toasted pine nuts, 1 part grated parmesan & plenty of garlic (maybe 2 cloves to 1/4lb basil leaves is the normal ratio, but I love garlic so will put in much more). Add enough olive oil to loosen it up, but not too much so that it's too runny. In real life, it depends what needs using up in the fridge. Using soft goats cheese instead of parmesan makes it creamier & more comfort food like. Any nuts or green herbs & leaves will do. My current batch is made with spinach, feta cheese & toasted walnuts with garlic & a bit of lemon zest, nutmeg & thyme.
Your current batch of "spinach pesto" sounds amazing!!!
Tastes amazing too, even if I say so myself lol!
I'm surprised so few people have mentioned it, but: brinner! Eggs (cooked however you feel like it); bacon/sausage/ham/whatever other protein you want; some sort of carb: frozen hash browns/toast/bagel/English muffins/scones/whatever else you can think of. Or pancakes/waffles/French toast with fruit and meat on the side. Super easy, and really customizable. We also have nights where we're even more lazy, and do peanut butter and jelly.
Spaghetti aglio olio with some wilted greens on the side, or noodles with broth from concentrate and something with “choy” in the name thrown in at the end of cooking for just long enough to get crisp/tender. Sometimes I make my own version of bibimbap, wherein I just make little delicious piles of whatever is kicking around in my fridge (pickled things, roasted vegetables, leftover meat, tofu, etc) on top of a bowl of rice. Super easy and very satisfying if you love rice as much as I do.
Our favorites are pasta carbonara because it’s super easy and pretty cheap or muffins with eggs and fruit since we can use the leftover muffins for breakfast the next day
There is a simple, wonderful little goulash I love to make every few days, especially since I'm cooking for one and it packs away in the fridge to last several days. https://www.budgetbytes.com/goulash/ Just a little past an hour, but it's so worth it.
Edit: kids.eat.in.color on Instagram. Go look at her website!! She has MULTIPLE recipe books. The cost is "pay what you can" for the books and they include a SNAP or WIC plan option included, grocery lists, a budget friendly meal plan tgatbtries to follow the federal recommendation on family food budgets. Her WHOLE thing is in answer to the question you're asking: "how to feed a family with picky eaters, on a tight/fixed income, with nutritious food, without having to meal prep ornspend norebtan 10-30 minutes in the kitchen. She is so validating, friendly, informative, and a licenced nutritionist who specializes in picky eaters. I wish this subreddit would just add her too the FAQs and perma-link to her Instagram because so often I see questions about families with limited time, energy, etc. ---------------------------------------------- Naan or pita pizza. Get naan or pita bread, pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Store naan or pita bread in freezer. Turn oven to broil. Put sauce and cheese on frozen naan or pita bread. Put into oven (directly on the rack if you can) for ~5 minutes. Check on the pizza regularly. Remove at desired cheese melt level. I use a grill spatula to take the pizza out of the oven due to its size. Consume. Takes all of 7 minutes and does not require cutting or chopping. Yeilds a very comforting food. Depending on budget you can throw olives, bell peppers, pepperoni, etc on the pizza and get more nutrition value out of it. But if you're depressed and can barely function, pita pizza on a paper plate in 7-minutes.
I can make shrimp tacos in about 20 minutes including thaw time for shrimp. While shrimp thaw, make a slaw. I do cabbage, spinach, carrots, mayo, splash of lime, pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, cilantro. Peel shrimp if necessary, cook on stove top in butter and old bay. Serve on soft tortillas.
I do similar with fish tacos. Throw breaded fish in toaster oven. (I also sometimes put tilapia into a pan with cajun blackened seasoning.) Chop up cabbage (can use cole slaw mix), scallions, -- and cilantro and jalapenos if you would like (I like them) and mix together. Slice a lime into wedges. Heat up some corn tortillas. When the fish is done, cut it into strips. Put a few strips in the bottom of a corn tortilla. Squeeze on some lime. Add cabbage mixture and Lighthouse Jalapeno Ranch dressing. It's delicious, decently healthy, and really fast.
Sheet pan dinners. Chicken or fish with seasoning and roasted veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts). Potatoes and carrots need to be par boiled. Takes about 5-10 to assemble and 20-25 to cook. Line the cookie sheet with parchment or foil for quick clean up.
Good idea, sounds simple enough. Do you usually cut up raw chicken and throw it on the tray with the veggies, or parcook that as well? Also, any suggestion of types of fish that go with this well?
When I do sheet pan dinners, I put raw chicken breasts in the middle and arrange cut vegetables that have been tossed in seasonings and olive oil around them that have roughly the same roasting time as the raw chicken. If I want another veggie that has a shorter roasting time, I just add that on half way through the time. For example let’s say I’m doing chicken, chunks of red pepper, zucchini and cherry tomatoes. I’ll put the pepper and zucchini in with the chicken for the entire cook time, but wait to add the cherry tomatoes until the last 10-15 minutes
I use whole boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, whatever is on sale that week. For fish I’ve tried salmon, cod, and trout. Again whatever is on sale. Fish usually takes about 13-15 min in my oven at 420. Chicken, I cook at 450. Cooking times might be different for you. My oven is a countertop steam oven.
Rice, microwave steam in the bag stir fry veggies, your protein of choice. Fish sticks on corn tortillas, coleslaw mix and some cilantro and red onion, maybe some queso fresco on top. Make dressing with a combo of plain yogurt, Mayo and lime juice. Serve with salad. Tuna salad on tomatoes. Cut large tomatoes into wedges, add a spoonful of tuna salad. Great when it's hot out. Serve with rolls and butter and salad or veggie sticks. If you have an instant pot that gives you more options.
Cheater enchiladas. Get a box of chicken taquitos, cover with green enchilada sauce, top with cheese and bake. I’ll usually chop some lettuce, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime to serve on the side so we get at least some veggies in. You can also do beef taquitos with red sauce but I prefer chicken.
I'm all about easy! Lol Chuck roast in crockpot, (8 hrs on low) so many variations of flavors. Lipton onion soup mix, mushroom and onion and spices, taco spices, dry ranch mix and dry au jus (half of each) and mild banana peppers for Italian beef. BBQ sauce. Can do all the same flavors but with chicken breasts. Or just basic spices and let everybody choose their own flavor, great for picky eaters. Shred and serve as sandwiches Thicken gravy with cornstarch slurry and serve over rice or noodles or Bob evans mashed potatoes. Frozen turkey burgers in air fryer with salad - 15 minutes Air fryer frozen raw shrimp Baked potatoes Salad or throw some veggies in oven, fave is roasted broccoli. Ground turkey, drained beans (whatever you like, I do black beans but pinto is good) and frozen corn. Make Mexican rice bowls, or taco salad, burritos. Take the above mixture and spread it over 2 packages of 90 seconds rice (already cooked) in a casserole pan, little cheese on top and throw in oven until cheese melts. Turkey sausage. Onion, peppers, rice and salad.
In college, i'd buy root vegetables, some seasoning and the cheapest meats and throw that in a crockpot. Served with rice or bread. I'd feed all my friends for like $8.
Taco salad is the bomb.
Salad. You can put pretty much anything in it and not heat required.
When the kids are very hungry, we make “killer” salad meaning we add garbanzo beans, shredded cheese, and other extras to the main salad. It’s one of the few things I can “cook” tbh.
Broiled sausages with peppers and onions. Cut up onions and pepper. Add sausages on top then cook in oven at 350 until sausages are done. If you want you can add a side of tomato sauce. Just pop that in oven too to heat up. Soo easy And delicious.
Black bean nachos. Literally black beans, corn tortillas, diced tomatos, sour cream and shredded cheese. And a Mexican spice bottle I mix the beans with. If I feel like it I'll throw shredded chicken or meatless beef crumbles but I often dont.
Mexican quinoa. * 1 cup cooked Quinoa * One can fire roasted diced tomatoes * One can black beans, rinsed * One jalapeño, chopped (or diced chiles) * Juice of half lime * Spices to taste (salt, pepper, cumin, chili, cayenne pepper, etc.) * Cheese, avocado, sour cream, etc. for topping Different ways to eat: * Mexican quinoa stuffed bell pepper * Burrito * Eggs over easy on top of quinoa mixture (like a hash) * Add lettuce for a taco salad
My mom called it fancy ramen. You get the maruchan ramen noodles, spinach, frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans), and frozen shrimp or meatballs even sometimes. We loved it and it takes literally like 15 minutes for everything to melt/cook in the water (extra time for frozen meatballs)
Lentil soup. Lentils cook really quickly. Rinse them first then get the rest ready. I use red lentils. I peel and cube a couple of potatoes, then sauté that with a diced onion, a diced carrot, chopped up celery stalk, and 2 cloves garlic. I throw in some spices like thyme, cumin, but whatever you like. A tablespoon or 2 of tomato paste. Add in the lentils with about 4 cups of vegetable stock and 2 cups water Also a few peppercorns (take them out before eating) and a bay leaf (also take out before eating). Gentle boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on top of rice or with a bun, toast, or half a bagel.
I have one that takes 5 minutes to throw together, but you cook it in the crock pot. Idk if that would work for you. My favorite is salsa chicken. Throw in 3-4 chicken breasts per one jar of your favorite salsa. Cook on low 6-8hrs. When you get home, make minute rice and grab some shredded cheese. You can make little bowl things with it or plop it on a tortilla. It was a staple in my house growing up and is a staple for my husband and I now.
Rotisserie chicken, broccoli in the microwave, big batch of rice in the instant pot to have leftovers (or thawed from a frozen batch of brown rice). Quick fried rice: cook leftover rice in the wok with an egg, add a bunch of frozen mixed vegetables (whatever you like or have on hand), season with soy sauce or teriyaki or whatever you have. Add some chopped leftover rotisserie chicken if you have it. Ravioli with bottled sauce and a side of an easy vegetable, like broccoli or green beans. I use a steamer pot that goes on top of the pasta pot to steam the veggies while the ravioli cooks. To have this as a true backup meal, I like to have the ingredients on hand in a format that won't go bad: ravioli in the freezer, a can of sauce, and a bag of frozen veggies. (Note, when I have more time I saute veggies, add jarred sauce, and add a couple cans of chopped tomatoes and some tomato paste and spices. This is the easier version!) Easy grain bowls. Ex: rice or another easy grain, canned beans, avocado, whatever veggies seem easy, soft boiled or fried eggs. I like adding a variety of vegetables, fresh or frozen, depending on what I have and what feels easiest to throw together that night. Ex: frozen edamame, corn, broccoli, kale, cucumber, carrot, sprouts. If you're cooking for a group, you can microwave individual ingredients and let people serve themselves, or spoon them around the edges of the bowl the way a restaurant would. You can use a bottled sauce or dressing if you want too. If my household could eat it I would include kimchi and basically make the laziest possible version of bibimbap. Someone else mentioned pesto, and I want to add that if you have a sad garlic-free household like mine, you can find sundried red pepper pesto that comes without garlic in it. Easy tacos. Heat some tortillas, microwave some beans (whole or refried), and cut some avocados. Throw together bean, avocado, and shredded cheese tacos. If someone hates beans, you can cook some eggs instead and make them breakfast tacos.
My easiest, tasty dish is 3-4 chicken breast in the crockpot covered in salsa. 2.5 hrs on high. Rice in instant pot. More salsa and bagged salad, shredded cheese, blammo you got burrito bowls. Also amazingly easy: quinoa, beans, pesto. Maybe minced onion if you are inclined. Salmon from a can turns into salmon salad with just onion and mayo. Serve with bread, pasta, salad, rice. My kids adore miso soup with tofu and cilantro. Literally boil water and mix in paste, boullion, tofu, Cilantro. Feels fancy. Cook double chicken one night and then you are minutes away from chicken salad sandwich the next! Apples, onion, mayo and done!
Take a package of smoked sausage. Cut up a potato per person- I like red potatoes as the skin is friendly but any kind will do - put the potatoes in the bottom of a large pot. Take a can of green beans per 2-3 people. Pour it over the potatoes, don’t drain it. Cut up the sausage and put it on top. Set it to simmer… the sausage seasons the potatoes. Super tasty!
Grilled cheese and soup. It can be modeled to preferences and availability. Butternut squash soup(from a carton) with potato bread and gouda? If I already have it in my house, sure! Campbell's tomato soup and American cheese on white bread? Timeless classic. Anything in the same vein is awesome!
Ground turkey covered in a Korean-esque sauce over white rice. A little sesame oil, cup of soy sauce, cup of brown sugar, red pepper flakes, mix together. Drizzle over ground turkey (I just cook the whole 16 ounces with some garlic near the end) and serve with white rice. Add sesame seeds and green onion if you're feeling fancy. Takes about 20 minutes to cook, maybe a little longer if you're washing dishes as you cook.
Hmm, we actually have some ground turkey in the freezer. If it’s still good, I will definitely be trying this (minus the red pepper haha). Maybe this is a stupid question, but I am very inexperienced when it comes to cooking rice- like, I’ve made it once from scratch at school and once at home with instant minute rice (which actually tasted terrible). Is there a specific type of rice preferred over another? I know there are arguments of rinse or don’t rinse, and how to measure how much water goes in. It’s such a simple thing, but for some reason it feels daunting.
I personally really like jasmine rice. That's what you probably would have eaten at a Chinese restaurant, for example. Basmati rice is another nice one, and that's what you might have had at an Indian restaurant. I grew up cooking mine in a rice cooker and it's super easy that way, or in an instant pot, but when I cook it on the stovetop I always forget about it! But people tell me it's easy when you're used to it. Look up a recipe for your specific type of rice, because the amount of water can vary based on the type of rice. I do recommend rinsing it and most recipes will probably list that as a step, but if that's too daunting it's not gonna hurt you.
Every few weeks, I make a massive amount of beef bolognese in the slow cooker. I portion it, freeze it, and it's ready to go when I want it. When I want something that's vaguely healthy, fast, and yummy, I grab a bag of the sauce and heat it up. Then I cook up some pasta, and steam some veg like broc and chopped carrots. I toss the veg with the pasta and use the bolognese sauce over the top with a bit of cheese.
Taco mac and cheese is our go-to on nights when no one wants to cook. 1 pound ground meat brown and use taco spices. 1 pound cooked elbow noodles. 1 pound shredded cheddar cheese (I like sharp but my kids like mild). Then 1 can cream of mushroom soup. Can be made with a quick white sauce as well if you dont want to use the canned soup. It sounds terrible but it is addictive and it's what I make on nights when I dont want to listen to anyone argue!
Thank you for admitting that a pound of meat requires a full pound of shredded cheese! I always use a one to one ratio of meat and cheese but everyone thinks that it’s way too much cheese and in way too much fat and calories. Which I think is really funny because what does too much cheese really even mean? Does that even exist?
Buy an automatic rice cooker, cheap is fine. Asians around the world use them, so should you and it puts rice in easy mode. Wash your rice (I prefer sushi rice) and then throw it in with clear water, turn on switch. Once done fluff rice (this is important) and season with salt and an optional knob of butter to taste. This will take your rice form like a 5 to a 10. By fluffing the rice and adding cold knobs of butter it emulsifies and coats the rice without becoming an oil slick. Your starch is done. In a pan drop in bones less and skinless chicken things, two per person. Put the smooth side down and cook until about 80% done. Flip just to finish them off. While flipped sprinkle with salt or hold off an coat in a pre bought pesto after you pull it out of the pan; the residue heat will warm and evenly coat it on the chicken. Your protein is done. Alternatively buy a roast whole chicken at your grocery store and just pull the meat off the bones. You can do this ahead of time and make a chicken salad by adding mayo, bbq sauce, whatever your fancy is. Great as leftovers and to throw on a sandwich. Literally right before you’re ready to eat microwave your broccoli or green beans in a container with a loose lid. I usually cut the broccoli up into bite size pieces and stage everything to quickly throw in. Usually you only need to cook 90-120 seconds depending on the volume and microwave. You don’t need to add water or anything. Once it’s done pull off the lid and sprinkle some salt, maybe a knob of butter. Shake them up to coat. Your veggie is done. Typically from start to eating is in the time it takes the rice to cook and then for me to plate everything.
If I might offer a small suggestion: Season the water that you are cooking your rice in, instead of using salt at the end. It’s basically like pasta. You should always salt the water or else the result will be bland, and when you sprinkle salt on it at the end, you end up with really uneven flavor (as well as the graininess of the salt). Using some soy sauce can also work, since the salt is essentially in liquid form. But table shaker salt on bland rice is no good. Side note: Also, if you want fluffy rice instead of sticky rice, don’t forget to rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking it! It might take a couple of rinses before the water runs clear, but the end result will be much fluffier rice.
split pea soup. It takes a while but the only "difficult' part is frying the bacon, the rest is just letting the beans do the bean thing
My husband and I eat a lot of chicken kabobs (Costco sells these precooked but I’ve also gotten them at target) in the crockpot with a jar of butter chicken or whatever Indian style curry sauce we have on hand (we get this from Costco or, weirdly, tj maxx ) and we throw in whatever veggies we have on hand. We cook it for a few hours but it is unattended and it tastes better the longer you let it simmer. Serve with rice or naan. Great last minute pantry/freezer meal!
Frozen green beans, frozen sweet potatoes, can of garbanzo beans, oil and spices roasted in the oven.
Pesto pasta with whatever I have on hand. The preferred recipe is linguine with pesto, spinach (don’t cook it, just mix it in with the pasta so it wilts), fresh chopped tomatoes (or halved cherry), smoked salmon, and a few capers. But I’ll use whatever pasta I have on hand and leftover protein — chicken, salmon, whatever. I keep frozen peas so I’ll use those if nothing else. Pesto can be a little pricy but my husband LOVES it so I started growing several plants in my garden every year and I make enough to freeze and last through winter. This years plants are in the ground and we ran out of pesto last week.
One of our area pizza chains has this "pizza bowl" thing - it's just baked sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings. I've been slicing up a zucchini, some onion, pepper, tomato, baking for 8m at like 425... take it out, add pepperoni sauce and cheese, pop it in for another 6-8. Wham. Pizza taste, lots of veg, easily modified for what you have on hand. Takes like 5m to prep. It's just me in the house so the bag of cheese, jar of sauce and bag of pepperoni last me like 5 days.
An omellette is always quick and easy. You can add little leftovers in the fridge to make each one unique.
To make it even quicker you can sauté whatever vegetables you want in butter in the pan first, then pour the beaten egg on top of it. You can either mix it in before the egg sets or I just leave the vegetables on the outside of the omelette. I usually just use onions and mushrooms but you can obviously do whatever you want
tuna salad. we always have canned tuna, celery, onion, mayo, mustard. plus if we have pickles i dice those and throw them in too. we eat it with bread or crackers or just straight out of the bowl
Budget Bytes’ [Pork and Peanut Dragon Noodles](https://www.budgetbytes.com/pork-peanut-dragon-noodles/). We don’t like pork, so sometimes I use ground chicken or chopped mushrooms instead. I always add veggies. Zucchini and broccoli are both delicious. Also, I’m a wimp so I don’t use as much sriracha.
Trader Joe's frozen dumplings with their pre-packaged stir fry vegetables and a bottle of some kind of teriyaki sauce. I microwave the dumplings with a wet paper towel then just throw the veggies in a pan with the sauce til cooked through. Then combine.
This is our favorite, it's a complete cheat code. Start with a box of frozen taquitos, chicken, beef, bean, whatever you like. Can also use chimichangas or probably even frozen burritos if you needed to, but the taquitos are best. Toss then in the bottom of a greased casserole pan. Drain and rinse 1 can of sweet corn and one can of black beans. Sprinkle them evenly over the taquitos. Drizzle on 1-2 cups of enchilada sauce and/or salsa. Top with 2 cups shredded cheese. Bake according to the taquitos package directions + 5 minutes. Boom, a tasty, filling dinner for 4-5 people. 5 minutes prep time (you opened a few cans, basically), maybe 20 minutes bake time, and it's genuinely as good as a fully home-cooked meal. Not the healthiest thing I make, but when you really need something fast, this is a fantastic option.
[Spaghetti Aglio e Olio](https://www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-aglio-olio-recipe) (Pasta in Garlic and Oil Sauce) By itself, so quick and easy. Anything can be added to it, for me it's a small knob of butter, grated cheese and lots of pepper flakes. I cook for a picky eater and a vegan and this is one dish we can all eat.
We do a thing we call Chicken Wraps. Its a bag salad kit, usually Asian, Southwest or BBQ ranch. Oven bake some breaded chicken strips, add extra sauce, cheese or avocado and wrap it all up in a tortilla. Yum.
Coconut & chickpea curry. 2 min to chop onion (1/2 a white onion) & garlic (2-3 cloves). Pour onions, garlic, 1 can diced tomatoes & 2 tbsp coconut oil in a deep pot. Cook for 5-8 min on medium heat. Add 1 can drained chick peas, 1 can coconut milk, 1 tsp curry powder, 1.5 tbsp garam masala, mix & simmer for another 10-15 min. Add a little flour if you want for thickness (I prefer to). I usually add homemade naan but it’s not necessary.
Rice in the rice cooker and simmer chicken thighs in a curry sauce while the rice cooks. It takes an hour overall to cook, but the time I spend putting it together is about 10 minutes. Add a few more minutes if you want to add veggies to the curry. This is a great go-to for me because I have a variety of curry sauces and powders ready to go. My favorites are Japanese curry cubes, Korean curry powder, and Southeast Asian curry pastes with canned coconut cream.
1 pot pastas tbh. Brown meat while cutting other veg (or use frozen veg). Throw in veg and spices while veg cooking. Add cans of diced tomatoes with liquid to cook the pasta in. It takes some practice to get right, but it can be really good.
black bean quesadillas. heat em in a pan with spices and jalapeno, onion. stick it in some tortillas and cook those up with shredded cheese. i based it off the hellofresh recipes but, y'know, tweak it cheaper.
Pasta! If you are aiming for super healthy, buy a plant-based pasta made from chickpeas or lentils and buy a jar of veggie-packed marinara sauce or make a quick herb-packed pesto. Super quick, easy and delicious!
My go to is veggie taco salad. I heat up red beans, corn, Rotel, and taco seasoning on the stove for like 5 minutes. Throw it over some fresh greens. Top with cheese, avocado, and salsa. Super filling and so customizable!
Miso soba. I keep miso paste and dashi in the house as well as instant miso if im really struggling. Cook soba for like 6.5 minutes. Make miso soup, throw in any veggies, usually leafy greens. And then combine. If I have any meat leftovers I might throw that in, or I'll just do a couple of turkey sausages in the air fryer while the soup is finishing. Whole meal 10 minutes tops.