Inside: Are you too tired to cook? Here are 12 low effort dinner ideas for everyone to feed.
Do you know those nights when you need to feed your people, but reeeeely doesn’t want to cook dinner? I’ve had a lot of them lately.
With one child leaving for university and another busy with part-time work, my husband and I often find ourselves for dinner. On those nights, my motivation for cooking is, well, wandering somewhere near zero. Without the usual family dinner routine, cooking a full meal feels like too much effort.
But we still need to eat and not an expensive takeaway every night. So, I made a spiritual list of dinner for the evening at this moment to eat popcorn for dinner. These meals are quick, easy and require minimal brain strength. Perfect for nights like “Get something on the table.”
1. Grazing Committee
This is the ultimate “something-free” meal. Grab the odds and edges from the fridge and pantry and stack them on a platter, tray or baking sheet. Let everyone think that they have served themselves and did it.
Even if you have the most random assortment of leftovers, you’ll suddenly become a fantasy with a few cheese, half a carton of strawberries, and a handful of crackers at the bottom of the box.
Ideas:
2. egg
They are filled, rich in high quality protein, and are usually served more than meat, even if they are usually a little steeper than normal. Plus, they are endlessly flexible: scramble them, fry them, bake them into muffins. Serve with bread or toast in addition to fruits and small green salads.
Recipes
3. Main dish salad
This is repeated for us recently because it is fast, fresh and does not involve turning on the oven.
You can start with a salad kit (I like some crispy toppings and good dressings) or grab a cleaned green container. Add proteins like rotisserie chicken, chickpeas, tuna and salmon from the pouch
Next, raid the fridge and pantry for nuts and seeds, chopped apples, crushed cheese, or the remaining roasted vegetables from last night. Drizzle is served on the dressing (like my creamy balsamic or the best white balsamic vinaigrette) and dinner.
4. sandwich
Sandwich nights are not a bad idea. Serve with soup or small salad (or not!). And yes, PB&J is counted perfectly.
If you have a panini press, bust it to make the sandwich night a little more special. Do you have a Panini Press? Waffle irons also work. Alternatively, press the sandwich with something heavy like a cast iron skillet.
5. Quesadilla
It looks like a sandwich… but somehow it’s different. Brush one side of two large tortillas with olive oil, then add one in a skillet (with the oil side down) and add some filling. Some ideas:
Refreilling or Black Beans Rotisserie Chicken Scrambled Eggs Remaining Roasted Vegetables Fresh or Frozen Spinach
Add some cheese and hold it all together, and top the other tortillas (oil side up). I like to lightly sprinkle the tagine on my outside. Serve with your favorite dip and sauce. We love my pinch of guacamole and yum magic green sauce.
6. toast
The toast for dinner is fast, satisfying and vaguely refined. Spread the toasted slices of bread with a sprinkle of mashed avocado, fried eggs and chili flakes. Or spread it with hummus and top with roasted vegetables. Or peanut butter and sliced strawberries and bananas.
7. Rice bowl
These may look trendy and intentional, but they are a sensible way to use whatever you have in your fridge. Start with a cooked rice base (the microwave-style pre-cooked rice pouch is my favourite), then layer it with a protein source like beans, rotisserie chicken, canned salmon, or pre-cooked tofu chunks.
Add microwave frozen vegetables, steamed vegetables in a stove or microwave, or plucked shredded carrots. The flavorful sauce brings it all together. My favourites: bottled sauce like our home peanut sauce, this gochan sauce, this lemon tahini sauce, or Aldi’s Korean BBQ sauce.
Serve it in a large, deep bowl. That way it feels like the restaurant situation and threw together in 5 minutes.
8. noodles
Cook pasta in any shape you have – yet, yet, empty all the quarter-full packages in different shapes, and call it “noodle medleys”. In the final minutes that boil, cook vegetables such as broccoli, peas and spinach simultaneously in the same pot.
Drainage, sprinkles of olive olives, butter or pesto, Parmesan cheese. Add protein like cooked vegetable pate, crushed sausages, canned white beans, or fried eggs on top.
Recipes
9. Baked potatoes
Baked potatoes are an underrated dinner hero (not to mention cheap and stuffed). Bake in an oven, microwave, or slow cooker. Next, open them and stack them up with what everyone likes: warm canned beans, cooked frozen vegetables, finely cheese, remaining ground beef, salsa, sour cream.
Do you like sweet potatoes? They are amazing with chunks of black beans, corn and avocado.
Is the time short? Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Then use your hands to cover half with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and roast the cut side down on a 400-425 degree baking sheet for about 30 minutes or until it’s a fork tender.
10. breakfast
For some reason, cooking breakfast food really doesn’t feel like making dinner. Maybe it’s a simplicity or comfort element. Don’t ask any questions. Just go with me.
Make pancakes and waffles (or heat frozen varieties), scramble some eggs and serve DIY yogurt or oatmeal bar with toppings such as fruit, granola and other things you need to eat. It’s cozy, fast and makes dinner feel like a snack.
Recipe:
11. Flatbread pizza
Or Pita. Or tortillas. Or naan. Basically, flat bread is something that can be digged out of the fridge with sauce and pizza, cheese sprinkles. Pizza night doesn’t have to be complicated.
Topping Ideas:
Ham + Pineapple BBQ Sauce + Chicken + Red Onion Pest + Mozzarella Salami + Hot Honey Buffalo Sauce + Chicken + Blue Cheese Clans Pro Schweitt + Agra + Fig Affredo Sauce + Broccoli + Chicken
12. Scroungenite
It’s like actually saying “give up” instead of “give up.” Call it “Yoo” (you’re alone) or “the rest of the buffet.” The point is that everyone is in charge of their own meals based on what they have in the fridge (giving the small ones small ones to choose from two different options). And of course, respect the first dib.
Honorable mention dinner
There are a few more solid ideas when the energy is behind and takeout isn’t happening.
Ramen 2.0: Add fine carrots or frozen broccoli to the boiled noodles, then stir in the cube tofu or add a sliced soft boiled egg on top. Mac-N-Cheese 2.0: Add frozen peas, canned tuna or salmon, or cooked chicken to a prepared Mac box. Frozen dumplings + adamame: Dumpling steam, pan, or microwave. Heat the edamame and sprinkle with salt. Add soy sauce to soak. Fried rice: Put cooked rice in a pouch, throw it in a frying pan with soy sauce, and if you have a spout of ginger (I like the ones from Aldi), throw it into proteins like frozen peas or broccoli, cube tofu, chicken, and chop ham. Nachos: Place tortilla chips on a baking sheet, place the beans, remaining cooked meat and shredded cheese on top, until fusion under the broiler. Next, top chopped avocado, salsa, sour cream, olives, or anything you like. Frozen meals: There’s no guilt here. git-r-done.
