Inside: Too tired to cook? Here are 12 low-effort dinner ideas that get everyone fed.
You know those nights when you need to feed your people but reeeeeally don’t want to make dinner? I’m having those a lot lately.
With one kid off at college and another busy with a part-time job, my husband and I find ourselves on our own for dinner more often. On those nights, my motivation to cook is, well, hanging out somewhere near zero. Without the usual family dinner routine, cooking a full meal feels like way too much effort.
But we still need to eat–and not expensive take-out every night. So I’ve built a mental list of go-to dinners for nights when I’m thisclose to having popcorn for dinner. These meals are quick, easy, and require minimal brain power. Perfect for those “let’s just get something on the table” kind of nights.
1. Grazing Board
This is the ultimate “something-out-of-nothing” meal. Grab odds and ends from the fridge and pantry and pile it onto a platter, tray, or baking sheet. Let everyone serve themselves and consider it done.
Even if you’ve got the most random assortment of leftovers–a few nubs of cheese, half a carton of strawberries, a handful of crackers at the bottom of a box–call it a “grazing board” and suddenly you’re fancy.
IDEAS:
2. Eggs
They’re filling, rich in high-quality protein, and usually more affordable per serving than meat, even if prices are still a bit steeper than usual. Plus, they’re endlessly flexible: scramble them, fry them, bake them into muffins. Serve with fruit or a little green salad, plus some bread or toast.
RECIPES
3. Main Dish Salads
This is on repeat for us lately because it’s fast, fresh, and doesn’t involve turning on the oven.
You can start with a salad kit (I like the ones with crunchy toppings and a good dressing) or just grab a container of pre-washed greens. Add a protein like some rotisserie chicken, chickpeas, tuna or salmon from a pouch
Then raid the fridge and pantry for nuts or seeds, chopped apple, crumbled cheese, or even last night’s leftover roasted veggies. Drizzle on dressing (like my Creamy Balsamic or Best White Balsamic Vinaigrette) and dinner is done.
4. Sandwiches
Sandwich night is never a bad idea. Serve with a cup of soup or a small salad (or not!). And yes, PB&J totally counts.
If you have a panini press, bust it out to make sandwich night a little special. No panini press? A waffle iron works too–or just press your sandwiches with something heavy like a cast-iron skillet.
5. Quesadillas
Like a sandwich but…somehow different. Brush one side of two large tortillas with olive oil, place one (oil side down) in a skillet, and add your fillings. Some ideas:
- Refried or black beans
- Rotisserie chicken
- Scrambled eggs
- Leftover roasted veggies
- Fresh or frozen spinach
Add cheese to hold it all together, and top with the other tortilla (oil-side up). I like to lightly sprinkle the outside of mine with Tajin. Serve with your favorite dips and sauces. We love my No-Fuss Guacamole and Pinch of Yum’s Magic Green Sauce.
6. Toast
Toast for dinner is fast, satisfying, and feels vaguely sophisticated. Spread toasted slices of bread (the thicker and heartier the better) with mashed avocado, a fried egg, and sprinkle of chili flakes. Or spread with hummus and top with roasted veggies. Or even peanut butter and sliced strawberries or bananas.
7. Rice Bowls
These look trendy and intentional, but they’re really just a smart way to use whatever’s in your fridge. Start with a base of cooked rice (microwaveable pre-cooked rice pouches are my go-to) then layer on whatever protein source you have like beans, rotisserie chicken, canned salmon, or pre-cooked tofu chunks.
Add microwaved frozen veggies, veggies steamed on the stove or microwave, or pre-prepped shredded carrots. A flavorful sauce ties it all together. My favorites: Our House Peanut Sauce, this Gochujang sauce, this Lemon Tahini Sauce, or a good bottled sauce like the Korean BBQ Sauce from ALDI.
Serve it in a big, deep bowl so it feels more like a restaurant situation and less like you threw it all together in five minutes.
8. Noodles
Cook whatever shape pasta you have–better yet, empty out all those quarter-full packages of different shapes and call it “noodle medley”. In the last couple minutes of boiling, throw in some veggies like broccoli, peas, or spinach so they cook at the same time, in the same pot.
Drain, toss with olive olive, butter, or pesto, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Add a protein like a cooked veggie patty, crumbled sausage, canned white beans, or even a fried egg on top.
RECIPES
9. Baked potatoes
Baked potatoes are an underrated dinner hero (not to mention cheap and filling). Bake them in the oven, microwave, or slow cooker. Then slice them open and let everyone pile on what they like: warm canned beans, cooked frozen veggies, shredded cheese, leftover ground beef, salsa, sour cream.
Prefer sweet potatoes? They go great with black beans, corn, and chunks of avocado.
Short on time? Slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise. Then use your hands to coat the halves with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast cut-side-down on a baking sheet at 400-425 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until fork-tender.
10. Breakfast
For some reason, making breakfast foods doesn’t really feel like making dinner. Maybe it’s the simplicity or the comfort factor–either way, don’t question it. Just go with it.
Make pancakes or waffles (or heat up the frozen kind), scramble several eggs, and put out a DIY yogurt or oatmeal bar with toppings like fruit, granola, and other things that need to be eaten. It’s cozy, it’s quick, and makes dinner feel like a treat.
RECIPES:
11. Flatbread pizzas
Or pitas. Or tortillas. Or naan. Basically, any flat-ish bread can be pizza with sauce, a sprinkle of cheese, and whatever toppings you can dig out of the fridge. Pizza night doesn’t have to be complicated.
Topping ideas:
- Ham + pineapple
- BBQ sauce + chicken + red onion
- Pesto + mozzarella
- Salami + hot honey
- Buffalo sauce + chicken + blue cheese crumbles
- Proscuitto+ argula + figs
- Alfredo sauce + broccoli + chicken
12. Scrounge Nite
It’s like saying “I give up” without actually saying “I give up”. Call it “YOYO” (you’re on your own) or “Leftover Buffet” or whatever you’d like. The point is that everyone is in charge of their own meal based on what’s in the fridge (give little ones a choice between two different options). And honor any first dibs that are called, of course.
Honorable Mention Dinners
Here are a few more solid ideas when energy is lagging and take-out isn’t happening:
- Ramen 2.0: Add some shredded carrots or frozen broccoli to the boiling noodles, then stir in some cubed tofu or add a sliced, soft-boiled egg on top.
- Mac-n-Cheese 2.0: Add frozen peas, canned tuna or salmon, or some cooked chicken to a prepped box of mac.
- Frozen dumplings + edamame: Steam, pan-fry, or microwave the dumplings. Heat the edamame and sprinkle with salt. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.
- Fried rice: Use pre-cooked rice in pouches, dump into a skillet with some soy sauce, a squirt of ginger paste if you have it (I like the stuff from ALDI), then toss in some frozen peas or broccoli and a protein like cubed tofu, pieces of chicken, or chopped ham.
- Nachos: Lay tortilla chips on a baking sheet and top with beans, leftover cooked ground meat, and shredded cheese, and put under the broiler until melty. Then top with chopped avocado, salsa, sour cream, olives, or whatever else you like.
- Frozen meal: No guilt here. Git-r-done.
