what are your go-to quick & easy dinners?

[caedmyn]

I need ideas!

[Slache]

Chicken salad made from rotisserie chicken, cashews and grapes.

Taco soup made from two cans of beans, two cans of stewed tomatoes, a can of diced Chiles and topped with corn chips and cheese.

Breakfast.

[sweet2ndchance]

Skillet dinners (like Hamburger Helper but homemade like cheeseburger mac, chili mac, skillet lasagna, stroganoff all only take about 30 mins to make even without the HH box)

Grilled chicken wraps (Store bought  or homemade grilled chicken cut into pieces, lettuce/salad greens, cheese and salad dressing wrapped in a tortilla)

Grilled cheese and soup

Quesadillas

Corndogs or hot dogs and tater tots (certainly not all the time but fun every now and then)

 

[marbel]

Quesadillas for sure. You can use up different vegetables, leftover meat, beans, whatever.  

Pretty much anything involving cheese and bread:  cheese toast, grilled cheese sandwiches (can add vegetables to that), french bread pizza (basically cheese toast with pizza/spaghetti sauce).

I keep jars of Aldi's curry sauces around for a quick chicken curry:  some boneless chicken thighs, some cut up vegetables, the sauce, dinner in 30 minutes.

Pasta with meatballs from the freezer. 

[sweet2ndchance]

If it's not last minute and you have the presence of mind in the morning to start the crockpot there is

Chicken Tortilla Soup

BBQ pork sandwiches

Roast Beef sandwiches

Just about any hearty soup or stew dinner made in the crockpot, served with bread and a salad

 

Oh, I just saw marbel's post I forgot about curry! We like the Golden Curry cubes over sauteed chicken and onions and plain cooked rice.

[fairfarmhand]

2 minutes ago, sweet2ndchance said:

If it's not last minute and you have the presence of mind in the morning to start the crockpot there is

Chicken Tortilla Soup

BBQ pork sandwiches

Roast Beef sandwiches

Just about any hearty soup or stew dinner made in the crockpot, served with bread and a salad

 

Oh, I just saw marbel's post I forgot about curry! We like the Golden Curry cubes over sauteed chicken and onions and plain cooked rice.

Yes, I'm a huge crock potter too. 

I also can put together a casserole, pop it in the fridge and put it on time bake in the evening when I'm headed out to ds Tae Kwon Do class. It'll be done when we walk in the door.

Chicken pot pie works well for this, as does shepherd's pie.

[sweet2ndchance]

My ex-husband loved a meal that his mom makes called Mince and Onions.

Basically, you make mashed potatoes (or warm up leftover mashed potatoes), brown some ground beef with onions (dried minced onions work well if you have family members who detest detectable pieces of onion) drain the grease then use brown gravy packets to make gravy in the pan and then add the meat and onions back in. Serve the meat and gravy over the mashed potatoes. I would add peas and carrots or mixed vegetables sometimes and call it upside down shepherd's pie. Otherwise, I usually just made green beans with it. It's pretty quick meal to make if you have mashed potatoes from another meal or don't mind instant mashed potatoes.

I also make chicken and noodles by boiling boneless chicken pieces in chicken broth, cut them up into bite size pieces when they are cooked and then add egg noodles. You can also add rice instead of egg noodles for chicken and rice. It's great on a cold night with plenty of pepper on it and cheap too.

[alisoncooks]

I do the normal quick stuff like spaghetti or loose meat sandwiches. 

Another that we like is Sausage & beans over rice. I cut one package of smoked beef sausage or hot links into bite sized pieces. Brown in pan. Stir in a drained/rinsed can of kidney beans until warm. Serve over rice. (Can also cook onion/pepper in the first step.) Good plain or topped with salsa. 

[Laura Corin]

Smoked fish, stirred into hot pasta with olive oil and lemon. Green veg and salad on the side.

Edited August 7, 2019 by Laura Corin

[HS Mom in NC]

1. Sandwiches

2. High protein pasta and canned sauce

3. The grilled chicken breasts in my freezer (always cook at least a dozen at a time and freeze extras individually): 
     A. Caesar Salad- bagged spinach, bagged croutons, Caesar dressing, Parmesan cheese
     B. Chicken Fajitas-sliced onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, tortillas, packet of fajita spices
     C. Chicken tacos-shredded cheese, precooked taco shells, salsa, packet chicken taco spices

4. Bean burros-cans of beans (any time refried or whole) shredded cheese, salsa

5. The frozen cooked rice in my fridge (I always look a huge batch and freeze the extra in individual portions) with microwaveable Birdseye Protein Blend Southwest bags (corn beans, peppers, and sauce) that heat in the bag for rice bowls. Any protein (beans, lentils, meat) can be added with any type of veggies to make a rice bowl.  Great for leftovers.

6. Cooking once and eating twice.  I make enough for 2 meals worth (how ever many batches each recipe that works out to) and cook it on an evening that I have time.  I serve half of it and put the other half in the fridge to be eaten within the week on an evening where I have no time. Making soup and freezing it works well too.  You can serve with purchased crusty bread or make a box of cornbread muffins. Having a policy of cooking 3 dinners a week and eating them twice, then eating out the day I grocery shop has been really handy.

7. Breakfast for dinner-Precooked ham steaks, scrambled eggs, toast, and jam. 

8.  Apple chicken sausages, instant mashed potatoes, chicken gravy packet, and jarred sauerkraut.

 

[Ali in OR]

Some convenience products we'll use during busy seasons:

1) Trader Joe's Orange Chicken. Also cook up some rice in the rice cooker.

2) Frozen ravioli with jarred pasta sauce

3) Costco's chicken skewers with a side of pasta

4) Costco's Italian sausage on some rotini with jarred pasta sauce (or leftover marinara from our freezer)

Tacos are quick and easy here, and we often have leftover grilled meat (steak or chicken) or crockpot mexi-chicken from our freezer

French toast or waffles with bacon, scrambled eggs optional

Edited August 7, 2019 by Ali in OR

[Bambam]

Quesadillas. Just cheese is okay, but we usually have some leftover chicken in the frig to add as well.

Chicken enchiladas - cream cheese/sour cream/salsa/cheese/chicken. 

Rotisserie chicken from Sam's - add sweet potatoes (better baked, but microwaving is acceptable), frozen veggies

Leftover chicken from Rotisserie chicken goes into chicken salad.

Breakfast as supper (scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, smoothie)

Sandwiches from leftover. I got a panini press so those sandwiches are fancier so people think they are getting something instead of leftovers.

Grilled cheese. Excellent if you add dill pickles and bacon. Also good for caprese style grilled cheese.

Fried rice (assumed there is some frozen cooked rice in freezer). Add in scrambled eggs, frozen veggies, any leftover meat. 

Bean burritos. 

Pizza - when we make pizza, I make extra crusts (personal size) and bake them. I freeze them and can whip them out and make a pizza in no time. I will also use pita, naan, or flour tortillas in a pinch. 

[QueenCat]

Homemade pizza-- Either the Skinnytaste no-yeast yogurt dough recipe or pita bread.

Hard Tacos-- ground turkey with salsa mixed into the meat as it cooks. I put cheese on the bottom of the shells, add the meat mixture, add a little more cheese, and then bake for 15 mins. 

Sandwiches-- grilled cheese or deli meat/cheese; served with fruit/salad; we almost always have sandwiches on Friday nights if we don't go out.

Soft Tacos-- chicken, with the fixings, served with black beans.

Chicken Lentil soup is a current favorite-- another Skinnytaste recipe.

Crock BBQ Chicken- put raw chicken in crock, add BBQ sauce, cook on low for 6 hours.

 

[Momto6inIN]

My Instant Pot is great for when it's already 5:30 and I realize I haven't defrosted any meat. It can cook from frozen in 45 min (includes warm up, cook time, and pressure release). It's been a life saver!

I also use canned chicken in a pinch and make chicken tacos or chicken tetrazini or chicken whatever.

Breakfast burritos go together fast too. Saute frozen shredded hash browns in olive oil and Lawry's salt, add eggs and diced ham or bacon and a little milk, then put it all into a tortilla and top with cheese.

[PeterPan]

For a big family? Split pea soup in the crockpot, turkey chili. But for my small family, frozen fish pieces (cod, pollock, halibut, whatever) from Trader Joes and their Quinoia Melange stuff from the freezer section. Serve with green beans. I cook the fish in the toaster oven, warm the quinoia for 3 minutes on the stove, heat the green beans, boom.

Agreeing on the breakfast btw. Trader Joe has really good frozen hash browns, and I keep bags of oatmeal pancakes frozen in the frig for emergencies. My family will also tolerate yogurt parfaits once in a while for dinner.

[Tanaqui]

Quesadillas

Shakshouka either in tomato sauce or over greens

Hummus and pita

Bread and cheese and cold cuts

Baked potatoes

Pasta with vegetables instead of sauce - I usually quick fry some onions and garlic (with or without pancetta) and then some or all of sundried tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, basil, peas, then top the whole thing off with some nutritional yeast, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

French toast with fresh fruit

Ants climb a tree, but only if I already have glass noodles in the house

Fish tacos

Pasta puttanesca

Split peas and rice with some sort of roasted vegetable on the side

Mandatory leftovers

[DesertBlossom]

Lots of ideas at Mel's Kitchen Cafe under "30 minute meals." She never disappoints.

[MercyA]

4 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Ants climb a tree, but only if I already have glass noodles in the house

There is a deep thought here somewhere. 🙂 

[Tanaqui]

https://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Ants-Climbing-a-Tree/

 

The glass noodles are essential. I used to get them at the grocery store that's not closest to my house, but that closed down last week so, idk, I'll have to go to Chinatown or something. (Or order online. I hate being the only white person shopping in a grocery store catering to some other ethnicity. People always ask if I know what I'm looking for.)

Edited August 8, 2019 by Tanaqui

[J-rap]

Bean burritos with salsa and cheese and carrot sticks on the side.  Or, black beans over rice with cheese, onions, and cilantro on top.  Another super quick favorite is grilled cheese sandwiches and a good tomato basil canned soup.

 

 

[teachermom2834]

The precut grilled chicken and steak strips are a staple here. Throw them in a skillet with some veggies (or not). Serve over rice or in a salad or in a tortilla or on nachos. The baby of the family (11 yo) can even prepare that.

I do pretty much always have taco meat and/or chili in the freezer ready to heat up. I cook up and shred pork roast in advance and freeze in meal side portions. Easy pork sandwiches on short notice.

Pizza is quick once you make the dough. I use the bread machine for the dough. It’s about 20 minutes from dough to table for me. We use a variety of toppings depending on what is on hand. 

My two children still living at home like the frozen tortellini that cooks in 3 minutes. That’s new here as my older kids wouldn’t have liked that. 

Anything that can be thrown in the air fryer is quick. It heats up and cooks quickly and clean up is pretty simple. 

One thing that helps is always having salad greens cut and washed and ready to go. So that is the standard side. 

 

[ScoutTN]

Soup - esp tomato
Pulled pork in the crock pot
Salad with rotisserie chx
Taco salad or nachos
Chili mac (homemade hamburger helper)
Lentils (cheating bc I use Tasty Bite Madras Lentils from Costco - heat and heat!) over leftover rice or polenta or grits
Eggs and toast
Pasta and pesto (my kids don't much like tomato sauce)