Quick and Easy Meals
Sometimes I don’t feel like making dinner. That’s when I pull out my trusty mental Rolodex of quick and easy meals to create something that doesn’t keep me in the kitchen for too long.
Check out these quick and easy meal ideas that come together in a hurry, don’t take much effort, and don’t cost that much.
Let’s get into it.
Quick and Easy Meals
Chili dogs - can’t go wrong with this classic. Pick up some hot dogs, buns (or you can go nontraditional and use sliced bread if you don’t want to buy buns), a can or two of chili, and you’re set. You can even fancy it up and buy pre-diced onion to save time for toppings. I’ve had this in a tortilla before as a wrap or quesadilla for a twist on the classic (and because I didn’t have any buns).
Frito pie - another simple meal with canned chili. Grab some chili and Fritos and that’s it. I’ve even enjoyed this in a tortilla as a wrap or quesadilla, but it’s just as good mixed up in a bowl with some cheese, onion, with hot sauce and sour cream.
Salad with chicken - this is super easy, low-calorie, and tasty. Combine a bag of romaine lettuce with Caesar dressing, or buy a salad kit with the fixings and toss in some pre-cooked chicken. Buying a rotisserie chicken and throwing some of it in is the easiest way to bring this meal together quickly.
Quesadilla surprise - when I was learning how to cook, I made this for breakfast nearly every weekend! Basically, you go through your fridge, sauté whatever you can find between lunch meat, bacon, veggies, and anything you have in the pantry, and put it into a tortilla. Eat it as a quesadilla (yes, take a few extra minutes to sear on both sides to get a crispy exterior) or as a wrap.
Pizza - so simple! You can buy a pre-made crust, use English muffins, or have flatbreads or pitas for the base. And the great thing about pizza is that you can put whatever you want on it! Any veggies from the fridge will go well with ranch, tomato sauce, or an aioli (go crazy on Google to look up recipes if you don’t have a sauce for your pizza!).
Sandwiches - get fancy here and add lettuce, onion, tomato, maybe some oil and vinegar, bacon if you’ve got it. You can also mix up an aioli (again, do some Googling to find delicious aioli recipes) or get creative with Dijon mustard, mayo, and a little honey for a quick sandwich sauce. To take a sandwich from boring to dinner-worthy, heat it in a toaster oven, regular oven, air fryer, or stovetop. Use mayonnaise or butter on the outside of the bread to give it a nice brown exterior with good flavor.
Tacos - hands down one of the easiest meals to throw together. Brown some ground beef, turkey, or chicken, open a can of refried beans, or a package of pre-cooked rice, and that’s it. If you don’t have tortillas or want to skip the carbs, eat a taco salad with lettuce instead.
Burgers and fries - grabbing frozen or pre-made patties is the key to getting burgers done quickly! Also, fries can take a while, so use an air fryer instead, or thaw them in the microwave before popping into the oven or air fryer to crisp up. You can have this on the table in less than 30 minutes.
Hot dogs and fries - it kind of feels like cheating to throw this on the list, but seriously, can anything be easier to cook than a hot dog? Again, nuke fries in the microwave to skip some of the longer cooking time, or throw them in the air fryer.
Rotisserie chicken and rice - buy a pre-cooked chicken from a local grocery store, cook some minute rice, or pop open a pre-cooked package, and you have a fast dinner. It’s not too crazy in calories and isn’t that unhealthy, either.
