Do you have days that you don’t want to cook? I’m guessing you’re here because it happens more than you even want to admit. Sometimes, you just get tired of cooking night after night. Or, you or the kids are sick and the thought of spending an hour in the kitchen making a meal makes you want to stick a pencil in your eye. Lucky for you, I’ve been there, too, and I’ve got some meals for you to try on those nights.
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Let’s face it.
We all have them…
Days we just don’t want to cook.
Days that have been too busy, the kids have been in your hair all day, you’re sick or you just feel lazy.
It happens to all of us. And usually, at those times, people turn to pizza delivery, picking up take-out, or going out to a full-on dinner.
Sadly, these kinds of days can completely blow our monthly food budgets. That one dinner out can cost the same as an entire week of groceries. And, odds are … you’re doing this multiple times per month.
If you can learn to avoid these moments of weakness and pull a 10-minute meal out of your pantry, you will be so happy that you did it.
I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been running errands or doing yard work or house projects all the way up to dinnertime and then seriously, nobody wants to cook. My husband never wants to cook on these nights — he will suggest that we go out to eat at the drop of the hat.
I try to bring in some reason to the situation and say, “Wait a minute, we can throw something together fast and save a bunch of bucks.” He’ll usually go along with it and in the end, our bodies get fed, and we haven’t thrown $50 bucks down the drain.
These nights are exactly why I love my Instant Pot. I can make an Instant Pot Mac n Cheese in minutes, or throw together my 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Black Bean Soup. This is the Instant Pot I have, but I also have an 8-qt. If you’ve been trying to decide between the two, the 6 qt. will probably be plenty. My sister was totally bragging about the 8 qt. so I finally picked one up. I actually use both of them, sometimes at the same time.
So, since I’ve been able to pull this off a bunch of times, I thought I’d share some of my go-to meals when we absolutely don’t want to do any cooking, but still need to have a meal.
10 Quick Dinners for Nights You Don’t Want To Cook
Grilled Cheese
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches can be simple or complicated. I go for simple every single time – cuz I’m a simple gal. But, try making it a little fancy by adding some of these yummies to it:
- Pesto
- Fancy Cheese
- Sliced Pears
- Pickles – these slices go perfectly on a sandwich
- Ham or Turkey
10 Minute Pasta
Grab whatever pasta you have from the pantry and throw it on to boil. While it’s cooking, you can take a look at the fridge for something yummy to mix in once it’s done. Here are some ideas:
- Pesto – this pesto is concentrated and easy to keep on hand
- Italian Dressing – this makes a perfect pasta salad when you add some diced cheese, olives, and chopped vegetables
- Ham, Peas, and Cheese
- Butter and Parmesan
- Tuna Macaroni Salad – Rinse macaroni under cold water, drain and add Mayonnaise, Tuna, and Pickle Relish for a complete meal
Salad Kit
Keep a salad kit in your pantry for the nights you don’t want to cook. They come with crunchy toppings and dressing already included. You can add some leftovers to the side, or if you have some leftover chicken just toss it in.
Snacky Dinner
This one is my kids’ favorite and it really doesn’t take much to put together. I just take a look at what’s in the pantry and the fridge and I start chopping. I lay it all out on a big cutting board and put it in the middle of the table. Sometimes we don’t even need to give everyone a plate, so they can just grab what they want and start eating. Here are some popular favorites:
- Pickles
- Crackers – our family’s favorite
- Cheese
- Salami or Summer Sausage
- Olives
- Carrot Sticks
- Veggies and Dip
- Fruit
Simple Chicken Dinners
Since I batch-cook chicken all the time, I can make all kinds of meals that require little to no prep. Keep some pre-cooked chicken around and you’ll be able to make a simple dinner with it. Here’s just a quick list of some of our favorites:
- Chicken Quesadillas – just chicken, salsa, and cheese
- Buffalo Chicken Wraps (with lettuce or tortillas)
- Asian Chicken Salad – keep Asian salad dressing on hand for days you need a quick meal. Use bagged salad or coleslaw mix and add whatever salad veggies you have in the fridge. We like cucumbers, red peppers, snap peas, and we always throw in some dried apricots and slivered almonds.
- Instant Mashed Potatoes (my favorite kind) and Chicken Gravy (use a jar or packet)
- Boxed Stuffing – Mix your chicken into the stuffing mix
Related: How to Batch Cook Chicken Breasts
Simple Egg Dishes
- Eggs and Toast – So basic, but simple and delicious
- Mexican-Style Poached Salsa Eggs – If you have salsa available, you’ll love making this dish
Frozen Shrimp
Frozen pre-cooked shrimp can be thawed in just a couple minutes when you put them in a bowl of water. Use them to add to lots of different dishes.
- Pasta
- Wraps
- Tacos
- Salads
DIY Sandwiches
On DIY Sandwich night, I put out our favorite meats, cheeses, and vegetables on a big cutting board like this. Then we set out the bread and condiments for everyone to make their own sandwich. We serve them along with whatever chips, fruit, and vegetables we have available.
Leftovers Buffet Night
Don’t forget all those leftovers in the fridge. I know they’re not everyone’s favorite, but they do need to be eaten and they’ll just require a little warming up in order to serve them. I pull them all out like a buffet and then let everyone pick what they want to eat. They get to dish up what they want onto a plate and warm it in the microwave. Sometimes they actually love these nights and sometimes I hear a lot of grumbling, but honestly, I know they can deal with it.
Read How to Use Leftovers to Stretch Your Grocery Budget, here.
Chili or Hot Dogs
Keep a couple of packs of hot dogs and some buns in the freezer and you’ve got a 5-minute meal any time you want. Hot dogs freeze great and so do buns. You can even keep a can of chili in the pantry and make simple chili dogs easy-peasy.
What to Keep on Hand for Nights You Don’t Want to Cook
Having some things on hand will really help you out. There’s just no way to make a quick dinner if you haven’t prepared a little bit ahead of time. Here are some things I always keep in the fridge or pantry so I can make quick meals.
- Cheese
- Bread
- Tortillas
- Pre-Cooked Chicken
- Lunch Meats
- Pasta
- Hot Dogs
- Crackers
- Instant Potatoes, Stuffing, or Rice
- Salad
- Frozen Veggies
Read: 43 Quick and Easy Pantry Meals
I love that there are so many options for those nights I just don’t feel like cooking. I don’t always want to rely on frozen pizzas or chicken nuggets, either. I hope you like some of these simple and easy quick meals for the nights you don’t want to cook.
More Quick and Easy Meal Inspiration on those nights you don’t want to cook:
