Insanely easy dinner ideas

[Anonymous]

Packaged salad mix plus a protein— which could be anything from lamb skewers or frozen crab cakes from Whole Foods, to rotisserie chicken or leftovers if you really don’t want to cook. For dessert I get packages of frozen strawberries, smoosh them with my hand blender and end up with a lovely sorbet. Done. Add garlic bread if you want some carbs.

Egg roll in a bowl is another favorite. It starts with packaged cole slaw. if there are any leftovers, I use them for Japanese style cabbage pancakes.

[Anonymous]

Luckily, it's only me and the picky kid.
The kid eats fresh fruit and maybe a carrot.
Mac and cheese, Rosina meatballs, pasta with tomato sauce, fries, sauteed shrimp, chicken nuggets, steak, pan-seared salmon.
Moby dick chicken skewers with extra chicken, McCrispy sandwich, chicken lo mein, sushi if I happen to be out.
On Weekends he goes to relatives' house and I don't have to think about feeding him. Seems like pizza, steak, french toast and lots of eating out to learn about new foods.

[Anonymous]

Sandwiches. Lay out bread, sliced meat and cheese from the deli, lettuce and tomato and avocado and pickles and whatever else is easy. (I like sliced cucumbers on a turkey sandwich.) Everyone builds their own. Bagged salad on the side. Flatbread pizzas are about the same effort. Packaged naan or other flat bread, jarred pizza sauce, shredded cheese, toppings to taste. Same deal with everyone assembling their own. I'm only there to lay out the options and get them into/ out of the oven.

I am a skilled and enthusiastic cook, but some days this or a frozen pizza is all I can do. I also fancy up my frozen pizzas with extra cheese and other toppings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Salsa and chicken in the crock or instapot. Serve over rice with any toppings you have at home (sc, cheese, more salsa, lettuce)

This! One jar of salsa and 2-4 chicken breast in the crock pot. Down! Use it for tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, or just serve with some rice. This is my easiest dinner for when I just can’t cook. Everyone loves it. Trader Joe’s salsa authentica works the best. It’s a very simple salsa with no other random vegetables (or fruit!) in there. This makes it a good blank slate for people to customize as they like

We love this one as well as the shredded cheese + black beans + chips under the broiler nachos posted. We typically shred the chicken and use it for tacos, but last time I made it I also put some of the shredded chicken on the aforementioned nachos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Salsa and chicken in the crock or instapot. Serve over rice with any toppings you have at home (sc, cheese, more salsa, lettuce)

This! One jar of salsa and 2-4 chicken breast in the crock pot. Down! Use it for tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, or just serve with some rice. This is my easiest dinner for when I just can’t cook. Everyone loves it. Trader Joe’s salsa authentica works the best. It’s a very simple salsa with no other random vegetables (or fruit!) in there. This makes it a good blank slate for people to customize as they like

How long do you cook it in the crockpot?

Not PP, but my recipe says 4 hours on low or 2 on medium. I use this as my guide: https://iowagirleats.com/crock-pot-chicken-tacos-with-mexican-rice/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you cook the Trader Joe’s refrigerated meatballs without any fancy appliances- just an oven or stove?

Line a baking sheet with foil. Put a wire rack on the baking sheet. Put meatballs on the wire rack. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until they look done when cut open/are at temperature on a food thermometer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you cook the Trader Joe’s refrigerated meatballs without any fancy appliances- just an oven or stove?

Is a microwave a fancy appliance? Nuke them.

^^ If you don't have one I would cut in half and fry on the stove for quick, cook in sauce on stove if you want sauce.

Can you break that down? How do you fry on the stove? And for how long? I would love to make meatballs and pasta but only know how to make the pasta.

Start boiling water (for pasta). Spray oil into a frying pan. Or pour a little oil. Either works. Put frozen meatballs directly into hot oil, medium heat. Stir/flip a few times every few minutes until they start to brown. When you’ve flipped them a few times pour sauce on top and turn heat to med low. Cover. Now is a good time to put the pasta in the boiling water. When it’s done, the sauce is done. If you’re unsure about whether or not you’re burning the sauce stir it once in a while.

You can also microwave the meatballs.

When you get more comfortable you can add a little diced onion and garlic to the pan with the meatballs. You can throw in handfuls of spinach or a little basil when the sauce goes in. You can top with flakes of Parmesan cheese when it’s done. These things are not hard or complicated but if you’re starting from zero, take it slow.

Yes, but don't use aerosol oil sprays on non-stick cookware. The propellant gums up the surface. The spray is great for some things-- I use it for crostinis/ bruschetta-- but it will wreck non-stick coatings. (Yes, I know, some people approach non-stick cookware with a passion formerly reserved for the devil himself. But someone who isn't steeped in cooking lore might use it because damn it's easy to clean.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you cook the Trader Joe’s refrigerated meatballs without any fancy appliances- just an oven or stove?

Is a microwave a fancy appliance? Nuke them.

^^ If you don't have one I would cut in half and fry on the stove for quick, cook in sauce on stove if you want sauce.

Can you break that down? How do you fry on the stove? And for how long? I would love to make meatballs and pasta but only know how to make the pasta.

Start boiling water (for pasta). Spray oil into a frying pan. Or pour a little oil. Either works. Put frozen meatballs directly into hot oil, medium heat. Stir/flip a few times every few minutes until they start to brown. When you’ve flipped them a few times pour sauce on top and turn heat to med low. Cover. Now is a good time to put the pasta in the boiling water. When it’s done, the sauce is done. If you’re unsure about whether or not you’re burning the sauce stir it once in a while.

You can also microwave the meatballs.

When you get more comfortable you can add a little diced onion and garlic to the pan with the meatballs. You can throw in handfuls of spinach or a little basil when the sauce goes in. You can top with flakes of Parmesan cheese when it’s done. These things are not hard or complicated but if you’re starting from zero, take it slow.

Sorry - this is too vague for me. How many minutes am I cooking the meatballs on the stove? How do I know when they are done?

[Anonymous]

PP are you also the OP? Get a cookbook that is very basic and 101 level. No I don’t have a recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Trader Joe's had a lot of preseason meats that I just grill or sautee. I make rice pilaf from the box and cut up some red raw veggies for the sides.

Ground beef in a pan, cook and break up into small pieces. drain the oil. Put meat in pan and add tomato sauce to heat up. Bolognaise sauce is done and just cook spaghetti

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you cook the Trader Joe’s refrigerated meatballs without any fancy appliances- just an oven or stove?

Is a microwave a fancy appliance? Nuke them.

^^ If you don't have one I would cut in half and fry on the stove for quick, cook in sauce on stove if you want sauce.

Can you break that down? How do you fry on the stove? And for how long? I would love to make meatballs and pasta but only know how to make the pasta.

Start boiling water (for pasta). Spray oil into a frying pan. Or pour a little oil. Either works. Put frozen meatballs directly into hot oil, medium heat. Stir/flip a few times every few minutes until they start to brown. When you’ve flipped them a few times pour sauce on top and turn heat to med low. Cover. Now is a good time to put the pasta in the boiling water. When it’s done, the sauce is done. If you’re unsure about whether or not you’re burning the sauce stir it once in a while.

You can also microwave the meatballs.

When you get more comfortable you can add a little diced onion and garlic to the pan with the meatballs. You can throw in handfuls of spinach or a little basil when the sauce goes in. You can top with flakes of Parmesan cheese when it’s done. These things are not hard or complicated but if you’re starting from zero, take it slow.

Sorry - this is too vague for me. How many minutes am I cooking the meatballs on the stove? How do I know when they are done?

There are directions on the packages.

Or YouTube is great for this!

Depending on your stove and temp and the food these things will vary.

[Anonymous]

My family including our kids loves this easy one dish meal:

buy refrigerated cooked chicken sausages (whatever flavor appeals, I like mild italian or apple) and slice into coins.

chop an assortment of fresh veggies into similar size, whatever you like (a combo I like is broccoli florets, sliced red onion, baby carrots cut in half lengthwise, and a red pepper cut into large dice). toss in evoo and large pinch of salt and spread onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. scatter the sausage coins onto the sheet.

roast at 400 degrees for about 20-30 min, depending how browned you like everything (it’s all safe to eat uncooked, so do not sweat this - after 20 min take it out, stir it around and taste a piece of veg and decide if you want to poo it back in for a little longer).

while the sheet pan cooks, boil a large pot of water and toss in a bag of frozen cheese filled tortellini (my kids like the multi colored ones). cook as long as bag says. drain and toss in evoo in a large bowl, when sheet pan of sausage and veggies are done, stir those into the tortellini.

you can eat as is (taste first- you may want to add some salt and pepper), or throw in some mini mozzerella balls, or top with shredded parmesan, and/or toss in little pepperoni slices if that’s your family’s jam (once I added pepperoni slices to the last 5 min of the sheet pan cooking and my family flipped for it, but I don’t like to make that a regular thing since it’s not healthy).

[Anonymous]

The TJs meatballs are already cooked. They are just frozen. So you just need to heat them.

We generally cook them in the sauce -- jar of sauce in a saute pan, add the meatballs so they are covered by the sauce, bring it low boil and then lid and reduce heat to low. Needs at least 15 minutes but can also sit like this for 30 or more and it won't hurt them.

Just slice one in half to check doneness. If the middle is still cold at all, it's not done.

[Anonymous]

OP, you might like an egg cooking appliance. It enables precision on making softboiled and hardboiled eggs without requiring much supervision and doesn't take up a stove burner.

You can add a sliced egg to ramen (another option vs. rotisserie chicken suggested earlier).

You can have sourdough toast, soft-boiled eggs, blueberry Eggos or something frozen that's more elegant. Then add Brown 'n' Serve sausages and a slice of melon. Done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Frozen vegetable dumplings and homemade egg drop soup with baby spinach added

Nachos with beans, cheese, toppings of lettuce, tomato, avocado, green onions and salsa

Frozen pierogi with sautéed cabbage and onions. I use coleslaw mix so I have minimal chopping

NP. I'm from the "Pierogi Belt". We have pierogi variants here like France has cheese. I really like this new frozen Loaded Baked Potato variety from Mrs. T's.

https://www.mrstspierogies.com/products/full-size/loaded-baked-potato/