Your go-to meal when you don't want to cook?

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isabbbela

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Hi guys!

Even though I love to eat and cook, I'm very lazy and specially after a full day at work (I work 8 hours a day), I don't feel like cooking. And as I live by myself, cooking for one is not very practical. So on those days I'll either eat a boiled egg and some milk, or I'll do a simple tuna and tomatoes sandwich. However, that gets old after eating that same thing all the time.
I need new ideas of dishes that are really easy to prepare, simple, affordable and very quick! So what do you eat when you don't feel like cooking?
 
I usually heat up leftovers when I don't feel like cooking. I have a few freezer meals in the freezer I can heat up in a rush. (Freezer meals are meals I have prepared in advance and have frozen for future use. I usually have stews or soups frozen.) I also keep lunch meat on hand so I can quickly make a lunch meat sandwich. In addition, I keep canned soup on hand for quick, fast and easy meals. On the days I just don't have the time or energy to cook, I will sometimes go through the drive-thru on the way home. I try to avoid doing that, as it is often times unhealthy and expensive as it can really add up.
As a last resort, I make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
 
When you cook make enough for 2-3 meals. Eat what you eat and put the rest in the fridge/freezer. That way when you get home from work all you need to do is throw it in the microwave and it's done.

You could always make a pizza for yourself, if you use a premade dough then it can't take you more than 10 minutes to throw in the fillings that you want. You can also find some pretty decent premade pasta sauces so all you need to do is cook the pasta and that takes less than 10 minutes.
 
Omelette? Simple to make and very quick. mix a couple of eggs together with a touch of milk (any variety, I use soya or oat milk), some salt and pepper and heat some oil (olive or sunflower) in a frying pan till it is hot... add mix and leave until almost completely cooked, but still very slightly runny on the top. Fold in half and serve (runny bit cooks very quickly in remaining heat if runny egg concerns you).

various fillings can be added, quickly chop 1/2 onion and fry before adding to omelette, same with mushrooms

I also often have plain rice with cashew nuts cooked in it at the same time and serve it with a touch of soya sauce.

Noodles & soy source.

toast with mushrooms & onions. This one gets cooked 'backwards' in that the mushrooms need much longer than the onions. chop the mushrooms and onions (I like my mushrooms in 'wedges' so quarter/6ths/8ths depending on size of mushroom. Heat some olive oil in a pan (be generous - couple of tablespoons), and get the oil really hot. Add the mushrooms and keep the heat high enough that they squeak when you stir (don't ask, you just have to listen to them and you'll understand). Once they are starting to brown and cook releasing their juices, add the onions and cook for a few mins. Serve immediately on toast.

Pizza toasts. Toast some bread on one side, then add a layer of tomato concentrate, some fillings and cheese (if you want, I don't not being able to have it) and grill until veg cooked & cheese browning...
 
I have three go to meals.

The first one is my quick black bean chili. When I feel like cooking I make everything from scratch. When I don't feel like cooking (like last night) I open up two cans of organic black beans and simmer with a jar of fire roasted garlic salsa in a pot. I caramelize a can of organic corn in grapeseed oil seasoned with garlic powder and rock salt. When the corn is ready, I add it to the beans and salsa. I add more garlic powder, cumin and a pinch of turmeric. Cook medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Simple and delicious.

My second dish is kicked up version of a mozzarella and tomato panini I once ate at Starbucks Coffee. I spread roasted red pepper hummus on Lavish bread. You can use whatever bread you have on hand. Add sliced tomatoes, sliced mozzarella, a few leaves of fresh basil and spinach. I also sprinkle a bit of garlic powder. Grill in a skillet. You can use basil peso instead of the hummus.

My third dish is a vegetarian pizza. I spread pizza sauce or tomato sauce on Lavish bread. I sprinkle a little bit of garlic powder. Spread Mexican four cheese mix on top. Then I add my favorite veggies. I use red onion, red and green bell peppers, fresh basil and spinach.
 
I've been buying a lot more chicken thighs lately (bone in, skin on) and de-boning and removing the skins myself so I could save them for homemade stocks (No point in paying extra for the store to do that for me, then I don't even have the scraps for broth). I will buy a large pack of the thighs, and just plow through them all on a Saturday afternoon, portioning off the chicken thigh meat into zip-loc bags for meals during the rest of the week.

If I know I am going to be having chicken for lunch or dinner, I will just grab one of those bags and pour some teryaki marinade into it, so it will be ready to go when I get home. Even if I forget to do that, even a quick 15 min marinade in it will work. Then I just fry them off in a pan with some canola oil. I will either slice them up and put them over a quick fried rice (just rice, oil, green onions, egg, and soy sauce), or I will cut them up and put them over a simple salad dressed with rice vinegar and canola oil. They're even good as a sandwich, on a wheat bun with some grilled pineapple, red onion, and lettuce.

"Eggs in Purgatory" is another favorite - and it's one of those "breakfast for dinner" type meals that is easy and inexpensive. It's basically just eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce and served over some crusty toast - I add a generous amount of Romano cheese too, to top it all off. I'll start by cracking two eggs into a bowl (if the yolks break, I will scrap this recipe and just go with an omelette instead). Then sliver some fresh garlic and add it to an 8 inch pan with some olive oil and a good amount of red pepper flakes. Let these simmer a bit to infuse the oil, then add some *crushed* tomatoes (don't use diced, since they often come packed with chemicals that keep the tomatoes from breaking down into a sauce) and some herbs of choice if desired, I usually go with dried oregano. No need to salt this, since the cheese we're adding later is salty enough. Add the eggs into the sauce gently, and cover with a lit - letting them poach on a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, toast a couple slices of a good crusty Italian bread - something sturdy and rustic, not spongy sandwich bread. Then when the eggs are done, spoon some sauce onto the toast, and top with the eggs, then top with a bunch of Romano - and perhaps a hit of fresh cracked black pepper.
 
Crockpot soups and stews are my favorite. The extra -lazy route is adding frozen or canned veggies instead of ones you'd have to chop up. Meat? No problem. Just toss it in there and let it cook up with everything else. No preparation needed. Plus you get to smell it all day. Granted, this is only a good lazy option if you're motivated enough to start this a few hours in advance. Add enough for leftovers that you can freeze or eat the next day for even less work.
 
Poached egg on toast is a lazy favourite. That, or scrambled eggs on toast, or an omelette with whatever I find in the fridge... I think you see the theme here, lol. That or a quick tomato sauce and pasta :) chuck in garlic, onions, mushrooms and you have yourself a fairly filling meal. Chicken cacciatore is also quite easy.
 
When I do not want to cook I almost always have a few squares of some really great cheese, crackers and fruit. I am always satisfied after this little snack/meal. And clean up is a breeze as well!
 
Something instant like 2 minute noodles, maybe a tuna bake if I'm up for it, otherwise I'll just get pizza's or some other form of fast food.
 
I am not sure if you'll have heard of Maggie noodles from Nestle. It is one of the quickest option if I really want to even put on the flames. If not then the omnipresent McChicken. :)
 
Pasta is my go-to lazy meal, specially spaghetti. It takes roughly 15 minutes from beginning to end, with most of the time simply being waiting on the water to boil. I keep a jar of pre-made spaghetti sauce in the fridge for quick go-to meals like this or will sometimes eat the pasta with only butter and salt.
 
When I don't like to cook because of tiredness or something like that, I usually just open a can of tuna, sometimes with bread or crackers. Tuna alone makes me quite full already. The benefits as well is pretty good due to its omega 3 and protein. So it is something cheap and healthy at the same time.
 
Whenever I'm in a hurry or just plain lazy to cook, I'd always grab some canned goods like Spam, corned beef, or instant soup. However, since some of these do still take a while to cook, I'm usually more partial to just cooking instant ramen when I'm in that much of a hurry, so I suppose I'd consider that as my ultimate go-to quick fix.
 
Willie84 said:
When I do not want to cook I almost always have a few squares of some really great cheese, crackers and fruit. I am always satisfied after this little snack/meal. And clean up is a breeze as well!
Click to expand...

This, when I'm alone.

Breakfast for dinner when it is an entire family I'm cooking for. Ironically, it always ends up being a lot more work than it seems it will be, but I think the main thing is that nothing has to defrost and most of the pieces of the meal are relatively simply in themselves. I'll typically do grits, eggs (hard or soft boiled is easiest), maybe bacon or sausage, and some toast. My kids love it anytime of day, and I'm always in the mood for breakfast. If we have some fruit, I'll cut it up and throw that out there as well.
 
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