Quick, healthy, easy, delicious dinners? Do they exist?? ;)

erinelizabeth882
erinelizabeth882 Posts: 102 Member
edited December 21 in Food and Nutrition
I need some ideas for fast and easy dinners. I’m cooking for one (though like to make additional servings for leftovers to have for lunches or other dinners) and don’t particularly enjoy cooking (I’m also not very good at it!). I often don’t get home from work until 6:30/7:00 and I want to have dinner pretty quickly so I can relax with the bit of the evening I have left. I have Mexican quinoa enchilada dish that I usually make as a crockpot recipe, or I’ll do chicken or salmon with a veggie side. I mostly rotate between that and eating out or having sushi take out. I’m just looking for a few more ideas or favorite ways of mixing up the protein and veggie meal. I do have a instant pot!

Replies

  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    This is one that I do in my instant pot that is quick and easy. Just throw it all in and push go! Takes about 30 minutes start to finish.

    https://www.cookingclassy.com/instant-pot-creamy-tuscan-chicken-pasta/

    I also keep a container of taco meat(either ground beef/ground turkey/chicken) and just have tacos some nights when I don't feel like cooking and then eat the leftovers for lunch and/or breakfast w/eggs and potatoes.
  • Sunshine_And_Sand
    Sunshine_And_Sand Posts: 1,320 Member
    I like to put chicken in the crockpot with salsa in the morning. It makes for great chicken tacos. Just shred the chicken with a fork when you get home and use pre-shredded lettuce and cheese. You will already have tomato in the salsa if you don't want to chop any.
    It's also pretty good to put chicken and chopped sweet potatoes in the crockpot with a little butter and brown sugar.
    I really like using the crockpot on busy nights because I can throw everything in in the morning and dinner is ready to go on the plates when I get home.
  • gallicinvasion
    gallicinvasion Posts: 1,015 Member
    Omelettes and grilled cheeses 😎
  • g_racedisneygirl
    g_racedisneygirl Posts: 13 Member
    I've been making Mexican rice bowls: 1 lb ground turkey seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder,salt, and I add a can drained black beans and a spoon of water to the meat after cooked and let it simmer so they get the flavor of the meat. Serve over 1/2 cup Mahatma brown rice. I can make 5 lunches/ dinners if I prep enough rice.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    Stir fries sound like they would be good options for you.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Crock pot + batch cooking is my go-to move. Just cook up big batch of chicken something-or-other (zillions of crock pot recipes on Pinterest), stick it in the fridge and eat all week.
  • elliej
    elliej Posts: 466 Member
    Stir fry all the way! Rarely take more than 15 mins, and hard to get wrong.

    They don't have to be typical Chinese flavourings either, you can mix it up by changing out and playing with the veg, proteins, toppings and the spices you use. You can make stir fries flavoured to pretty much your fave cuisines: Mexican / Indian / Cajun / Hawaiian / Italian / Moroccan etc. and if like me you enjoy Asian and South Asian food you can add a sauce base to make it a curry - i.e. peanut satay, thai coconut, miso broth, various masalas.

    Then if you're extra hungry one day you can add noodles, quinoa, couscous or rice to up the caloric/nutrient profile.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Baked fish tacos. I make them with cod but you can also use pollock or tilapia. Mix equal portions corn meal, wheat flour (I use whole wheat) and Panko bread crumbs (I use whole wheat here again). Add onion powder, chili powder, salt and any other spices you like (I use some Old Bays). Coat the fish in a beaten egg, then coat with the Panko mixture. Lightly spray with nonfat cooking spray and pop into a 400 oven for 15 minutes. Heat a corn tortilla or two, fill with some plain shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix), add the fish, throw in some avocado and top with a bit of salsa and a squeeze of fresh lime. Eat with a side salad or other veggies.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,255 Member
    Oven-baked salmon. Marinate during the day in Island Soyaki sauce (Trader Joes) or something else you like. Place on a cookie sheet (I line the sheet with parchment paper but you can also just use nonstick spray) and bake in a 400 oven for about 15 minutes. Eat with a side of veggies or salad, and rice or quinoa if you like.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    Taco Soup was one I used when I wanted something quick and yummy -
    Ingredients:
    1 can, ea, of pinto beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, white beans, and navy beans (or whatever combination of beans you want, just has to be 5 cans)
    1 can corn
    1 can tomato soup (smallish is better - like 10 oz, but can be a 16 oz can too)
    1-2 can chopped tomatoes
    1-2 packets of taco seasoning (spicy taco seasoning if you like it more)
    Optional - browned onion, cooked meat, canned hominy

    Directions.
    1. Open all the cans and pour into a pot, including the liquid. Add taco seasoning (and, if desired, browned onions, drained canned hominy, cooked meat). Turn on the heat to med-hi/med, and heat until the entire soup has been heated, then turn off the stove and serve. The flavors tend to blend well as it sits so it can taste better the next day, but it's super fast, generally healthy, tasty, and you have lots of leftovers. I know some folks eat with corn tortillas or rice, too, for added grains.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I cook for two. I buy a family pack of hamburger and bake a tray of meatballs all at once. Have this with a tomato sauce with extra tomatoes and onions. Have with pasta.

    https://pin.it/ita2bxzn6dec2s
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I make this over and over again. Baked tofu with baby bok choy.

    https://pin.it/aatrp3bp6p5oj4

    Also baked in the oven. Super easy with jarred teriyaki sauce.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    For super fast stir fry in the evening, cut the veggies in the morning.
  • texasredreb
    texasredreb Posts: 541 Member
    I agree with the majority of the suggestions you've already received. Expand on your Crockpot recipes and invest in an Instant Pot and a wok!

    Lately I've been loved diced sweet potatoes with beets and Brussel sprouts either cooked on the stove top or roasted in the oven or on the grill. Another favorite is diced sweet potatoes and blacks beans seasoned with taco seasoning and used as a vegan taco filling. I'm not vegan, but I've been enjoying lots of meatless dishes either as main dishes or as sides.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,460 Member
    My favorite really quick meal. Thin cut pork loin chops in George Foreman grill. Less than 5 minutes. Favorite frozen veggies in microwave at same time. Also less than 5 minutes.
    Gonna try Shaumom taco soup, sounds good!
  • lycheelu
    lycheelu Posts: 42 Member
    edited May 2019
    I have to jump in here and recommend this book called 'Five Ingredients, Ten Minutes' by Jules Clancy - all the recipes have five ingredients (mostly things you already have in your store cupboard) and genuinely are as quick to put together in 10 minutes. It's on Amazon.

    I use it constantly! Some of her recipes are available online as well if you Google '5 Ingredients 10 Minutes' and I think the website is called Stone Soup
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