Want a home cooked dinner that practically makes itself? Me too. You tell me where to find it, I’ll meet you there. Ok, back to reality… Dinner doesn’t have to be a long hassle, just a short one will do fine. Here are 5 easy dinners you can make any night of the week to keep everyone fed and happy.
I love to cook but I don’t like all the time it takes away from my family, and I especially hate to clean up afterward. The last part is just because I don’t like cleaning in all forms, it isn’t just tied to cooking messes. Weeknights are busy with homework, sports and errands. That leaves little time to mess around. I want my family to eat good and I want it to be easy, fast and cheap. That isn’t too much to ask.
My Go To Easy Dinner Ideas for Busy Nights
Here are a few of my go to meals to stay on budget without sacrificing quality (I don’t want just any old crap to go into our bodies). None of these recipes call for ingredients that wouldn’t be typically found in any fridge or pantry.
Eggs
Any style will do. Fried, scrambled, poached, boiled, deviled, I like them all. There is typically some variation that will satisfy every single person in the house, so it’s an easy meal with very little effort. Put them over rice, grits or potatoes, (which are 3 simple side dishes to make) and you have a good easy dinner. I don’t know why, but having breakfast food at dinnertime is much better than having it in the morning.
Soup
I make soup out of everything. This one is a dump meal. If its in the fridge, dump it in. If its in the pantry, dump it in. Be a little selective, you don’t want to throw a jar of Nutella in there, but everyone basically knows what they like, and a soup or stew is really easy to put together. Just add water. This dish also gives me an opportunity to hide some extra stuff in dinner that my kids don’t normally eat. Genius!
Fried Rice
This is so easy. All you need is rice and whatever else you have that is edible. My grandmother used to put spam, rice, butter, yellow mustard and dill pickles together. It sounds funny but it is Oh So Good. Try it, I double dare you. It isn’t healthy, and I don’t want to know what is in Spam, (just like I don’t want to know about hotdogs, so please don’t tell me) but I eat it anyway since Nana made it.
Fancy Grilled Sandwiches
I call them fancy so my family will think they really are. Its all about the presentation 😉 In reality, they are just hot sandwiches I cut into triangles, and I put a pickle on the plate. Instant fanciness. If you want to change it up, stick a toothpick in it and call it deli style instead.
Cereal tasting
No cooking involved!! Get out all the cereals you own and “sample” each one for dinner. See if they taste different with almond milk versus dairy. Want to mix 3 together? Want to throw in some nuts and fruit? Go ahead and do it.
I hope these helped. Now go make some dinner.
What are your go to easy dinner ideas?
North Carolina, USA