This COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed how we go about our lives, and one area that’s affecting a lot of people? They suddenly have to cook for themselves.
Yes, we can still order food from local businesses, but it’s gotten more difficult to grab food all the time when you’re trying to social distance yourself from others. I know some people who are used to eating out all the time are now faced with learning how to cook for themselves regularly. And while that may seem intimidating to many people, I also know that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. But! You need the right recipes to know that.
To help inspire people who might not be used to cooking very often, I’ve gathered 12 of my easiest dinner recipes. They’re recipes we make regularly, because they don’t require much preparation or effort.
If I could offer one tip for people learning how to cook, it’s make sure you read (or at least skim) a whole recipe before you begin. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve discovered I needed to marinate something first or needed extra ingredients when I was halfway through the recipe. Skimming a recipe just allows you to be aware of all ingredients and prep work that’s needed.
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite EASY meal ideas that work great for weeknight (or any night) dinners.
1. Two-Ingredient Italian Chicken:
This is by far the easiest recipe on this blog. With only two basic ingredients, this chicken can be easily used for sandwiches, salads, tacos, and so on.
2. Easy Burrito Bowls:
Burrito bowls are a staple in our house. Aside from browning some ground meat (or shredding chicken) and cooking rice (minute rice FTW), all you need to do is assemble the various toppings for a delicious meal.
3. Green Beans, Sausage, and Potatoes One-Pot Meal:
Maybe I’m just a simple creature, but this basic meal always hits the spot for me. First of all, kielbasa is a great ingredient to keep on hand, because it’s such an easy and tasty protein for simple meals. But with potatoes and green beans, this recipe makes for a pretty well-balanced meal!
4. Shredded Italian Beef in the Slow Cooker:
Slow cooker recipes are often some of the easiest meals you can make, because there aren’t many steps usuallyโyou just add the ingredients, turn it on, and wait. And with the magic of time, this turns into a deliciously tender and flavorful beef sandwich.
5. Mongolian Beef in the Slow Cooker:
The hardest part of this recipe is coating the beef in cornstarch (which helps thicken the sauce). But if you can shake it all in a bag, you’ll get through it. This one is full of flavor and tastes great on rice with a steamed veggies.
6. Parmesan Herb Baked Salmon:
Cooking fish can sound intimidating, but if you can get the flake-with-a-fork-to-test-doneness technique down, you’re all set. This is a four-ingredient recipe for frozen salmon filets. It’s full of healthy fats and isn’t too difficult to throw together!
7. Quinoa Protein Bowl:
Use quinoa, rice, or another type of grain for the base to this colorful combo. It doesn’t take too much prep (I actually just microwave it), but it offers a lot of nutrients and plant-based protein for an easy meal with some staying power.
8. Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Baked Potato:
You can never go wrong with a loaded baked potato. This one uses roasted broccoli, but when I’m feeling lazy, I just microwave some frozen broccoli to add on top. Also, just microwave a baked potato for 5+ minutes (after stabbing it with a fork a few times), and it’s the great base for whatever toppings your heart desires. (We like ham, cheese, and broccoli usually.)
9. Sheet Pan Roasted Sausage & Veggies:
If you can chop fresh veggies (or just buy them that way), you can make this one-pan meal. The possibilities are endless with what you include in this. I pretty much never make it the same way. Just make sure your veggies are similar sizes (so they cook evenly), and the biggest veggies are cooked before you take them out of the oven. It’s a great throw-together meal.
10. Slow Cooker Taco Soup:
Taco soup is a godsend. This is often called “7-can taco soup” because you just dump a bunch of canned ingredients to make the meal (and add ground turkey/beef if you want). This is a great recipe to keep the ingredients on hand for, because it comes out delicious and is pretty effortless.
11. Pesto Chicken Pasta:
Pesto, chicken, and noodsโthat’s really all you need for this one. Pesto is a great way to jazz up certain dishes (like sandwiches or pasta). Any time I make homemade pesto, I aways end up making some sort of combo like this one. It tastes gourmet but doesn’t require much effort.
12. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas:
Slice some peppers, onion, and chicken; sprinkle the seasoning blend on it; and bake until done! While we’re usually boring ground meat taco people, it’s fun to mix things up and make legit fajitas once in awhile. And when they’re as easy as this, you can’t go wrong.
Do you like to cook? Or do you tend to get food out most of the time?
What are some of your go-to easy meals?
