Do you have no desire to cook for dinner? Low-effort meals are easy to prepare! Here are some easy dinner ideas to help you cook at home.
The best meals are those that require little effort and are quick to prepare.
No one tells you that a huge part of adulting is figuring out what’s for dinner every day, FOREVER. When cooking a complete homemade meal from scratch or grabbing take-out food isn’t desired, now what?
Perhaps you don’t cook much or are unable to. No worries! Here are some simple tips and recipes to help those who dislike cooking!
What would you like to have for dinner? I got you covered!
Even though I cook and photograph meals as part of my work, sometimes I’m at a loss for what to prepare for my family. My kids are occupied with lots of sports and activities so I feel like we’re all coming or going. I get food burnout too.
We do order DoorDash and takeout from time to time, but I’d like to decrease that.
Over the years, I’ve become a fan of utilizing the premade section of the grocery store to get dinner done! Combining fresh ingredients with pre-made food is sometimes a brilliant shortcut.
I can also navigate the Costco and Sam’s Club pre-made sections like a champ, along with Trader Joe’s amazing frozen aisle. For instance, adding fresh veggies to a skillet with Trader Joe’s mandarin chicken is a winner!
Today, I’m sharing 14 tips for lazy dinners to inspire you with some low-effort meals. It’s usually money-saving compared to restaurants and take-out.
Pairing bagged salads from the produce department with shredded cooked chicken is my personal go-to meal when cooking isn’t appealing. You could make tacos, quisadillas or chicken salad.
You can also use canned chicken to make quick casseroles, soups or chicken salad. Sometimes I use it to make my favorite walnut-based chicken salad for quick meals. I also make an easy chicken potpie using canned chicken.
2. Both Costco and Sam’s Club have delicious premade meals in the refrigerator section!
If you have a warehouse membership, be sure to check out the pre-cooked meals and sides at Costco and the ones at Sam’s Club too. We love to use these meals for easy, quick meals. My kids love the chicken taco kits with tortillas at either store!
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3. Trader Joe’s frozen meals are popular and delicious.
We have too many family-favorite ready-made or frozen items from Trader Joe’s to list! Their frozen products can taste so next level and gourmet! Orange chicken and fried rice are my current favorites. I also love the various pastas, the beef Birria, the birria tacos, the fried rice, etc.
The only drawback is that most of the bags are for one or two people. This means I need to purchase multiple bags if I want a larger family portion.
Making quick sandwiches is easy when you cut a loaf in half, make a sandwich with deli-meat, and then slice it.
Try this easy grilled ham & cheese loaf recipe that you can do in the oven or on the barbecue!
5. Check out your grocery store’s premade soup section.
I love soup, especially in the winter. It is so easy and comforting to choose the pre-made soups. You can find Panera soups in my local supermarket that you can warm at home.
6. The salad bar at the supermarket and hot food counter are great options.
A good salad bar is hard to resist, too. Sometime I like to make my own salads instead of cutting vegetables. Whole Foods also has a good salad bar with a variety of hot food options.
7. Create a quick dinner board or charcuterie based on snacks!
Build a quick dinner or charcuterie plate using the odd bits and pieces in your refrigerator. You can also use the grab-and-go cheeses and meats at your local grocery store. I know Aldi usually has a great specialty cheese section that’s also affordable.
Arrange the small bites on a large sheet pan or cutting board and enjoy an easy, delicious meal without cooking!
Enjoy my favorite Lock n Lock snack trays for quick meals on the move! This tray could be great to take with you to the beach, park, or to the pool.
8. Sushi from the grocery store is an excellent option, especially for Wednesdays!
We’ve noticed that certain grocery stores such as Sprouts Kroger and HEB offer discounted sushi rolls on Wednesdays. Have you noticed this trend in the area?!
You can never predict when you will get a craving for sushi. If you don’t want to spend money on a restaurant this is an option to consider. On occasion I enjoy a crunch roll from the grocery store, and my local supermarket makes fresh sushi every day.
9. Pre-made carnitas are available at your local grocery store.
Carnitas are available at almost every supermarket. Collin is a huge fan of the Trader Joe’s carnitas and uses it as a starter to build carnitas salad along with lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole to keep things low carb and keto. You could make burritos or tacos instead.
10. The ultimate lazy dinner is to cook frozen food in an air fryer!
Air fryers allow you to cook frozen foods like chicken nuggets, taquitos and french fries without turning on your oven. It’s so easy the kids can even make them on their own!
If you’re looking for a great suggestion, check out these popular Just Bare chicken nuggets from Costco! You can make a copycat of Chick-fil a by pairing them with Chick fil a sauce.
Costco’s new Tyson Roasted Chicken Breast Strips is also a favorite. This wonderful chicken can be used to make salads, stir-fry and other quick dishes. It’s tender and delish!
Hip Tip The quick air fryer is a great way to prepare delicious and convenient meals. Check out my air fryer recipe collection!
11. Purchase a large, frozen lasagna along with a pre-made salad in sachets and garlic bread.
I’m a bit of a Lasagna Snob and will tell you there are some delicious frozen options available! Costco’s frozen lasagna made with Italian sausages and beef is my absolute favorite.
The sauce is so flavorful and it’s big enough for the whole family with leftovers. Try it out!
12. Purchase pre-made dough and top with toppings to create a semi-homemade pizza in a hurry.
When you need to make pizzas quickly, buying the dough is a great shortcut! My family personally enjoys the herbed pizza dough from Trader Joe’s. You can then add toppings, cheese, and some pizza sauce. For a pizza that is easy to make, bake it in the oven.
13. Easy Sheet Pan Meals
It’s easy to dump ingredients on a sheet pan, and bake them! It’s delicious to make a chicken and veggie meal with only three ingredients. This meal is delicious and easy to make. The sesame sauce adds a nice flavor.
It’s also one of my favorite lazy-day kitchen hacks to use a sheet pan for a lot of grilled cheese sandwich!
This sheet pan dinner is easy to prepare and tastes amazing! The ultimate comfort food is melted grilled-cheese and tomato soup. I recommend using this method to make a lot at once. Warm up a can of tomato soup and that’s an easy and crowd-pleasing meal idea.
14. Breakfast is a great low-effort option when all else fails!
In a Martha Stewart TV interview, they asked her whether she ate fast food. She said she no, but when she doesn’t feel like cooking she fries an egg with toast. I love doing that also because it’s so simple yet comforting and delicious.
This easy recipe for frying a cheese and egg is sure to impress. It’s my favorite low-effort breakfast right now. This idea is Keto, however I love adding it on a piece toast!
My children would say that pancakes are their favorite dinner idea. It’s easy to make pancakes in a sheet pan, especially if the pancake mix is from your pantry. This is an easy, delicious meal that everyone will enjoy. The toppings can be customized to suit your tastes.
Do you have a “go-to” lazy meal idea when you don’t feel like cooking? Please share your ideas in the comments section!
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