What Do You Cook When You Don't Feel like Cooking?

I keep the ingredients for taco soup at all times. It's brainless, it's super fast and tasty. The whole family likes it (my husband loves it), so when I'm tired or uninspired, that is what I'll do (not more than once a month, but it's there just in case). Cook the meat and an onion, drain, put in a pot with a packet of dry ranch, a packet of taco seasoning, a can of corn, a can of rotels, a can of fire roasted tomatoes, and 1 or 2 cans of ranch style beans (or chili beans). That's it. Once that's all heated up, you can serve with some cheese and tostadas. It's NOT the healthiest or low sodium meals in the world, but we'd rather eat that than fast food anyday, it's tasty.

If we don't do that, I'll either cook up some lo mein, or we can pull a stouffers lasagna out of the freezer and make a salad while it's cooking. OR we could do the grilled cheese sandwich thing: regular for my 2 year old, and "grown up" for the rest of us: the grown up grilled cheese? Instead of american cheese we'll slice feta cheese, a tomato slice and a red onion slice in the middle, and a slice of cheddar. Awesome. Usually, we eat healthy. But sometimes, we just don't want to deal. It happens.

I usually have one of those frozen "meals for two" dealys in the fridge. I usually avoid eating and/or serving processed foods whenever possible, but there's always that one night a week where I've hit the wall. Either it's from a box or a bag, or it's "scrambled air".

Sadly, I get far fewer complaints when I serve the instant food than I do with the healthy stuff I make, LOL.

If I dont have my kid just a bowl a cereal for dinner or a TV dinner. If I have the kid I feel somewhat obligated to atleast make pasta with garlic bread

grilled cheese.. always grilled cheese

Grilled burgers and/or dogs here.

Or tuna salad.

That's called "fast food night" at our house. :)

or "self serve/leftover night"

Turkey hot dogs and salad or frozen ravioli with red sauce. Grilled cheese and carrot sticks is always a really easy one too.

I keep at least 1 quart of my home made marinara in the fridge at all times. We also keep a stash of a variety of noodles.

We will eat pasta w/ marinara and hit Italian sausages
I'll make stuffed pasta shells it manicotti. I keep those ingredients on hand as well.
Pasta salad
BLT's
Burgers

Enjoy

when I do not want to cook. I pick up the phone and get pizza!!

when I don't want to cook, it's a frozen pizza or chili dogs.

I let my finger's do the dialing ... "Hi hon, can you pick up something for dinner on the way home?" ;)

Otherwise, I make spaghetti ...

A pot of chili is my quick go-to dinner, or sometimes Chicken Tortilla Soup if I have everything.

I like to make that when we've got leftover chicken, but I've been known to buy a rotisserie specifically for this recipe, too. Get the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces & toss in a big pot with a chopped onion, 2 cans of rotel, a can of corn, a can of white beans, a can of red beans, 2 boxes of chicken stock & 2 cans of cream of chicken soup to give it some heft instead of just a thin broth. If I feel like it I'll add a can or 2 of green chilies, but usually the Ro-tel is all that's needed. Bring it to a boil, turn down the heat & simmer it for 5 minutes until heated through, or up to a couple of hours if you feel like it. When we're ready to eat I crunch up some tortilla chips & put them in the bottom of the bowls, ladel soup over the chips & then sprinkle the whole thing with some shredded cheese. Delish & just as good leftover the next day.

Burritos. We always have tortillas, hamburger and cheese on hand. quick and easy.

Grilled cheese sandwich! If hubby makes a face, I'll throw in some quick green salad, and add in his favorite ingredients - capers, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

Ok, sometimes if I am too lazy to even turn on the stove, I make a PBJ. But that's when its only me. Shame on me, but hey...who cares! :)

Grilled cheese sandwiches on whole wheat bread, with raw broccoli "trees" and carrot sticks and a side of ranch dip, fresh fruit for dessert ; )

When I really don't feel like cooking it's Little Caesar's Hot 'n Ready pizza. Only $5!

Otherwise, if I know I'm not going to have time to cook later I throw something in the crockpot. My favorite recipes are frozen chicken with some sort of soup. Toss in the frozen chicken, toss in the soup, toss in the frozen veggies, turn on crockpot--forget about crockpot until dinner!

I have found some of the frozen stuff at Trader Joe's to be slightly more healthy. I like to keep a few of those things on hand. Some you can even heat up in the microwave!

Once when I had stomach flu and my son was still in a high chair, I fed him ice cream with Cocoa Puffs on it. I was doing good to do that much... But usually I will do something like Rice a Roni and stir in some canned mushrooms and french cut green beans.

Well, you already said pasta. We also do tacos in a pinch. Or pull a pizza from the freezer.

Hahahaha! Pasta :) or leftovers, or breakfast for dinner. Enjoy your veggie burgers. We're having leftover pizza.

My easiest no cook meal is baked chicken quarters with baked potatoes. I season the chicken with lots of herbs, S&P, scrub the potatoes, pierce with a fork and throw it all in the oven at 350 for 1 hr. Then heat up a frozen veggie. Tonight I made a red cabbage salad too. No more than 10 minutes prep, except you have to have defrosted chicken. I've made it 2 weeks in a row.

Nothing....
Cereal, sandwiches, pizza, or noodles...
And that's for kids, sometimes I send a text to hubby letting him know every man for himself, he will either pick something up, or feed the kids...

my go-to dinner: frozen chicken breast which I always have stocked.
bite-size chunks
little bit of olive oil
chopped onion & garlic
red pepper flakes

Once the chicken is cooked 1/2way, I add some low-sodium soy sauce & spicy mustard....equal amounts. I let the chicken finish cooking in the sauce. Serve with pasta, broccoli, & a salad. Yummm

Orange chicken or teriyaki chicken or saag paneer. All frozen from Trader Joes.

I highly disapprove of ready made meals and processed food but in any case I keep a few items on hand such as fish sticks, frozen veggies, and a few canned foods. I also will cook up 5 pounds of ground turkey or make double batches of soups to freeze for days like that! Also crockpots are any mother's friend!!!

That's so tonight! I'm doing spaghetti with cheesy bread.

If I don't feel like cooking, I don't cook. There's cereal, peanut butter, and bread in the pantry, milk in the fridge.

My three favorite words, "Let's eat out" :)
If that's not an option, then soup and sandwich.

Well, it's still cooking actually but here are some of mine, pancakes and eggs, french toast, grilled cheese sandwiches and can soup, chilli dogs, tuna salad sandwiches with pickles and store bought potato salad or a dinner salad, maybe with chips. If I'm thinking ahead of time enough, I'll put something in the slow cooker in the a.m.

I only cook 2 or 3 times a week, but I cook big. The other nights are reheat and eat. Open the fridge, take out the tupperwares and but them buffet style on the counter, each person takes out what has been cooked that we each want to eat, reheat in the microwave and ta-da dinner is served. My husband works late often, and with the kids after school activities, usually once a week is Dinner Out With Mom (lot's of restaurants have kids eat free so it's not too much money). The other nights are things from the freezer, often Trader Joes Potstickers in the steamer, tortellini in to a pot of water, or pre-made thick veggie soups all with fresh veggies from a prepared tupperware or pre washed bag and dip. Or an old stand by a fresh roasted Costco chicken and reheated side dishes.