Gone are the days that you have to wonder what the heck you’re going to make for dinner! Especially at the last minute! Not only will you get a nice, long list of quick and easy meal ideas in this post, but you’ll also get started with your own quick and easy meals list that you can refer to any time you need it.
How often do you google “quick and easy meals” and actually find meals that you can make with what you already have on hand?
My guess is that a lot of the time you just aren’t prepared to make a quick and easy meal, especially when you need it right then and there for dinner.
That is why I highly recommend you come up with your own quick and easy meals list that you can refer to time and time again. Not only are you more likely to already have the ingredients on hand that the meal requires, but your family is going to enjoy that meal since they have already been vetted by you.
If you haven’t already made your own list, keep on reading to find out how to get started.
Meal Ideas for Your Own List
In the meantime, if you need ideas for your own list or really just need something on the table, like, 10 minutes ago, go ahead and browse through my list. I highly suggest you make it a priority to get your own list written in the next few days so you always have the most practical ideas for your family at your fingertips.
The criteria I have for my own list is as follows:
- Most of the meals need to be dairy-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free
- The meals need to take less than 30 minutes to make but, ideally, less than 20
- My family has to have tried the meal and enjoyed it in the past
- The ingredients need to be ones I normally keep on hand
My Meal Ideas with Basic Formulas
Ground Meat Veggie Skillet (a.k.a. Warm Salad)
Ground meat veggie skillet, a.k.a. warm salad, is so easy and versatile. I make this at least once a week. You can build the meal based off what you have on hand. Normally, I make this meal when I have no desire to really cook and we have potatoes, spinach, and ground meat on hand.
You can eat the vegetables roasted or you can mash them. Sometimes I add rice if I have some already cooked. You can also add caramelized onions, avocado, or sriracha for a change in taste.
Here are just some examples of the different ways you could put a meal like this together (with pictures below)
- Ground beef – spinach – roasted sweet potatoes, potatoes, and onions – sauerkraut – mayo
- Ground turkey – spinach – roasted sweet potatoes and cabbage – avocado – mayo – sriracha
- Ground beef – caramelized onions – spinach – mashed acorn squash with butter – sauerkraut – mayo
- Ground beef – caramelized onions – spinach – rice – roasted sweet potatoes and green beans – sauerkraut – mayo
The OG
The OG is just the original meal that people have eaten for, well, centuries. No need to reinvent the wheel when we’re making dinner! You could make this meal every single week, changing each category, and no one in your family would be none the wiser.
You usually have some meat or protein, a carb, and vegetables. Here are some examples of some quick and easy meals that work for this category:
- Tuna pasta
- Chicken with rice and roasted veggies or salad
- One pan sausage and veggies
- Skillet beans and rice with kielbasa
- Stir-fry*
- Ham fried rice*
- Meatballs with rice and salad*
- Buddha bowls or rice bowls*
- Coconut red lentil dahl
- Salmon patties with guacamole and raw veggies
Deli Plate (a.k.a. Charcuterie)
When you want something super quick and easy, I suggest a deli plate, a.k.a. charcuterie. Kids love this kind of meal, and they get to choose what they want on their plate. Definitely perfect for a relaxed evening!
Here are some recent deli plates I served to my family:
- Ham – hard-boiled eggs – raw carrots, broccoli, and bell peppers – kiwis – green olives – avocado – chips and salsa
- Meatballs – chicken – carrot and bell peppers – avocado – sauerkraut – mayo – ketchup – hummus – ranch dressing
Soup
Soup is not a truly quick and easy meal, unless you already have it cooked and ready to reheat. That’s why I love doubling soup and keeping some in the fridge and freezing the rest. You never know when you’ll need soup to save the day, or meal!
Some of our favorites soups are:
- Chicken noodle soup
- Bacon and bean soup
- Butternut squash soup
- Taco soup
- Alphabet soup with meatballs
- Lentil soup
- Cup ramen
Healthier Breakfast Foods
Breakfast foods can be eaten any time of the day. Wouldn’t you agree?
When I used to make breakfast for dinner, I would sometimes make pancakes or serve cereal and milk.
Now, with much of our diet changes, we try to keep things simple and healthy with eggs, maybe some bacon, avocado or another vegetable, fruit, and raw milk if we have it.
These meal ideas are a great starting point:
- Omelets with a smoothie
- Fried eggs, bacon, and fruit/veg
- Skillet potatoes, peppers, and onions with sausage, bacon, or eggs
- Scrambled eggs with chips and salsa and fruit
Tex-Mex
Tex-Mex is a very broad category but think burritos, tacos, tostadas, and fajitas. If you have some tortillas, meat, cheese, and avocados on hand, you almost certainly can make a delicious tex-mex dinner on a whim.
I love making these specific tex-mex meals when I need something quick and easy:
- Cleaner tacos
- Nachos
- Tortilla eggs
- Quesadillas
What’s For Lunch?
You don’t have to eat “lunch” foods at lunch time, you know? There’s nothing wrong with eating a small meal at dinner. In fact, it’s probably better for you anyway. You could serve a chicken salad, tuna salad, or loaded green salad with some crackers or rice, some veggies, and fruit, and it’s a perfectly satisfying meal.
Start here and I’m sure you’ll come up with even more of your own ideas:
- Chicken salad with crackers and raw veggies
- Mason jar salads
- Loaded salad
How to Make Your Own Quick and Easy Meals List
Now, if you need help with your list, let’s go through the following steps. If you follow them, you should have a solid list in about 15 minutes.
- Before writing your ideas, come up with your criteria. Do the meals need to follow certain dietary restrictions? How long should it take to get the meal on the table? Does your family have to approve of the meal? Do you always need the ingredients on hand? Do you want one list for each season?
- Now that you have your criteria, start coming up with your meal ideas. Look through recent meal plans or cookbooks, but the best ideas will be those you keep very simple.
- Go through your list one last time to get rid of any ideas that don’t fit your criteria.
- Keep your list handy. If it’s a hand-written list, keep it on your fridge or with your meal planning stuff. If it’s on your phone, make sure you know exactly where to find it.
- Keep adding to the list (or removing ideas) as you use it. It’s an ever-changing and evolving list based on your needs and what works for your situation.
I hope this exercise helps you start a quick and easy meal list that you can refer to for many years to come!
Be sure to share a few of your favorite quick and easy meal ideas in the comments!
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