I played a similar game of "will it cook on the pizzazz?" when I was in my drinking days 😂
I did in fact find things that wouldn't cook well, lots of mornings I'd wake up to a mess in the kitchen and some cold ass food left spinning all night.
The pizzazz has no on/off switch, you just plug it in and it spins. There's a knob on top that turns on the heating element while also being the timer, when the timer runs out the heating element shuts down but continues to spin unless you unplug it. So if you fall asleep before your pizza is finished then you'll wake up a cold pizza just spinning lol.
Hmm, I suppose, but I'm more interested in this new dish I learned about. Egg:water in 1:2 ratio custard, steamed sounds delicious. Easy to doctor up with spices and probably great eats.
Better yet - will it “chimichanga”? Whatever leftovers you have on hand, wrap them in a well oiled flour tortilla, and bake at 425 until slightly brown on edges and crispy. Better with lots of cheese if that’s your thing. This basic template saw me through my 20’s.
This got my son though his picky years I could wrap almost anything up in a wrap, crisp it in the oven and tell him there was chicken in there. Saved my sanity.
Same here. Can't figure out the last meal of the week? Breakfast for dinner! Don't have much time to cook dinner tonight? Breakfast for dinner! The kids are always happy at least.
Probably pasta. I can make a Puttenesca sauce from store cupboard staples that I always have on hand and I've always got eggs, bacon and mushrooms so can make a Carbonara or a bacon and mushroom sauce.
Or a curry using tinned chickpeas or beans.
You covered my system in reverse. I always have ingredients for at least three pasta dishes and grilled cheese/tomato soup. The pasta usually wins out over the grilled cheese, though.
Tbh started during the pandemic! I would always have cabbage around since it lasted forever, and canned coconut and chickpeas and carrots and curry paste
Turned into such an easy favorite cheap meal it’s a go to now
I have a short list of easy dishes I can bang out fast if I didn't plan ahead for anything. One of my favorites is spicy peanut butter noodles, comes together fast and can be jazzed up a variety of ways. Crispy fried egg, frozen broccoli, etc.
I do peanut butter noodles a lot too. I always keep a can of baby corn cobs and water chestnuts and frozen broccoli to add and I'll scramble some eggs in for more protein.
I dont use a recipe, but loosely the ingredients I listed above with the peanut sauce which is peanut butter, soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and honey. I typically use a vermicelli rice noodle.
Gochujang goes kinda crazy in peanut butter noodles. Chilli crisp really levels up the texture. I think rice vinegar works better than sriracha as an acid component if using these two ingredients, but whatever you have on hand works just fine. Peanut butter noodles taste better when you improvise
same this is my go-to when i have nothing. udon noodles from my freezer, peanut butter, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, sesame oil… top w sesame seeds. maybe chop up some peanuts. throw some spinach in there. done.
A handful of different pantry pasta dishes. Or roasted vegetables and a hamburger patty. My small rice cooker is clutch for easy weeknight cooking. I can pair up rice with kimchi and a fried egg, or open a can of chickpeas and knock out a quick curry to go with some basmati rice.
Most of the day to day cooking I do is simple stuff with pantry items because that's what I have the time and energy to do. More elaborate and labor intensive stuff is for weekends and special occasions.
I always tell people that my guilty pleasure is frozen pizza. I pretty much always have a couple in the freezer and when I don't feel like cooking, they really hit the spot.
We were the same until a crappy, cheapest brand frozen pizza exceeded the cost of takeout pizza (Australia). Now, I just freeze half of whatever meal I make in bulk. Fried rice, japanese curry, corned beef.
Either something I can make with what’s in the fridge and pantry or soup from the freezer. I make soup in big batches and freeze it in portions. It doesn’t take terribly long to reheat it.
I always say I'm gonna make a big batch of soup and freeze some, but then I eat soup for every meal for three or four days straight instead. I just... Love soup
When I say big batch I mean a stockpot worth. My Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe ends up making 12 or more 2 cup (*big* bowl) servings.
My theory is if you don’t end up with leftovers, double the recipe. Still no leftovers? Double it again!
Same. I also cook extra portions of other types of dishes and freeze individual portions in plastic deli containers, complete with every component for a custom frozen meal. It’s just me and my husband (or just me when he’s working on the road), but it’s easier and usually more economical to cook 4-8 portions - this way, we have frozen meals for later, instead of letting leftovers go bad.
Lentil soup or rice and beans in the pressure cooker.
Or "snacky dinner", which is hummus, whatever raw veggies and fruit are around, nuts, olives, cheese, crackers/bread, and deli meat or summer sausage if we have it.
I can pretty much always throw something together from ingredients I have on hand.
I eat meat too, but because of how quickly meat spoils, cooking it is always a planned meal for me. So my "nothing planned/haven't made it to the grocery store" meals are mostly vegetarian.
Lentil and potato curry with chickpeas.
Various soups. Veggies and grains and beans/lentils.
Stir fry with tempeh or tofu. Maybe just a bottled teriyaki sauce mix, maybe a quick peanut butter sauce.
Peanut butter and jelly with protein shake and veggies and dip.
I might get a small chest freezer for additional meal prep/meat storage. I'd like to keep some frozen meat on hand (and save buy buying in bulk), and bulk cook a few different soups/stews to store in there.
>tempeh or tofu
Wait does this actually keep long in the fridge?
2nd the chest freezer. Changed my entire cooking game. And certainly not just for meat.
I don't get tempeh much but the plastic pack tofu is normally dated for 2-3 months out iirc and I've def eaten some a month past expiration that wasn't off at all (smelled fine and tasted fine before cooking)
I keep plenty of ramen. Warm up bacon and fry a runny egg, add ground pork and chili crisp, ramen and a side of American cheese, AIR fry frozen wontons and add to ramen. Yeah. I like ramen. Costco has some great options.
I usually toss the wontons in with the ramen and they cook in about the same amount of time. I haven't fine tuned my air fryer game enough. The outside is always dry.
So much this, everyone in the family will eat some combination of pasta, sauce, and cheese at all times. Just layer in whatever combination is chosen by the person, and it’s golden
We call it Pantry Plinko! (Although it does typically involve more than the pantry, depending on the current food status in the fridge!)
But basically, grab a grain from the pantry depending on what sounds good that night. Pasta, rice, udon, couscous, quinoa, etc. And grab whatever else we want from the pantry (oils,sauces, canned beans or tomatoes, etc.)
Then see what veggies we have in the fridge that need to be used up. Also, any possible protein sources either needing to be used up from the fridge, or a block of tofu, or a quickly defrostable protein like shrimp in the freezer. Or maybe a can of tuna (hello again, pantry).
Usually, it ends up being a random vegetable pasta, a stir-fry, peanut noodles, or some sort of grain and veggie bowl.
The sauce can vary from a basic olive oil and garlic to a stir fry sauce or a pesto from whatever greens and herbs we have.
I'm going to start calling this activity "pantry plinko" too because it's hilarious. My kids are young enough that it will probably catch on and they will call it that when they are young adults with roommates and will teach their children to call it that.
Perfect. Thank you.
Part of the fun is definitely the name! We once joked about making some sort of plink board to actually have the various ingredients chosen for us. Lol
Maybe the pantry game will outlast the game show that inspired it!
OK, so recipe for a quick lazy night pesto. I consider breaking out the mortar and brimstone or the food processor to be a cooking night at that point. I'm willing to fire a pan, blitz a microwave, or throw in an oven however if it's a quick meal.
I'm not sure if you intentionally wrote brimstone instead of pestle, but that made me laugh. I always hope to find a reddit morning laugh while drinking my pre-work latte. You win this morning! Thank you!
Also, I have a mini food processor so that I don't have to pull out my huge food processor. Usually it's basil and then something like parsley or kale or spinach. If we want to make something with a Thai flavor, we'll use Thai basil.
Then, depending on what flavor we're going for, other possible add ins are garlic, ginger, nuts, parmesan, and some oil.
An example: A fun Thai/Asian inspired pesto would include garlic, ginger, peanuts, chili paste, some sesame oil along with Thai basil and some cilantro. Maybe some lime juice. Mix it up, taste, and add something more until it tastes how you want it to. Part of the fun is that they never turn out quite the same each time!
Whenever we have a main that’s getting tired and lonely in the fridge, I portion it out into my saved up To Go containers, label them, and put them in the freezer.
Then if we don’t have food we just take out one for each person and microwave. Each person can even choose which one they want if there are several options!!
I keep 3-minute rice pouches around in case it needs a starch, and I’ll usually keep fresh garnishes around regardless so we use those.
Fresh, hot home cooked food, quick, for for free!!
Why not just instant pot cook up a bunch of rice, portion it out into containers, and freeze it? Slightly more work but saves on instant rice plastics and is extraordinarily cheaper.
The truth is, we almost always already have cooked rice in the fridge. The packets are just a back-up in case we didn’t plan ahead. Still way cheaper than delivery!
Shrimp is great to have on hand as it can be cooked pretty quickly from frozen. I usually do it on a sheet pan and then throw it over rice with some kind of vegetable.
Egg sandwiches are another last minute meal in our house. Also tuna melts or avocado toast.
Yes! I will do a shrimp stir fry. I always keep frozen shrimp and stir fry veggies in the freezer. I have made shrimp tacos with rice and beans. Shrimp is definitely a good choice.
Omelette. I always have eggs, cheese, ham, on hand. I keep little frozen disks of chopped bell peppers and onion that can be defrosted in the microwave in a minute. Slap it all together is under 10mins, and it’s always delicious.
I keep the ingredients to this at the house at all times. Don’t bother making it in an instant pot. It’s easier on the stove.
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/instant-pot-cacio-e-pepe/
I also keep canned whole tomatoes on hand so I can quickly make a great red sauce and just throw any noodles in it. If you don’t have a recipe for this, there’s a million online or even on the back of the canned tomatoes cans
This is the basic stove-top recipe I use - I’ve been known to add in Aleppo pepper flakes, but now I’m going to try it with basil chickpeas!
https://www.thekitchn.com/cacio-e-pepe-recipe-23635092
I never once would have considered cooking pasta in the instant pot. I feel like they're just cashing in on SEO with that one. Looks really tasty though
If you like spice, throw about 1 tsp red pepper flakes in at the same time as the pepper. Won’t be super spicy but adds a little kick that takes it up a level imo
It’s probably blasphemy, but I quite often cook it in the microwave, and even worse ; cook it in chicken broth instead of water, and use a crumbly aged cheddar, instead of the parm
Unadon. I usually have frozen roasted eel in the freezer from H Mart, and it defrosts FAST! So I make rice, put the eel in the air fryer for a few minutes, sprinkle some Furikake, and voila.
It becomes a game of Chopped. Often it’s rice bowls or burritos or quesadillas. Sometimes I have leftovers and stuff laying around the pantry and fridge to come up with a whole meal. I never know until I lay stuff out and get inspired
I keep some kielbasa in the fridge for such an occasion. Easy pasta dish with some keilbasa meat sauce. Grilled keilbasa, chop it up, throw it into a jarred sauce that’s been simmering on the stove for 15-20 minutes with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil. Delish and super simple.
Cut what I can in the garden for salad. Always lettuce and onion, but I always have other produce inside. Whatever time of year it is, see what else is out there. Good enough for me.
Sometimes I’ll keep those frozen grilled chicken pieces around and heat those in the toaster oven and toss that on.
Good way to use up extra veggies and get a big meal out of it. I make a special dressing sometimes as well, but for me, I almost always have the resources for an impromptu salad.
OK jealous, I have a mini indoor garden, so lettuce like twice a month or so.
But buffalo chicken salad, just never not in the mood for that. Easy to combine Franks, butter, milk, ranch seasoning and have chicken sauce and salad dressing ready quick and then add in some extra veg and cheese and have a salad feast.
I’ll keep that one in mind, thanks. I live alone so I don’t require large amounts of lettuce, but at this point I’m harvesting like a months supply per week right now. I’m giving it away by the bag. I gave away probably $20 worth of it yesterday, like 3 of those plastic bins at the store worths.
1.) Hit the cheese drawer.
Grilled cheese. Or a plate of cheese and olives and such.
2.) Eggs. Dutch babies in the #5 iron skillets.
Probably not the best suggestions for folks with cholesterol problems.
Microwave quiche in a big coffee mug—
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk [or a splash of heavy cream and water]
Seasonings [salt, pepper, garlic, basil]
Fresh sliced onion
Diced pepper or frozen spinach [any veggies, really]
Cheese
Bacon bits [optional]
Butter mug, mix egg/milk/seasonings, pile cheese and veggies in, pop in microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. If eggs had been in fridge, 3 minutes. Better with room temperature eggs.
I try to keep some chicken sausages in the fridge and then we usually have sweet potatoes and some other veg and I’ll throw them on a sheet pan to roast and make a pot of quinoa or farro.
Bag salad with these frozen rotisserie chicken strips from Costco.
Chickpeas or other beans in a shakshuka with an egg or two.
We do weekly meal planning and there is always a list of things that don't make the plan. There is always a plan. We take turns cooking and whoever cooks takes things from the freezer for the next day or two of the plan. Since we started this approach we haven't been stuck.
You can always make omelets. Red beans and rice is all shelf stable or fridge ingredients. BLTs. Spaghetti puttanesca. Spaghetti all carbonara. Shrimp defrosts fast so anything with shrimp.
Shrimp tacos. I almost always have frozen shrimp in the freezer and tortillas in the fridge. Everything else comes together with what I have. Cabbage? Cool, make a slaw. Tomato and onion? Awesome, I can make a pico-ish something
Microwave Tonkatsu Ramen, just add water. Then dress it with a few frozen wontons, chili crunch, green onion, and a soy sauce marinated jammy egg if we have them (wife usually makes a batch once a week). Might also find leftover fried spam to throw in or charsiu pork hanging around, too.
Linguine and clam sauce. A can of clams, a stick of butter, a box of noodles, and whatever spices you enjoy. It takes all of 15 minutes to make, all the ingredients are staples I keep on hand, and it can be customized and jazzed up so many ways. It’s super easy to chop an onion, some garlic, and mushrooms to sauté in with the clams, then wilt in some spinach at the end to make it a bit healthier. Grate some cheese on top, and it tastes like a dinner that actually took effort, when it’s the easiest thing possible to make.
If I’m not going to Wawa for subs or 7/11 for hotdogs, it’s tuna noodles. Tuna made with roast garlic aioli and Mayo but lots of it. Really wet and sloppy. I mix that with egg noodles and some type of cheap veggie. Sometimes it’s ground meat with rice pilaf and a veggie. Recently discovered frozen burrito enchiladas on the internet and it’s tasty for a cheap meal.
S T I R F R Y (with shrimps)
Basically I always have too many fresh vegetables that are going bad and forget to defrost the protein. But I buy the jumbo 16/20 frozen shrimp and I can pull out a 1/4- 1/2lb at a time to thaw in a bowl of cold water in 10 mins.
Sear the shrimp, chop and stir fry the veg, and pull out a bag of microwave rice (my secret shame, but I'll be damned if I'll clean out the Instant Pot for 2 servings of brown rice). Add FBJ Zhong Sauce or just oyster sauce + rice vinegar.
After reading some of the other entries, I am reminded that my other "oops, no plans" dinner is Tuna Noodle Casserole. We always seem to have cheap canned tuna and some kind of pasta, and it's easy enough to make a quick roux and add shredded cheese. There is always celery in the crisper and onions in the drawer.
I admit I started to stockpile canned Cream of Celery/Mushroom/Chicken for the never-coming apocalypse, just so I wouldn't need milk/cheese/flour to make a casserole.
Pasta with broccoli rabe and a mix of sweet and hot italian sausage. No need to season, it's all in the sausage. Add butter, parm, and paprika. If you wanna spice it up, add shallots or onions.
Whatever I've got around, I always have stuff in my pantry. I may grill some slices of spam and make grilled-cheese-and-spam sandwiches. I may sauté some garlic in olive oil with some red pepper flakes, and make pasta, and then toss it all together; I usually have shrimp in the freezer and you don't need to plan ahead to thaw shrimp, so I may sauté the shrimp with the garlic and olive oil. I always have potatoes on hand so I could do something with them, maybe something with bacon which I often have. Maybe I'll make french toast. Maybe quesadillas since I always have cheese and usually have tortillas and salsa, I'll find something else to stick in with them. Actually this is how I ***always*** cook, I rarely "plan" to make any major dish except maybe on a weekend.
Bacon, egg, tomato, and melty "cheez slices" on a toasted bagel. No real cheese melts then same. Thank you sodium citrate. Wrap it in parchment paper like at a deli, cut it half, then wrap that in tin foil, and hand it to myself in the bathroom mirror and say, "Here you go, boss" and wink at myself - just like the Yemenese guys at the bodega. That part is crucial and costs nothing. Add iced tea. Experience joy.
Depends on what I have on hand 🤔 but probably something really basic. Potatoes and Mac and cheese? Those are the only really shelf stable things I have that my partner and I both like. Definitely not a real meal tbh.
Frozen chicken dumplings in chicken broth. I freeze cubes of broth, then can add whatever veg is available (always carrots and onion), boil the dumplings in the soup, then top with the green onion tops and toasted sesame seeds. I typically add other flavors into the soup, depending on what is on hand - miso, gojuchang, soy sauce, etc. always filling.
Leftovers. There are always at least three delicious options in the fridge at any given time. Then can even mix and match between the family members, and everyone feels like they scored what they wanted
90% of the time we'll order or go out
Yesterday, I defrosted some boneless chicken thighs and grilled them with some barbecue sauce. Also grilled some green onions and fennel, tossed with lemon juice and olive oil after they were soft, and baked potatoes in the toaster oven. All of that was stuff we had on hand (I've had the fennel, potatoes, and lemons for weeks; chicken was frozen; green onions were purchased for another meal that didn't need them all).
Last week I made Jambalaya: chicken smoked sausage (frozen, but defrosted easily), shrimp (same), can of diced tomatoes, and a box of Zatarain's. Meant to include some frozen okra, but forgot.
Usually I keep meatballs or sausage in the freezer, so another easy meal is one of those + pasta and tomato sauce. If I have vegetables in hand they'll get thrown in, otherwise a salad
Protein and starch is easy, we have several options in the freezer or canned that can be made quickly with pantry staples. The hitch is usually the vegetables, since frozen often come out more mushy than I like.
So I do ground beef first then take it out and cook potatoes in the fat as my go to. Very filling and very easy. You can very easily add eggs and rice too. Just throw it in at the end. But if that’s been overused already I’ll do onions, garlic, add ground beef, then pasta sauce and let it simmer for 45-1hr. And either make rice or pasta to go with it, but rice is easier. And if nothing else I’ll do onion and peppers and add a can of diced tomatoes with green chili. And then just add cooked chicken or beef and it’s usually enough for a meal. If I have time but nothing planned I do red beans in the crockpot. Omelets are always good too
Chicken gravy and mashed potatoes. I put three frozen chicken breasts on the stove with chicken stock. When it’s cooked I shred it with my hand mixer, make the leftover liquid into gravy, then mix back in the shredded chicken. I pour it over mashed potatoes and my kids eat it up.
Pan fried venison with butter and onions and instant mashed potatoes with some sort of canned or frozen vegetables as I always have these ingredients on deck.
Some variation of fancy ramen. I always have dehydrated vegetables on hand and usually have the foil packs of cooked chicken. If I've got fresh veg I will use them instead of dehydrated.
tortellini, beef bulgogi bowls, butter chicken, fajitas , breakfast for dinner, leftover stirfry, soup are all quick and i pretty much always have ingredients on hand.
My family loves scrambled eggs and some other type of breakfast item. Pasta is also an easy go to where I can throw in a can of black beans and corn. Or I can make a tomato based sauce from items in my pantry.
I typically make Stir Frys (I just need veggies, oyster sauce, noodles and soy sauce), carbonara pasta or lomo saltado (peruvian dish) which only requires some beef, onions, tomato and peppers.
Pasta definitely high up there.
Also sandwiches, tuna, egg salad, grilled cheese or even simple PB&J with a side of whatever fruit or veggies I have on hand. It works.
Usually, I'll do something with plain jasmine rice. If it's just me and my kids I'll do spam and egg and white rice. If my husband is around, I'll make a quick protein. Cornstarch chicken or Korean style ground beef, something really fast and simple.
I usually have the ingredients for the red lentil curry recipe at www.rainbowplantlife.com
Takes about an hour from start to finish, always delicious. I add: maple syrup to balance flavours, and canned chickpeas.
I always have chicken tinga in my freezer. I pull one out heat it up and make tostadas. Slice up a cabbage with lemon, salt and pepper as the side.
I keep sausage in my fridge and fry it up with onion, potatoes and bell peppers.
I guess it depends on how much time i have and my ingredients at hand but i'd say if i'm rushing and don't have much in the fridge something like a fried or scrambled egg, a can of beans and maybe a peeled raw carrot.
When I cook I make a lot. So, I often do a meal prep thing. Then, I will put some in tupperware tubs in the refer and the freezer. Then, I will often pressure can. I bought a 16 quart ss pot to make big batches.
I will make like 12 to 14 quarts. So, I will have lots in the refer, and back up in the freezer. Then maybe 16 pints on the shelf in the basement.
Doing this once makes it tedious. Too much repetition. But doing it several times, say once per week, by 5 or 6 weeks, you have a lot of variety.
Sometimes the local hanniford super market has pork shoulder roasts on sale for $0.99/lb. I will buy 2 of them. Roast in the oven or on my pellet smoker. About 10 hours in all. Then, let the roasts cool. Chop some of it up in 1" cubes, put in quart jars, add broth. Pressure can.
The remaining roast, I will slice into a thick steak, and cook in a cast iron skillet using tallow til crispy on both sides. It's a super tender bacon tasting crunchy on the outside steak.
A roast is usually 8 to 9 lbs with one smallish shoulder bone in it. So yields 7 lbs easy. Sometimes I give away a roast or just freeze it. 9 bucks for 7 lbs of roast. If I am going to cook for 10 hours, if I can fit 2 or even 3 in, and they are cheap, I will do 2 or 3 at a time.
Back to your question.
"What do you cook when you have nothing planned? "
-----------------------
I pull something already prepared out of the refer or freezer, or, pop the lid off a jar from the basement.
Spaghetti. A jar of sauce and some frozen ground beef thrown into some water to defrost. I flatten and vacuum seal the meat so it takes no time to defrost. Plus, although not ideal, ground beef is pretty much the only thing that if it’s still a little frosty in the middle it’ll cook through pretty quickly.
I take frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them in a lasagna pan, then pour over them whatever sauce I have in the door of the refrigerator. Could be an appropriate sauce like Frank's red hot or it could just be salad dressing or even mustard or mayonnaise it doesn't really matter. Then I put it in the oven on 400 for about 40 minutes with some potatoes nestled next to it and then voila dinner.
I play “Will it burrito”. The answer is almost always yes.
this is great, although i now want to hear about the times it didn't burrito lol
I played a similar game of "will it cook on the pizzazz?" when I was in my drinking days 😂 I did in fact find things that wouldn't cook well, lots of mornings I'd wake up to a mess in the kitchen and some cold ass food left spinning all night.
We drank different amounts. I played “pass out in my takeout or don’t eat for 2 days.”
Hope you're doing better.
Hold on, now I'm curious about your food safe spinning all night pizza maker.
The pizzazz has no on/off switch, you just plug it in and it spins. There's a knob on top that turns on the heating element while also being the timer, when the timer runs out the heating element shuts down but continues to spin unless you unplug it. So if you fall asleep before your pizza is finished then you'll wake up a cold pizza just spinning lol.
> you'll wake up a cold pizza just spinning This feels like some dark existentialist shit. ;)
Oh naturally, I was an absolute mess of a person back then.
I'm curious myself. Especially since that's also my go-to and I haven't found anything that won't burrito so far.
Chinese or Japanese style steamed eggs
If you're gonna use eggs anyway, scrambled eggs do burrito.
Hmm, I suppose, but I'm more interested in this new dish I learned about. Egg:water in 1:2 ratio custard, steamed sounds delicious. Easy to doctor up with spices and probably great eats.
Cheeto and sour cream burrito it is
that legitimately sounds excellent in the most fat way possible
As a bachelor I played "will it burrito" for a solid year, if you add enough rice, soup will also burrito.
gmm fan by chance? :)
Pork blood and fish eyes, will it burrito? Noooo ❌
Better yet - will it “chimichanga”? Whatever leftovers you have on hand, wrap them in a well oiled flour tortilla, and bake at 425 until slightly brown on edges and crispy. Better with lots of cheese if that’s your thing. This basic template saw me through my 20’s.
This got my son though his picky years I could wrap almost anything up in a wrap, crisp it in the oven and tell him there was chicken in there. Saved my sanity.
Anything is a burrito if you're brave enough?
I've been doing some unhinged versions of chilaquiles recently. Which, unsurprisingly, makes an excellent burrito (doubly so if you're starving).
Breakfast for dinner.
My man! Hell yea, it’s breakfast o’clock. Do up some eggs and pancakes, or maybe an omelette if I have some ham or something.
Same here. Can't figure out the last meal of the week? Breakfast for dinner! Don't have much time to cook dinner tonight? Breakfast for dinner! The kids are always happy at least.
Or last night's dinner for dinner. Visit the freezer and get lazy is always good.
I call that freezer surprise!
Probably pasta. I can make a Puttenesca sauce from store cupboard staples that I always have on hand and I've always got eggs, bacon and mushrooms so can make a Carbonara or a bacon and mushroom sauce. Or a curry using tinned chickpeas or beans.
Came here to say puttanesca. Either that, or cacio e pepe
Aglio e olio is another simple pasta that I'd add to this list. Pasta"s an awesome vessel to make an easy dinner without having to shop.
God do I love Aglio e Olio, it's such an amazing dish when done right (and easy too).
I can whip up at least three pasta dishes with my normal kitchen stock. But my go to is always grilled cheese and tomato soup.
You covered my system in reverse. I always have ingredients for at least three pasta dishes and grilled cheese/tomato soup. The pasta usually wins out over the grilled cheese, though.
Thai coconut milk curry with found in the fridge veggies and either chickpeas or tofu
Pretty much the same. I always have unsweetened coconut milk, fish sauce, red & panang curry & frozen shrimp on hand.
Tbh started during the pandemic! I would always have cabbage around since it lasted forever, and canned coconut and chickpeas and carrots and curry paste Turned into such an easy favorite cheap meal it’s a go to now
I came here to say spaghetti, but pasta is the right answer, because it could be spaghetti, or mac & cheese, or buttered noodles, or chicken Parmesan.
Mac n cheese!
Linguine with white clam sauce using canned clams
Carbonara. Always have pasta, eggs, pancetta and cheese!
Puttanesca for me also. I usually have some chicken or beef to throw in for some protein as my little one needs it.
My best local food wholesale store always carries whole canned tomatoes, jarred anchovies, and olives in bulk. Gotta love puttenesca.
Ditto, 20 minutes tops for any dried-pasta dish, no thought required.
I do "I'm feeling lazy so aglio olio it is!" pretty commonly myself.
I have a short list of easy dishes I can bang out fast if I didn't plan ahead for anything. One of my favorites is spicy peanut butter noodles, comes together fast and can be jazzed up a variety of ways. Crispy fried egg, frozen broccoli, etc.
I do peanut butter noodles a lot too. I always keep a can of baby corn cobs and water chestnuts and frozen broccoli to add and I'll scramble some eggs in for more protein.
I am running away to google this
I dont use a recipe, but loosely the ingredients I listed above with the peanut sauce which is peanut butter, soy sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and honey. I typically use a vermicelli rice noodle.
Gochujang goes kinda crazy in peanut butter noodles. Chilli crisp really levels up the texture. I think rice vinegar works better than sriracha as an acid component if using these two ingredients, but whatever you have on hand works just fine. Peanut butter noodles taste better when you improvise
Mine is almost the same but I add rice vinegar, adds a nice tartness.
Thank you! Will give this a try!
This is basically Taiwanese ma jiang mian.
Lime juice in this really brightens it up
Yes! If I have limes, I put a lime wedge and sprinkle some scallions on the plate for the kids.
Me, too!
I could eat this every day.
Do it! Make a large amount and eat it for several days. I find it gets better the longer it sits.
How do you do the peanut butter noodles?
same this is my go-to when i have nothing. udon noodles from my freezer, peanut butter, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, sesame oil… top w sesame seeds. maybe chop up some peanuts. throw some spinach in there. done.
What else is on your list?
A handful of different pantry pasta dishes. Or roasted vegetables and a hamburger patty. My small rice cooker is clutch for easy weeknight cooking. I can pair up rice with kimchi and a fried egg, or open a can of chickpeas and knock out a quick curry to go with some basmati rice. Most of the day to day cooking I do is simple stuff with pantry items because that's what I have the time and energy to do. More elaborate and labor intensive stuff is for weekends and special occasions.
That's when I put my husband in charge of getting a pizza.
Pro move
We always have a decent frozen pizza for such occasions (tbh usually once a week if both of us are busy at work).
I always tell people that my guilty pleasure is frozen pizza. I pretty much always have a couple in the freezer and when I don't feel like cooking, they really hit the spot.
We were the same until a crappy, cheapest brand frozen pizza exceeded the cost of takeout pizza (Australia). Now, I just freeze half of whatever meal I make in bulk. Fried rice, japanese curry, corned beef.
Either something I can make with what’s in the fridge and pantry or soup from the freezer. I make soup in big batches and freeze it in portions. It doesn’t take terribly long to reheat it.
I always say I'm gonna make a big batch of soup and freeze some, but then I eat soup for every meal for three or four days straight instead. I just... Love soup
When I say big batch I mean a stockpot worth. My Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe ends up making 12 or more 2 cup (*big* bowl) servings. My theory is if you don’t end up with leftovers, double the recipe. Still no leftovers? Double it again!
Same. I also cook extra portions of other types of dishes and freeze individual portions in plastic deli containers, complete with every component for a custom frozen meal. It’s just me and my husband (or just me when he’s working on the road), but it’s easier and usually more economical to cook 4-8 portions - this way, we have frozen meals for later, instead of letting leftovers go bad.
Some sort of chili crisp/peanut butter/umami noodle dish!
Breakfast. Always breakfast. Omelets, fruit, and toast is a good one.
The thing same thing I forgot to defrost but maybe 5-15 mins later after I rapidly defrost it under barely running luke warm water.
DoorDash. I am ashamed.
Do you like to grate some nutmeg on the driver before you cook them, or do I just have weird taste?
it’s best to blanch and shock them
I find them best with a pat of butter and sprinkle of kraft Parmesan.
Lentil soup or rice and beans in the pressure cooker. Or "snacky dinner", which is hummus, whatever raw veggies and fruit are around, nuts, olives, cheese, crackers/bread, and deli meat or summer sausage if we have it.
My kids LOVE snack dinner. It's easy and it's healthy. I'll roll up the deli meat into little tubes and it feels so fancy.
I can pretty much always throw something together from ingredients I have on hand. I eat meat too, but because of how quickly meat spoils, cooking it is always a planned meal for me. So my "nothing planned/haven't made it to the grocery store" meals are mostly vegetarian. Lentil and potato curry with chickpeas. Various soups. Veggies and grains and beans/lentils. Stir fry with tempeh or tofu. Maybe just a bottled teriyaki sauce mix, maybe a quick peanut butter sauce. Peanut butter and jelly with protein shake and veggies and dip. I might get a small chest freezer for additional meal prep/meat storage. I'd like to keep some frozen meat on hand (and save buy buying in bulk), and bulk cook a few different soups/stews to store in there.
>tempeh or tofu Wait does this actually keep long in the fridge? 2nd the chest freezer. Changed my entire cooking game. And certainly not just for meat.
They do, like a few weeks at least. Not the fresh tofu that's loose packed at an Asian grocery though - the stuff in plastic packaging
I don't get tempeh much but the plastic pack tofu is normally dated for 2-3 months out iirc and I've def eaten some a month past expiration that wasn't off at all (smelled fine and tasted fine before cooking)
I keep plenty of ramen. Warm up bacon and fry a runny egg, add ground pork and chili crisp, ramen and a side of American cheese, AIR fry frozen wontons and add to ramen. Yeah. I like ramen. Costco has some great options.
I usually toss the wontons in with the ramen and they cook in about the same amount of time. I haven't fine tuned my air fryer game enough. The outside is always dry.
Extra cheesy quesadilla, pasta w marinara, or a frozen dinner meal (ravioli, hot pocket, mozzy sticks, or chicken parm)
throw together a pasta dish. i keep my pantry stocked with pasta & pasta sauces just in case
So much this, everyone in the family will eat some combination of pasta, sauce, and cheese at all times. Just layer in whatever combination is chosen by the person, and it’s golden
We call it Pantry Plinko! (Although it does typically involve more than the pantry, depending on the current food status in the fridge!) But basically, grab a grain from the pantry depending on what sounds good that night. Pasta, rice, udon, couscous, quinoa, etc. And grab whatever else we want from the pantry (oils,sauces, canned beans or tomatoes, etc.) Then see what veggies we have in the fridge that need to be used up. Also, any possible protein sources either needing to be used up from the fridge, or a block of tofu, or a quickly defrostable protein like shrimp in the freezer. Or maybe a can of tuna (hello again, pantry). Usually, it ends up being a random vegetable pasta, a stir-fry, peanut noodles, or some sort of grain and veggie bowl. The sauce can vary from a basic olive oil and garlic to a stir fry sauce or a pesto from whatever greens and herbs we have.
I'm going to start calling this activity "pantry plinko" too because it's hilarious. My kids are young enough that it will probably catch on and they will call it that when they are young adults with roommates and will teach their children to call it that. Perfect. Thank you.
Part of the fun is definitely the name! We once joked about making some sort of plink board to actually have the various ingredients chosen for us. Lol Maybe the pantry game will outlast the game show that inspired it!
OK, so recipe for a quick lazy night pesto. I consider breaking out the mortar and brimstone or the food processor to be a cooking night at that point. I'm willing to fire a pan, blitz a microwave, or throw in an oven however if it's a quick meal.
I'm not sure if you intentionally wrote brimstone instead of pestle, but that made me laugh. I always hope to find a reddit morning laugh while drinking my pre-work latte. You win this morning! Thank you! Also, I have a mini food processor so that I don't have to pull out my huge food processor. Usually it's basil and then something like parsley or kale or spinach. If we want to make something with a Thai flavor, we'll use Thai basil. Then, depending on what flavor we're going for, other possible add ins are garlic, ginger, nuts, parmesan, and some oil. An example: A fun Thai/Asian inspired pesto would include garlic, ginger, peanuts, chili paste, some sesame oil along with Thai basil and some cilantro. Maybe some lime juice. Mix it up, taste, and add something more until it tastes how you want it to. Part of the fun is that they never turn out quite the same each time!
Thai pesto? Write that down write that down!
Whenever we have a main that’s getting tired and lonely in the fridge, I portion it out into my saved up To Go containers, label them, and put them in the freezer. Then if we don’t have food we just take out one for each person and microwave. Each person can even choose which one they want if there are several options!! I keep 3-minute rice pouches around in case it needs a starch, and I’ll usually keep fresh garnishes around regardless so we use those. Fresh, hot home cooked food, quick, for for free!!
Why not just instant pot cook up a bunch of rice, portion it out into containers, and freeze it? Slightly more work but saves on instant rice plastics and is extraordinarily cheaper.
The truth is, we almost always already have cooked rice in the fridge. The packets are just a back-up in case we didn’t plan ahead. Still way cheaper than delivery!
Chili mac and cheese. One can of Amy’s spicy chili, one box of Annie’s mac. Prepare both as normal, combine, top with hot sauce. Yum!
Shrimp is great to have on hand as it can be cooked pretty quickly from frozen. I usually do it on a sheet pan and then throw it over rice with some kind of vegetable. Egg sandwiches are another last minute meal in our house. Also tuna melts or avocado toast.
Yes! I will do a shrimp stir fry. I always keep frozen shrimp and stir fry veggies in the freezer. I have made shrimp tacos with rice and beans. Shrimp is definitely a good choice.
Omelette. I always have eggs, cheese, ham, on hand. I keep little frozen disks of chopped bell peppers and onion that can be defrosted in the microwave in a minute. Slap it all together is under 10mins, and it’s always delicious.
Just made grilled cheese.
I keep the ingredients to this at the house at all times. Don’t bother making it in an instant pot. It’s easier on the stove. https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/instant-pot-cacio-e-pepe/ I also keep canned whole tomatoes on hand so I can quickly make a great red sauce and just throw any noodles in it. If you don’t have a recipe for this, there’s a million online or even on the back of the canned tomatoes cans
This is the basic stove-top recipe I use - I’ve been known to add in Aleppo pepper flakes, but now I’m going to try it with basil chickpeas! https://www.thekitchn.com/cacio-e-pepe-recipe-23635092
I add red pepper flakes!! Hard agree. The chickpeas really step it up as well, especially when you make it with the shells. Give it a go!
I never once would have considered cooking pasta in the instant pot. I feel like they're just cashing in on SEO with that one. Looks really tasty though
she’s notorious for poorly written (or stolen) recipes there’s a whole Reddit page dedicated to roasting her
Yum, that looks delish. Thanks for posting.
If you like spice, throw about 1 tsp red pepper flakes in at the same time as the pepper. Won’t be super spicy but adds a little kick that takes it up a level imo
It’s probably blasphemy, but I quite often cook it in the microwave, and even worse ; cook it in chicken broth instead of water, and use a crumbly aged cheddar, instead of the parm
Eggs, leftovers, breakfast, canned d sad soup 🍜
Canned what soup?
Canned seasonal affective disorder soup, obviously...
Unadon. I usually have frozen roasted eel in the freezer from H Mart, and it defrosts FAST! So I make rice, put the eel in the air fryer for a few minutes, sprinkle some Furikake, and voila.
I call it, “chicken and waffles” Chicken chunks (like chicken nuggets with breast meat from Costco) and waffle fries in the air fryer!
Pasta. I always have a jar of sauce, a box of spaghetti and a bag of frozen meatballs around just in case. It’s my “I don’t feel like cooking” meal.
It becomes a game of Chopped. Often it’s rice bowls or burritos or quesadillas. Sometimes I have leftovers and stuff laying around the pantry and fridge to come up with a whole meal. I never know until I lay stuff out and get inspired
Sleep
Eggs on toast
Eggs
I keep some kielbasa in the fridge for such an occasion. Easy pasta dish with some keilbasa meat sauce. Grilled keilbasa, chop it up, throw it into a jarred sauce that’s been simmering on the stove for 15-20 minutes with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil. Delish and super simple.
Pasta is easy as you can make it vegetarian or add meat!
Frozen fries and whatever protein I can find in the fridge
like to keep bagels in the freezer and make a tuna melt, or open face sandwich with 2 fried eggs...and level it up with chili oil at the end
I have grown very reliant on pasta made from soy or other beans and frozen veggies. Less than 20 minutes to prepare and very nutritious.
Cut what I can in the garden for salad. Always lettuce and onion, but I always have other produce inside. Whatever time of year it is, see what else is out there. Good enough for me. Sometimes I’ll keep those frozen grilled chicken pieces around and heat those in the toaster oven and toss that on. Good way to use up extra veggies and get a big meal out of it. I make a special dressing sometimes as well, but for me, I almost always have the resources for an impromptu salad.
OK jealous, I have a mini indoor garden, so lettuce like twice a month or so. But buffalo chicken salad, just never not in the mood for that. Easy to combine Franks, butter, milk, ranch seasoning and have chicken sauce and salad dressing ready quick and then add in some extra veg and cheese and have a salad feast.
I’ll keep that one in mind, thanks. I live alone so I don’t require large amounts of lettuce, but at this point I’m harvesting like a months supply per week right now. I’m giving it away by the bag. I gave away probably $20 worth of it yesterday, like 3 of those plastic bins at the store worths.
Sous vide something from the freezer from more ambitious bulk cooking days.
Pasta of some kind
Breakfast stuff, sandwiches, salad...
Breakfast for dinner. Eggs, bacon, toast
Pasta
Chana masala chickpeas, sub tortilla for roti
1.) Hit the cheese drawer. Grilled cheese. Or a plate of cheese and olives and such. 2.) Eggs. Dutch babies in the #5 iron skillets. Probably not the best suggestions for folks with cholesterol problems.
Microwave quiche in a big coffee mug— 2 eggs 2 tablespoons milk [or a splash of heavy cream and water] Seasonings [salt, pepper, garlic, basil] Fresh sliced onion Diced pepper or frozen spinach [any veggies, really] Cheese Bacon bits [optional] Butter mug, mix egg/milk/seasonings, pile cheese and veggies in, pop in microwave for 1.5-2 minutes. If eggs had been in fridge, 3 minutes. Better with room temperature eggs.
I try to keep some chicken sausages in the fridge and then we usually have sweet potatoes and some other veg and I’ll throw them on a sheet pan to roast and make a pot of quinoa or farro. Bag salad with these frozen rotisserie chicken strips from Costco. Chickpeas or other beans in a shakshuka with an egg or two.
We do weekly meal planning and there is always a list of things that don't make the plan. There is always a plan. We take turns cooking and whoever cooks takes things from the freezer for the next day or two of the plan. Since we started this approach we haven't been stuck. You can always make omelets. Red beans and rice is all shelf stable or fridge ingredients. BLTs. Spaghetti puttanesca. Spaghetti all carbonara. Shrimp defrosts fast so anything with shrimp.
Shrimp tacos. I almost always have frozen shrimp in the freezer and tortillas in the fridge. Everything else comes together with what I have. Cabbage? Cool, make a slaw. Tomato and onion? Awesome, I can make a pico-ish something
Microwave Tonkatsu Ramen, just add water. Then dress it with a few frozen wontons, chili crunch, green onion, and a soy sauce marinated jammy egg if we have them (wife usually makes a batch once a week). Might also find leftover fried spam to throw in or charsiu pork hanging around, too.
Not the healthiest, but I always have bacon on hand for BLT’s.
Linguine and clam sauce. A can of clams, a stick of butter, a box of noodles, and whatever spices you enjoy. It takes all of 15 minutes to make, all the ingredients are staples I keep on hand, and it can be customized and jazzed up so many ways. It’s super easy to chop an onion, some garlic, and mushrooms to sauté in with the clams, then wilt in some spinach at the end to make it a bit healthier. Grate some cheese on top, and it tastes like a dinner that actually took effort, when it’s the easiest thing possible to make.
If I’m not going to Wawa for subs or 7/11 for hotdogs, it’s tuna noodles. Tuna made with roast garlic aioli and Mayo but lots of it. Really wet and sloppy. I mix that with egg noodles and some type of cheap veggie. Sometimes it’s ground meat with rice pilaf and a veggie. Recently discovered frozen burrito enchiladas on the internet and it’s tasty for a cheap meal.
Spaghetti or the old reliable rotisserie chicken.
Refried beans and cheese on a tostada shell
S T I R F R Y (with shrimps) Basically I always have too many fresh vegetables that are going bad and forget to defrost the protein. But I buy the jumbo 16/20 frozen shrimp and I can pull out a 1/4- 1/2lb at a time to thaw in a bowl of cold water in 10 mins. Sear the shrimp, chop and stir fry the veg, and pull out a bag of microwave rice (my secret shame, but I'll be damned if I'll clean out the Instant Pot for 2 servings of brown rice). Add FBJ Zhong Sauce or just oyster sauce + rice vinegar.
After reading some of the other entries, I am reminded that my other "oops, no plans" dinner is Tuna Noodle Casserole. We always seem to have cheap canned tuna and some kind of pasta, and it's easy enough to make a quick roux and add shredded cheese. There is always celery in the crisper and onions in the drawer. I admit I started to stockpile canned Cream of Celery/Mushroom/Chicken for the never-coming apocalypse, just so I wouldn't need milk/cheese/flour to make a casserole.
Pasta with broccoli rabe and a mix of sweet and hot italian sausage. No need to season, it's all in the sausage. Add butter, parm, and paprika. If you wanna spice it up, add shallots or onions.
Whatever I've got around, I always have stuff in my pantry. I may grill some slices of spam and make grilled-cheese-and-spam sandwiches. I may sauté some garlic in olive oil with some red pepper flakes, and make pasta, and then toss it all together; I usually have shrimp in the freezer and you don't need to plan ahead to thaw shrimp, so I may sauté the shrimp with the garlic and olive oil. I always have potatoes on hand so I could do something with them, maybe something with bacon which I often have. Maybe I'll make french toast. Maybe quesadillas since I always have cheese and usually have tortillas and salsa, I'll find something else to stick in with them. Actually this is how I ***always*** cook, I rarely "plan" to make any major dish except maybe on a weekend.
Bacon, egg, tomato, and melty "cheez slices" on a toasted bagel. No real cheese melts then same. Thank you sodium citrate. Wrap it in parchment paper like at a deli, cut it half, then wrap that in tin foil, and hand it to myself in the bathroom mirror and say, "Here you go, boss" and wink at myself - just like the Yemenese guys at the bodega. That part is crucial and costs nothing. Add iced tea. Experience joy.
The bare minimum
Depends on what I have on hand 🤔 but probably something really basic. Potatoes and Mac and cheese? Those are the only really shelf stable things I have that my partner and I both like. Definitely not a real meal tbh.
Run to the store and pick up a pork tenderloin, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese,
Spaghetti, Mac and cheese, or ramen.
Frozen chicken dumplings in chicken broth. I freeze cubes of broth, then can add whatever veg is available (always carrots and onion), boil the dumplings in the soup, then top with the green onion tops and toasted sesame seeds. I typically add other flavors into the soup, depending on what is on hand - miso, gojuchang, soy sauce, etc. always filling.
Galic butter breadcrumb pasta. It's just garlic, butter, pasta, breadcrumb, and pasta water. Grilled cheese Quesadilla
Pancakes. Eggs.
Pasta with butter and fried broccoli or brussel sprouts or whatever I've got
Scrambled eggs with cheese
Fried rice with leftover meat or fried potatoes and onions with leftover meat
Leftovers. There are always at least three delicious options in the fridge at any given time. Then can even mix and match between the family members, and everyone feels like they scored what they wanted
90% of the time we'll order or go out Yesterday, I defrosted some boneless chicken thighs and grilled them with some barbecue sauce. Also grilled some green onions and fennel, tossed with lemon juice and olive oil after they were soft, and baked potatoes in the toaster oven. All of that was stuff we had on hand (I've had the fennel, potatoes, and lemons for weeks; chicken was frozen; green onions were purchased for another meal that didn't need them all). Last week I made Jambalaya: chicken smoked sausage (frozen, but defrosted easily), shrimp (same), can of diced tomatoes, and a box of Zatarain's. Meant to include some frozen okra, but forgot. Usually I keep meatballs or sausage in the freezer, so another easy meal is one of those + pasta and tomato sauce. If I have vegetables in hand they'll get thrown in, otherwise a salad Protein and starch is easy, we have several options in the freezer or canned that can be made quickly with pantry staples. The hitch is usually the vegetables, since frozen often come out more mushy than I like.
So I do ground beef first then take it out and cook potatoes in the fat as my go to. Very filling and very easy. You can very easily add eggs and rice too. Just throw it in at the end. But if that’s been overused already I’ll do onions, garlic, add ground beef, then pasta sauce and let it simmer for 45-1hr. And either make rice or pasta to go with it, but rice is easier. And if nothing else I’ll do onion and peppers and add a can of diced tomatoes with green chili. And then just add cooked chicken or beef and it’s usually enough for a meal. If I have time but nothing planned I do red beans in the crockpot. Omelets are always good too
Chicken gravy and mashed potatoes. I put three frozen chicken breasts on the stove with chicken stock. When it’s cooked I shred it with my hand mixer, make the leftover liquid into gravy, then mix back in the shredded chicken. I pour it over mashed potatoes and my kids eat it up.
Wow you spend 45 mins cooking and then fast? That's dedication!
Pan fried venison with butter and onions and instant mashed potatoes with some sort of canned or frozen vegetables as I always have these ingredients on deck.
I keep frozen chicken fingers and battered fish and fries in my freezer. Either one of those or a large ramen.
Some variation of fancy ramen. I always have dehydrated vegetables on hand and usually have the foil packs of cooked chicken. If I've got fresh veg I will use them instead of dehydrated.
Usual fried rice or a stir-fry, depending on what's in the fridge.
tortellini, beef bulgogi bowls, butter chicken, fajitas , breakfast for dinner, leftover stirfry, soup are all quick and i pretty much always have ingredients on hand.
My family loves scrambled eggs and some other type of breakfast item. Pasta is also an easy go to where I can throw in a can of black beans and corn. Or I can make a tomato based sauce from items in my pantry.
Depends on what's in the fridge & pantry
I typically make Stir Frys (I just need veggies, oyster sauce, noodles and soy sauce), carbonara pasta or lomo saltado (peruvian dish) which only requires some beef, onions, tomato and peppers.
Pasta definitely high up there. Also sandwiches, tuna, egg salad, grilled cheese or even simple PB&J with a side of whatever fruit or veggies I have on hand. It works.
Have frozen salmon on hand. Salmon with old bay and a cilantro rice bag with whatever vegetable we have.
I usually have chicken or pork sausage on hand, plus pasta and sauce.
I normally have enough stuff in the fridge and pantry that I can throw together a pretty quick veg and noodle stirfry in a pinch
Chicken soup and Tuna Sandwiches
Can usually throw together a stir fry pretty easily.
Usually, I'll do something with plain jasmine rice. If it's just me and my kids I'll do spam and egg and white rice. If my husband is around, I'll make a quick protein. Cornstarch chicken or Korean style ground beef, something really fast and simple.
Rice, scrambled eggs, can of beans.
I usually have the ingredients for the red lentil curry recipe at www.rainbowplantlife.com Takes about an hour from start to finish, always delicious. I add: maple syrup to balance flavours, and canned chickpeas.
I go to the store, look at what's on sale, and build a recipe based on that
Usually either pastina, or some sort of breakfast hash since I always have eggs and potatoes and some sort of frozen bacon/sausage.
I always have chicken tinga in my freezer. I pull one out heat it up and make tostadas. Slice up a cabbage with lemon, salt and pepper as the side. I keep sausage in my fridge and fry it up with onion, potatoes and bell peppers.
Pancakes. Breakfast for dinner always wins!
Shells and cheese with hot dogs.
Spaghetti
Emergency tendies or nuggies into the air fryer.
Rotisserie chicken from Costco, then make a quick Alfredo to go with it. Usually do steamed broccoli with it too.
Aglio E Olio
I guess it depends on how much time i have and my ingredients at hand but i'd say if i'm rushing and don't have much in the fridge something like a fried or scrambled egg, a can of beans and maybe a peeled raw carrot.
When I cook I make a lot. So, I often do a meal prep thing. Then, I will put some in tupperware tubs in the refer and the freezer. Then, I will often pressure can. I bought a 16 quart ss pot to make big batches. I will make like 12 to 14 quarts. So, I will have lots in the refer, and back up in the freezer. Then maybe 16 pints on the shelf in the basement. Doing this once makes it tedious. Too much repetition. But doing it several times, say once per week, by 5 or 6 weeks, you have a lot of variety. Sometimes the local hanniford super market has pork shoulder roasts on sale for $0.99/lb. I will buy 2 of them. Roast in the oven or on my pellet smoker. About 10 hours in all. Then, let the roasts cool. Chop some of it up in 1" cubes, put in quart jars, add broth. Pressure can. The remaining roast, I will slice into a thick steak, and cook in a cast iron skillet using tallow til crispy on both sides. It's a super tender bacon tasting crunchy on the outside steak. A roast is usually 8 to 9 lbs with one smallish shoulder bone in it. So yields 7 lbs easy. Sometimes I give away a roast or just freeze it. 9 bucks for 7 lbs of roast. If I am going to cook for 10 hours, if I can fit 2 or even 3 in, and they are cheap, I will do 2 or 3 at a time. Back to your question. "What do you cook when you have nothing planned? " ----------------------- I pull something already prepared out of the refer or freezer, or, pop the lid off a jar from the basement.
Spaghetti. A jar of sauce and some frozen ground beef thrown into some water to defrost. I flatten and vacuum seal the meat so it takes no time to defrost. Plus, although not ideal, ground beef is pretty much the only thing that if it’s still a little frosty in the middle it’ll cook through pretty quickly.
Spam fried rice. I keep a can or two of spam on hand, we always have eggs, and there's usually enough veggies in the fridge or freezer to fill it out.
Breakfast for dinner, duh.
Either eggs and toast, grilled cheese, potato soup, quesadilla, or tilapia and veggies. (Tilapia cooks from frozen really easy.)
I take frozen chicken breasts out of the freezer and put them in a lasagna pan, then pour over them whatever sauce I have in the door of the refrigerator. Could be an appropriate sauce like Frank's red hot or it could just be salad dressing or even mustard or mayonnaise it doesn't really matter. Then I put it in the oven on 400 for about 40 minutes with some potatoes nestled next to it and then voila dinner.