We live in busy times, and few seasons are as busy as the one we’re in now. The shopping centers are teeming with people, there are friends to visit, parties to attend, and the doorbell rings a bit more often, announcing guests both expected and unexpected.
With everything going on and filling up the day’s hours, sometimes dinnertime sneaks up on you so quickly, it’s easy to get caught without any plans for the meal that should be on the table in about half an hour or so. Takeout is always an option, but sometimes that can be more money that you’d like to spend, and not as healthy as something you make in your own kitchen.
We’ve all had to scramble to pull together a meal in a hurry, so I know you have some last-minute tricks up your sleeve that you pull together out of whatever you usually have in your fridge or pantry. So let’s help each other deal with these occasional crises! Tell us:
What’s your favorite dish for those last-minute meals?
My usual standby is a meat and vegetable stir fry with jasmine rice. Sometimes, if I have corn tortillas on hand, I’ll wing it with tostadas or tacos using whatever I have in the fridge. And when all else fails, I’ll make something with eggs, because I almost always have eggs in the fridge.
How about you? What quick and easy meals do you whip up when you glance at the time and find it’s half an hour to dinnertime? Come share below!
25 Comments
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kay43026 on 12.22.2014
I ALWAYS have several kinds of soup in the freezer in quart or 1/2 quart containers. My standbys are chili, beef veggie and chicken.
I like the chicken best because it can be made in to several different kinds of meals. I only put (oven roasted) chicken legs, sauteed garlic, onion & carrots…and chicken stock in my soup. That’s it. Totally delicious! Then…when I thaw…I can heat it up as is or add noodles…or rice…or more veggies…or dumplings.
There’s always pasta in my pantry that can be whipped up into a quick meal. A sauce from scratch…whether tomato or garlic based…can easily be whipped up in the time it takes the pasta to cook.
I’ve also always got pepperoni & mozzarella in my fridge to top my simple/quick homemade pizza dough. I add onions and hubs adds green olives to his half.
Then there’s the breakfast food! Yummm. Too bad DH only like breakfast food for BREAKFAST!! But…when the kiddos were young and he was away most of the week for work, we did Wednesdays as our ‘breakfast dinner’. Sometimes it was as simple as bagels/cream cheese.
Then there’s always the grilled cheese and tomato soup…
AmyK on 12.19.2014
Garlic noodles – super fast and easy and delicious, made with items I almost always have on hand (garlic, noodles, soy sauce, brown suger, oyster sauce, green onions). And if I don’t have any of those items on hand, they are usually easy enough to substitute. Or Gnocchi with a quick pan sauce of chicken stock, goat cheese, and parm. Again – any soft cheese would work here, and the sky is the limit with add-ons and flavor additions.
I usually have a boneless ham steak in my fridge, and fresh veggies around to pair with it. Avocado works particularly well. Or, one of my favorite combinations, is a quick sauteed tilapia (seasoned however but I like mine blackened), served with a side of sliced bell peppers, with a dollop of store-bought hummus. The hummus is also really tasty on the fish! If I have it, I top the fish with store-bought pesto. Also super delicious (and totally can be paired with pasta for another quick dinner).
Otherwise – I love to make a quick run to the store and grab a rotisserie chicken and a bag of salad, or a pre-made pizza dough with a jar of sauce and some cheese. Both really fast and really easy and way cheaper (and potentially healther) than takeout!
Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Jenny on 12.19.2014
Best go to quick meal: BROCCOLINI: Cook pasta in one pan and frozen broccoli in the other. Mix the two together when cooked and drained and add a couple tablespoons of butter and grated parm. cheese. Healthy and yummy!
mdvshutterbug on 12.19.2014
Linguine with clam sauce, sandwich, pasta tuna salad, loaded bake potato, chicken pasta with garlic a olio. All of my meals are last minute because I work 14 hour days.
Laura P. on 12.18.2014
I usually have a can of pumpkin in the pantry. In a last-minute meal situation, I’ll often dump that in a pot, add some chicken or vegetable broth and spices, and make pumpkin soup. I’ll usually eat that with bread and cheese.
Mary Adair on 12.18.2014
I try to have go to casseroles, soups, and stocks in the freezer. I just cleaned out my big freezer and found that I have quite a few of the Barefoot Contessa’s shrimp scampi and pasta dinners. I also have about 15 pounds of Royal Red Shrimp that I recently brought back from Alabama. I can add some of those to anything in a hurry. I make shrimp scampi well, but really like the Barefoot Contessa’s one even better.
Mary on 12.18.2014
I do an omelet with lots of veggies or some other egg dish like scrambled eggs or a fried egg sandwich. Breakfast for dinner can be fun and it is super fast.
KrissyC EsMommy on 12.18.2014
I love frozen go to meals. When I make up things like Turkey dinner, or soups I always portion out some and stick it in the freezer for my own version of tv dinners. Funny part is that I have all these old plates from when my daughter was a toddler that has sectioned off areas and I love those most for the dinners. lol weird, but it works! Sadly my daughter is 12 and I still haven’t had the heart to toss the plates.
I also like good old fashioned soup and sandwich nights. But my all time favorite is the left over hodge podge. Anything that hasn’t gone bad in the fridge gets heated up, and we all get a little of everything on our plates. Sometimes it ends up with sloppy joes, taco salads and something like mashed potato or squash in one meal, but its always tasty!
Like the idea of eggs tho. Growing up that wasn’t a staple in our house as my brother is severely allergic, so to me its not really a “meal” but a yummy treat.
Patricia @ ButterYum on 12.18.2014
I like to keep my freezer stocked with premade meatballs or seasoned ground beef so I can always throw together a quick pasta dish. Frozen chicken stock, frozen tortellini, and frozen mixed veggies combine to make an awesome soup. On a couple of occasions I’ve only had ground turkey in the freezer so I saute it with a little olive oil and a clove or two of garlic and a sprinkle of salt and pepper – the family goes nuts for it. I usually keep salad greens in the fridge so I can crack open a can of chicken or tuna to bulk it up. Eggs are a really great dinner option and they can be made so many different ways. Oh, and a family favorite when my kids were little: top a tortilla with pizza fixings and broil until the cheese melts.
Karen D. on 12.18.2014
Hot ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Kaiser rolls, buttered, deli ham, cheese, mustard. Wrap in foil, place in oven until hot.
BBQ chicken quinoa – I keep cubed chicken breasts in the freezer – use the microwave to semi-defrost – throw into slow cooker with 1 cup bbq sauce, 2 cloves of garlic minced, 2 T. chili powder. Leave for 1 hour on high. Meanwhile cook quinoa in chicken broth. (Not totally last minute, but hands off and fast) After an hour, add a can of black beans and a cup of frozen corn. Chopped bell peppers if I have them. Leave in slow cooker as you are shredding cheese. Will warm quickly. Serve quinoa, chicken with sauce over the quinoa, top with shredded cheese. Additional toppings – chopped scallions, cilantro, hot sauce.
Spaghetti and meat sauce – jarred sauce, browned meat, pasta, frozen broccoli on the side.
Frozen pizza – don’t judge me.
Quick French dips – deli roast beef, rolls. Butter rolls and toast under broiler. Can of French onion soup, heat on stove. Dip roast beef in hot onion soup, pile on toasted rolls, top with provolone and place under broiler until cheese melts. Serve with small bowls of French onion for dipping.
Turkey burgers – mix two pounds of ground turkey with cumin, lemon zest, salt pepper, oregano, finely diced green pepper. Form 8 burgers. Cook in a cast iron skillet with a little olive oil. Top with cheddar cheese when hot and top with salsa. Serve with frozen broccoli, steamed. Sides are usually sweet potatoes, cooked in the microwave – served with butter and cinnamon.
Erika (TK) on 12.18.2014
Thanks for all the great ideas! Keep ‘em coming. For those asking about the recipe associated with the photo, just click on the photo to be taken to Ree’s Beef with Snow Peas recipe here in Tasty Kitchen.
sharon on 12.18.2014
I can whip up meat sauce with pasta or maybe tacos.
Nan on 12.18.2014
I try to keep clam shell organic lettuces on hand: spinach, baby romaine, spring mix, croutons, shredded or grated parmesan and some reduced cal Caesar or thousand island dressing from the refrigerated section of produce – and I make a salad with chicken breasts or steak, ( freshly pan fried, or already cooked and thawed, from the freezer) salmon (broiled or baked or shrimp, or any of these already prepared. I can add fresh produce if I have it but don’t have to. And I throw together a quick muffin recipe to go with it. iced green tea.
Or, I make a quiche with grated cheddar, tomatoes, onions (I usually have all of those) in a frozen pie crust. More muffins. Maybe fruit salad this time. White wine &/or steaming dark decaf if it’s the last meal of the day.
And depending on how close the friend is, since I’m single, maybe a smoothie – again – with muffins.
AnnaG on 12.18.2014
A simple omelet and a salad — add a nice wine and we’re all set!
Sara Schmidt on 12.18.2014
I buy the big packages of ground beef and cook it all up on days that I know I will have a bit of time. That day I take out just enough for some spaghetti with meat sauce for us, and freeze the rest of the beef. I mark the bag with the date and that there is no salt added. For the spaghetti sauce, I use (don’t judge) a jarred sauce that I add some other ingredients to. Now the browned beef in the freezer is available for just about anything from tacos to soup to anything else you can come up with like cream of mushroom soup and the beef over rice or flat noodles. You don’t need to defrost it, just toss it into your sauce, add seasonings and get it hot. You can even stir it into boxed potato au gratin while that cooks for a quick meal. Microwave some canned green beans to go with it, and dinner is served.
Ellen on 12.17.2014
Where is the recipe for the dish?
Denise on 12.17.2014
Quesadillas, grilled cheese, fried egg sandwich, tuna melts, burritos (we always have tortillas!), canned soup, omelets. Or cheese, meat, and crackers. My biggest challenge is getting fruits and veggies, so I like to make smoothies to go with these quick meals – frozen berries, a banana, some yogurt or fruit juice, pears, spinach leaves.
Susan on 12.17.2014
These both look great how sid you make the beef sauce is it teryaki?
lena on 12.17.2014
I usually have frozen (fill in the blank) burritos or soup in the freezer that heat up in a couple of minutes. I like to add thinly sliced corned beef to my grilled cheese sandwiches with our soups. I also like mix spaghetti with a can of ready to eat clam chowder for a hot, creamy meal. I also do a stir fry with instant or dethawed rice. Sometimes it’s just pancakes, eggs and sausage. Or if all else fails, dry cereal.
cupcake360 on 12.17.2014
I’m with Kim – my three go to dishes are tuna casserole, (comfort food at it’s best) blue box mac & cheese with fried spam on the side or linguine and clam sauce. Simple fast and delicious.
C. L. ( Cheryl ) "Cheffie Cooks" Wiser on 12.17.2014
I always have pre-made freezer meals ready to go. From soups, lunch options to main dishes. Happy Holidays everyone! Cheryl
Kim on 12.17.2014
On the weekend, when I have a little more time, I really enjoy cooking. But during the week, when dinnertime is often as late as 8:30 or 9:00, I sometimes find myself scrambling for something fast. Sure there are quarts of good homemade soup in the freezer, but as often as not I’ve forgotten to defrost.
When that happens my go-to quickie meal is either grilled cheese and old fashioned canned tomato soup or lazy tuna noodle casserole, which is just a package of either good old blue box mac and cheese or a package of those quickie cheesy noodles, made as per package instructions, but with a can of tuna and some peas or broccoli mixed in. Not exactly high brow stuff, but at 9PM, after a 12-hour workday, it’s just fine.
AngAK on 12.17.2014
I always have favorite marinara sauce in the pantry for quick spaghetti dinner. I can usually find some ground meat or sausage or turkey pepperoni to add to it—refrigerator cleanout of mushrooms and onions and peppers too. quesedillas are always fast and easy. more fridge cleanout.
Jeff A on 12.17.2014
Pasta Arrabiata.
Sauce is just lots of minced garlic (5-10 cloves), olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes. Deglaze with little wine, add can (28oz+) of whole tomatoes (hand blender-ed). Throw some fresh or dried basil in while cooking. Boil water and make pasta while making sauce. Longest wait is for the water to boil!
marie on 12.17.2014
I like to do stir fry but find it difficult to keep the fresh vegetables on hand…this is a problem with so many dishes. There are just the two of us and stir fry for two is almost impossible (it ends up enough to feed an army) as it is with so many things.
Much of what I make I freeze but it takes more fore-thought than I usually have on hand to remember to use it.