When it comes to cooking meals at home, there’s so much that goes into it. It’s not quite as simple as saying, “I’ll cook something for dinner tonight.” First I have to come up with meal ideas; then I have to scour my fridge, cupboards, and pantry to see which ingredients I already have. After that, I have to make a shopping list and actually acquire the needed ingredients. That’s usually where things fall apart for me. I can come up with a varied menu for the next two weeks, but then I don’t get around to grocery shopping until a week has already gone by!
If this all sounds familiar, or you just don’t like cooking at all, then I have three super easy meal ideas for you, my fellow lazy mom!
I almost always have the ingredients on hand to throw together these easy meals when I realize it’s five o’clock and I haven’t planned dinner yet!
Baked Potatoes
I know, you’re probably thinking, “We all know about baked potatoes.” And we do. But if you’re like me, you get stuck in a rut and you forget about baked potatoes some times. And depending on what you top your potato with, one potato is a meal in itself!
What you need:
Baking potatoes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Tin foil
Favorite toppings
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Rinse the potatoes and prick all over with a fork.
- Rub each potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Wrap each potato in a piece of tin foil and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
Now the fun part – toppings! Butter, sour cream, bacon (I buy the bags of real bacon crumbles that also work great for salads), cheese, etc. But my all-time favorite way to eat a baked potato is with butter, tuna, corn, and cheese. Hey, don’t knock it until you try it!
Note: if you’re super lazy, or really pressed for time, you can cook the potatoes in the microwave. I usually just do a plain potato (no olive oil, salt, or pepper) wrapped in a paper towel and cooked on my microwave’s baked potato setting. Flip once about half way through.
Shrimp Alfredo
I like to think of this as the fancy alternative to spaghetti. Just as easy but a whole different flavor profile!
What you need:
Your favorite noodles, cooked (I usually do fettuccini)
Frozen, cooked shrimp, any size
Alfredo sauce
What you do:
- Cook noodles according to package directions (make some extra for leftovers!).
- Heat up alfredo sauce.
- While noodles and sauce are cooking, thaw shrimp by running under cold water.
- Drain noodles.
- Toss everything together.
Quesadilla/Nachos
I have a cheese-obsessed four-year-old, and I can only make/eat Mac ‘n’ Cheese so many times before I’m ready to puke. Enter the cheese quesadilla! My daughter likes hers with just cheese, but I like mixing it up a bit with some add-ins.
What you need:
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese, any kind
Sour cream, optional
Add-ins: black beans, refried beans, corn, chicken, ham, turkey, bacon, tomatoes, salsa, etc.
What you do:
- Place one tortilla on a paper towel and sprinkle with cheese (as much, or little, as you want). Include any add-ins you desire.
- Top with second tortilla.
- Leave the tortilla sandwich on the paper towel and place in microwave. Cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until cheese is melted.
- Cut with pizza cutter and serve with sour cream.
Variation: Nachos
Basically do the same thing but instead of using tortillas, place toppings on corn chips.
I hope these meal ideas come in handy the next time you’re feeling lazy or just need some new, easy meal ideas!
Let us know in the comments what your favorite lazy mom meal is!
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