What To Eat For Dinner
I love freezer meals, but let’s be honest here, do I always remember to pull one out to feed my family? Nope. This means that many a nights I am left wondering what to eat. One of my readers sent me a Facebook message asking me what ideas I had for people who need a fast and easy dinner on nights when they did not plan well, pull out a freezer meal, or put something in the crock pot. I LOVED this question. Why? Because we all need the answer.
Everyone has days they just do not know what to make!
Here are some of my ideas, feel free to share yours in the comments section below:
1. Lo Mein
How about lo mein? Do you have any protein you can throw in? How about some vegetables? I find that when I don’t know what to make, this is a great option. Garlic Chicken Lo Mein, Beef Lo Mein, Vegetable Lo Mein. I keep lo mein noodles in my cupboard, as they are dry, and I always have some kind of protein and vegetable on hand. You can use a bottled sauce, or make your own!
2. Baked Potato Bar
A baked potato bar. You can pop potatoes in your microwave, air fryer, oven, etc. and cook them up in a matter of minutes. Then top them with whatever you have on hand. Cheese, sour cream, chili, broccoli, cheese, bacon crumbles, squash, hamburger, salsa, avocado, BBQ chicken. Seriously, almost anything goes good on a baked potato. Plus it is a filling meal. I love the Crock Pot BBQ Pork as a topper.
3. Salad
A hearty salad. I love a good salad on a busy night. They are fast, easy, and healthy. We offer plenty of fast suggestions, but really you can make up your own. Choose your greens. Choose a protein (meat, beans, nuts, or a combo), cover in fruit or veggies, and top with your favorite dressing, or go without dressing for a lower-calorie option. Some of our favorites: Santa Fe Salad, Seared Ahi Kale Salad, Balsamic Spinach Salad, or my personal favorite Super Green Kale Salad.
4. Kabobs or Skewers
These are only a good option if you have meat defrosted, but they are really easy to make, you can throw just about any kind of sauce on it, from a jar or make your own. Serve with a salad, baked potato, beans, or whatever else you have on hand. Here are a few great marinade/sauce recipes for kabobs: Sweet Chili Cilantro Chicken Kabobs, Balsamic Rosemary Beef Kabobs, Sweet Balsamic and Garlic Kabobs, Apricot Glazed Shrimp Kabobs, Sticky BBQ Pork Kabobs.
5. Sandwiches
When I don’t know what to make, we often go with a BELT sandwhich. This is Bacon, Egg, Lettuce, and Tomato, which I then add pickles, cheese, and avocado to for me because I LOVE those things. But seriously, sandwiches are fast and easy, and can be dressed up. Even if you do a PB&J, you can dress it up by grilling it. Try this recipe, it’s a fave: Fried Egg and Avocado BLT or a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich or Cuban Sandwich.
6. Pasta with Veggies
I think that just because you have limited time/energy/ingredients doesn’t mean your meal can’t be amazing. A simple pasta with veggies always hits the spot for me. And, since pasta is dry, I always have it. I can make my own sauce, or use a canned version, or make it into a pasta salad with a dressing instead. And you don’t even have to have fresh veggies. I always have at least some kind of frozen vegetable on hand. Throw together a skillet pasta by making some noodles, saute some veggies in a jarred sauce, and then tossing it all together. Here is just one of many ways you can do this: Chicken sausage pesto-alfredo skillet pasta.
- Easy Cheesy Sausage and Green Bean Skillet Pasta
- Cajun Chicken Alfredo Skillet Pasta
- Baked Tortellini Skillet
- Mediterranean Pasta Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Pesto Pasta Salad
7. Fish
I include this because it defrosts quickly and cooks quickly, and I have found that the fish I love the best usually has the fewest added ingredients. You can just bake a piece of salmon on a pad of butter and some lemons, squeeze a little lemon on top and you have a fantastic meal. Try this Sweet Chili Salmon as it is ridiculously easy and tastes awesome.
Here are our favorite ways to make salmon:
- Asian Marinated Salmon
- Miso Salmon
- Cajun Baked Salmon
- Sheet Pan Baked Salmon
- Garlic Rosemary Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
- Lemon Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs
- Sheet pan Teriyaki Salmon (Meal Prep)
8. Fried Rice
This is only fast if you have cooked rice on hand. But I often do. You basically cook some veggies, and egg, and then mix it all in with your rice and the sauce of choice. Soy sauce works great. Fast, easy, good!
9. Tacos
I can’t believe I waited until #9 to say this one. This is my FAVORITE go-to meal for busy nights. I feel like we almost always have leftover meat on hand, and plenty of taco-friendly vegetables. I keep corn tortillas in the fridge, and cheese. You can cook up any veggie, top with salsa, lettuce, cabbage, etc. You can do vegetarian, fish, chicken, or beef. There are so many delightful options. Here are a few of my favorites: Tilapia Fish Tacos, Chicken Tacos, Beef Tacos, BBQ chicken tacos, Mango Pork Tacos, I always cook my tacos on a griddle. It is fast, almost no clean up, and makes them perfectly crispy and delicious.
10. Lettuce Wraps
This is similar to tacos. You can basically add vegetables and protein into a leaf of lettuce. Whatever you have on hand, make it into a lettuce wrap. You can do Mexican lettuce wraps, Thai, or just chicken and veggies. Get creative.
- Breakfast Lettuce Wraps
- Steak Fajita Lettuce Wraps
- Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps
- Lemon Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps (PF Changs Copycat)
- Mango Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
11. Stir Fry
I can’t tell you how much we love stir-fry for dinner. The one pictured here is a Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry. Stir fry is our favorite, and you can make it from frozen shrimp in a matter of minutes, which I love. This meal takes under 15 minutes, it is better if you have rice already made, but can be eaten without the rice. If you don’t want this one, make up your own. Basically a protein and vegetables, and some kind of sauce.
- Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
- Easy Chicken Stir Fry
- Beef Stir Fry
- Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry Rice Noodles
- Pollo Saltado (Chicken Stir Fry)
- Shrimp and Snap Pea Stir Fry
12. Breakfast for Dinner
This is the fastest option ever. Who doesn’t have pancake or waffle mix on hand? Serve with fruit if you have it, breakfast meat if you have it, and/or eggs. My kids love these or their all-time-favorite is German Pancakes. I personally love Citrus Ricotta Pancakes.
- Cottage Cheese Pancakes
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Whole Wheat Pancakes
- French Toast Casserole
- French Toast
- Sun-Dried Tomato, Spinach and Cheese Egg Cups
- Air Fryer Egg Cups
13. Freezer meal
I know we already said that you didn’t pull a freezer meal out, but the fact of the matter is there are some that can be cooked from frozen. I make sure I always have some on hand. One of my favorite is: BBQ Chicken Burritos. You can dress them up with salsa, avocado, cheese, sour cream, or just eat them plain. When you do your freezer meal cooking day, be sure to include foods that cook quickly, from frozen. Flank Steak is another great option.
Kathy says
C
madden 17 says
Thanks extremely beneficial. Will certainly share site with my buddies