I'm trying extremely hard to break a habit of mine which is takeout and it definitely touches my budget more than I would want to. the problem is some nights I get home and I have absolutely zero energy to cook a proper meal, let alonr stand next to the stove and pay attention. it does indeed feel much easier to just open an app and order something but I always regret it when I check my bank account the next morning.
my current go to is just simple scrambled eggs on a toast or maybe a bowl of cereal but I need some variety. what do you guys make when you are too tired to cook but refuse to spend money on delivery?
What are your go to cheap lazy meals when you're too tired to cook
byu/YourxCherry inFrugal
Posted by YourxCherry
18 Comments
Leftovers, toast and baked beans, soup, chicken and vegetable stew.
If you have a rice cooker, I would just throw rice, a bit of sauce, and a few vegetables or kimchi in the cooker and that’s it.
Otherwise, I like to make a quick quesadilla, or a kimchi cheese toastie.
Also nothing wrong with a few frozen pizzas from the supermarket exactly for nights when you don’t want to cook.
I’m working on making big batches of food ahead of time and then freezing them for nights like that. I just made bean burgers this week that can be frozen, and I’ve frozen lots of different dishes and ingredients in my Souper Cubes.
Chilli 🙂 make a bunch for leftovers too
Also having some sandwich materials on deck is nice. I make a big sandwich (square bread, meat, cheese, sauce) for dinner sometimes.
Steak also takes a few minutes to make, in one pan. If youre feeling more energetic you can add veggies as a side
Rice, soft boiled eggs, whatever veg you have left over (if none just add frozen peas to rice cooker towards end), and some Asian-inspired sauce (either a bottled one or soy mixed with rice vinegar and sugar/honey, etc). Maybe some peanuts on top.
This has become our ‘mid-week don’t want to cook but can’t afford take away’ dish. You can add basically any left over ingredients you have. Side note: eggs and chili crisp is an elite combination.
Zojurushi rice cooker i can do rice and veggies same time and i can do some kimchi or side with it
Soup
Girl dinner, kfc bowl, something that I already prepped and froze. Sometimes just veggies and Greek yogurt ranch dip.
Hot rice add frozen peas, soy sauce, and butter
Cannellini beans in a pan with some spinach and butter, add garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes. Only takes as long as you need to heat the beans & wilt the spinach. Cheap and easy for a lazy dinner.
Tortilla chips topped with shredded cheese and microwaved. It’s very easy to prepare and inexpensive.
For 20 bucks you can buy the ingredients for Carbonara and it would be quick and 3/4 meals.
Veggies and ranch. I make my ranch using a Hidden Valley packet and full fat Greek yogurt. Sometimes I mix in mayo to make it more satisfying. But I figure I get a little protein & probiotics from the ranch, fiber from the veggies. I usually have snack size cucumbers and carrots so I don’t have to chop anything. I’ll even eat it with a few pieces of deli meat and crackers sometimes. Poor girls charcuterie lol
My kids call it “sushi bowl” I just put sticky rice in the rice cooker and then dice up spam and sauté it. Once everything is ready I throw it in a bowl. Super easy, tasty, and budget friendly.
The habit is partly because it’s cooked and ready to go which is convenient. Try canned soups or other canned goods that are ready to go after a couple of minutes in the microwave. Tuna mayo with crackers is a good easy one too. Not the cheapest but definitely a step in the right direction compared to eating out
Loaded sandwiches. Deli meats, cheeses, avocado, tomato, bacon, sprouts, bacon, etc. Easy to change it up.
Grilled cheese or quesadilla for me. 🤷🏻♀️
On nights you do cook something proper, it might be worth it to freeze an extra portion or two as a lower maintenance meal prep that you can have on a burned out night.
Heat up a naan or pita type bread and have with hummus, cold cuts, cheese and any veg I have (carrots or tomatoes usually). I keep those fluffy garlic naan in the freezer for this.
Block of tofu cut up and microwaved.add some kind of bottled sauce or even just sesame oil and soy sauce or chili oil. I keep bags of cooked jasmine rice (you can buy these, or make a big batch of rice and freeze in zip loc bags. Throw in a handful of salad greens. If you have a little more energy make some soba noodles – takes 6 minutes.
Can of baked beans is great to take the edge off your hunger.
Bags of bone broth, Korean brand. Throw in a pot with frozen sliced Korean rice cakes, a handful of frozen dumplings and whatever green veg is in the fridge, bagged salad works fine.