10 Easy Dinners When There’s No Time To Cook

Making easy dinners for my family is a must being a mother to two boys and a full-time college student since my time can become very divided. There are nights that I cook a full three-course meal, even if dessert is just a cookie, but most nights I find myself throwing dinner together in less than twenty minutes. Life can be hectic therefore below are my top ten easy dinners that anyone can cook.

1. Ranch Burgers – 20 Minutes (4 Servings)

This has always been a favorite of mine growing up because not only is it delicious but also because of it being in the category of easy dinners to make, and now I have passed it on and make it for my children. All the recipe calls for is 1 pound of ground beef, 1 can of cream of celery soup, 4 full hamburger buns and 4 slices of cheese. You begin by cooking the meat like you would if you were to make tacos. After the meat is browned and grease is drained take the pan off of heat and pour in the cream of celery soup and mix it together. On a baking sheet place each half of the hamburger bun on the baking sheet with the inside facing up. Scoop the mixture evening on each bun, and then place half of a slice of cheese on each. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, or until the bun is toasted. To make the dinner complete you can add fries, chips or whatever side you wish.

2. BBQ Pulled Pork Nachos – 10 Minutes (4 Servings)

I absolutely love nachos for many reasons, one being because it is one of those quick and easy dinners that you can pile on all kinds of delicious toppings. My ultimate go-to is bbq pulled pork nachos. I know your thinking that pulled pork takes a long time to cook, and for the best tasting it does, but I usually cheat in this area since you can buy pre-cooked pulled pork. After you decide which route you prefer, all you need is tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheese, and any other toppings you wish such as peppers, onions or more bbq sauce if you desire. If you took the time to make your own pulled pork then either reheat or use it freshly cooked. In contrast, if you bought the pre-cooked stuff then follow the directions to heat accordingly. Then place the chips in a glass pan and pile on your pulled pork and cheese. Heat until all the cheese is nicely melted, usually about five to seven minutes at 350 degrees depending on your ranking of being a cheese lover. Once out of the oven plate up the goodness and top with whatever your stomach desires. This is one of those easy dinners that you’ll want to repeat.

3. Garlic Buttered Noodles – 15 Minutes ( 4 Servings)

Having a picky in my house makes easy dinners a bit difficult to achieve, but I have learned sometimes less is more. All this dinner requires is your choice of noodles, butter, garlic powder, and garlic bread (or any type of bread you prefer, if any). This is as easy and simple as pasta gets since all you need to do is boil the noodles until they are tender, drain the water, and add the butter and garlic powder to fit your taste buds. While the noodles are boiling place your garlic bread in the oven. That is it.

4. Walking Tacos – 15 Minutes ( 4-6 Servings)

I learned about this fantastic idea from a mommy friend of mine. She is a busy momma to eight beautiful children, who are in various after school activities. Therefore fast and easy dinners are a must in her household. This dinner calls for the same ingredients you would have for regular tacos, the only difference is that instead of using shells you grab small to medium bags of Doritos. Once everything is cooked you place everything into the bag of Doritos, shake it up and enjoy. This makes for easy clean up as well as easy dinners.

5. Bagel Pizzas – 15 Minutes (4-6 Serving)

Not only is this dinner quick and fun to make, but it is also under the easy dinners category. All you need are a bag of bagels (small or large), mozzarella cheese, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and any other toppings you like. On a baking sheet place each half of a bagel inside facing up. Spread the pizza sauce, cheese and then begin building your own personal pizza. Place in the oven at 350 degrees and bake until cheese is melted and the bagel is toasted. I like this dinner because it is easy to customize each one to fit each individual in my house, but it is also a way to spend time together during nights when we feel there is just not enough time.

6. Taco Pasta – 20 Minutes (4 Servings)

Taco Pasta is fun to say as well as to eat. For this dinner, shell pasta is needed as well as ground beef, taco seasoning, mild cheddar shredded cheese, sour cream if you are a fan, and your favorite brand of chunky salsa. Cook and drain the hamburger per usual like you would for regular tacos and add the seasoning while boiling the noodles until they are tender. After both the seasoned hamburger and the noodles are done mix together and serve. From here each person takes control and tops their pasta with salsa, cheese, and sour cream to fit their own dish of delightfulness.

7. Baked Roll-Ups

Another one of my go-to’s for quick and easy dinners are the baked roll-ups. These things are one of my favorite things to make because you can do a variety of different flavorful roll-ups and they are easy to make. This dinner calls for one can of crescent rolls per three servings and then a mixture of deli meats and cheeses. For my house, ham and cheddar cheese are one mixture, and then pepperoni and mozzarella cheese is another. Undo the crescent rolls and place either diced or thinly sliced pieces of meat and cheese on each one. After each crescent roll is mastered with the perfect concoction, roll them up as usual and place it on a baking sheet. Bake for the allotted amount of time specified on the crescent roll package. I usually add some broccoli as a side, soup, or sometimes french fries to complete the meal.

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8. Chicken and Broccoli Pasta – 20 Minutes (4 Servings)

Chicken and broccoli pasta is a quick and simple meal that takes no time to make. This dinner requires 1 box of noodles of your choice, fresh or frozen broccoli florets, and alfredo sauce from your favorite brand. Chicken breast is best to use and the way you cook it is based on your preference. I prefer to bake mine with light seasoning. Of course, follow all safety measures when cooking chicken as times may vary depending on the cut of the chicken. While the chicken is cooking, boil your noodles until they are tender, and steam or boil the broccoli. After everything is cooked in full, shred or dice the chicken and then add everything all together with the alfredo sauce and serve. Adding garlic toast is a great addition to this quick and easy meal.

9. Grilled Cheese Roll-Ups and Soup

Living in Ohio sometimes I feel we have more cold winter days than we do warm and sunny. One of my favorite and easy dinners consist of grilled cheese roll-ups and tomato soup. The recipe for the roll-ups is just as simple as regular grilled cheese since it calls for the same supplies. The only difference is you will roll only 1 pice of bread and the cheese together. Turn your pan on medium heat and add some butter into the pan. Once the pan is hot place the roll-ups directly in the pan and rotate them until they are golden brown. The great things about the grilled cheese roll-ups are they are kid-friendly and easily dippable into your chosen side soup.

10. Spaghetti – 15 Minutes (4 Servings)

When all else fails, spaghetti is always on my list of easy dinners. This is such a simple recipe that is quick and easy. Of course, there are many ways to deliver the perfect dish of spaghetti, but for most, we are just trying to do a home-cooked meal without winning an award. Grab one box of your favorite type of noodle, your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce, and some ground beef if you want to be fancy tonight. Boil your noodles while you are browning the hamburger and ensure both are fully cooked. Drain both the pasta and the grease from the hamburger. Open the spaghetti sauce and if you like them all mixed in then do so, or allow for each person to tailor their perfect amount of sauce, pasta and meat ratio per serving. As a side add some salad and breadsticks and dinner is done.