Easy Recipes For Lazy Days

Having easy recipes for when you just want to simply dig in without all the challenges and hassle of a complicated meal they are essential to have when you are not feeling up to it. Likewise, it is a must that they are tasty and flavorful with the right amount of spice and great ingredients to really draw out the love of making a simple dish. That said, It shouldn’t be hard to make dishes you love because they are incredibly complicated. Here are just a few amazingly easy recipes for lazy days because just because we’re not feeling doesn’t mean we have to suffer where food is concerned.   

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken parmesan is one of those easy recipes filled with delicious mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. It is an Italian classic. The crispy baked chicken is richly tender and covered with cheesy goodness. This recipe is out of this world enjoyable and really adds some pep to your step for those lazy days.  

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs beaten
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup olive oil for frying
• 2 cups mozzarella shredded or thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 24 oz Marinara (Rao’s or another marinara of choice)
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• Fresh basil and parsley leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut the chicken breasts down the middle, then pound into thin fillets.
2. Whisk the eggs together well with a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour with a teaspoon of salt and ½ tsp pepper, then whisk together and set aside. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with ½ cup grated parmesan and mix together.
3. Dredge each breast in the flour, tap off excess, and then dip in the egg and let excess drip off. Dredge on both sides in the bread crumbs and press down, so the breadcrumbs stick and form a nice layer.
4. Pour the olive oil into a large sauté pan and heat over high heat until you see the oil shimmers. Add 2-3 chicken breasts to the pan at a time and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
5. Transfer to a baking sheet and top each breast with ⅓-½ cup marinara sauce, a generous sprinkle of mozzarella, and a tablespoon of Parmesan.
6. Bake in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and golden, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil and parsley leaves. Serve over spaghetti.

Sesame Chicken

Sesame chicken is seriously so easy to make. It is made with a delicious sweetly honeyed sauce with only a few tasty ingredients. This recipe is a great “take-out” you can enjoy all from the comfort of your own home.  And get this, this sesame chicken dish is perfect for weekly meal prep, which means you can prepare it beforehand for when you are feeling lazy. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• oil for frying

For the sauce

• Grapeseed oil (drizzle)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• minced fresh garlic
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium if possible)
• 1/4 ketchup
• 1/4 sriracha
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Heat the vegetable oil to about 350F in a heavy bottom skillet.
2. In a bowl, combine cubed chicken, seasonings of your choice (I used salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, dried ginger), eggs, rice wine vinegar, flour, and cornstarch.
3. Fry chicken for about 5-7 minutes when they are golden brown ( don’t overcrowd the pan., Cook, in batches until they are all cooked)
4. Drain chicken on paper towels or a baking rack to remove any excess oil
5. While the chicken is frying, make your sauce.
6. Combine honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, sriracha, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch.
7. In a saucepan over medium heat, add sesame seeds, let toast for about 30 seconds, drizzle with grapeseed oil, and add garlic. Cook until fragrant
8. Add in honey-soy sauce mixture and let cook and thicken for about 4 minutes.
9. Pour sauce over chicken and toss until well coated
10. Serve with rice and top with sesame seed and green onion. Enjoy!

Chicken Fettuccini

This creamy chicken fettuccine alfredo recipe is a favorite for all who make it. It is a pretty simple classic chicken alfredo that tastes wonderful and is light on the stomach. Trust me, if you make this, you and your friends or family will go crazy over it. 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs Chicken Breast
• 3/4 lbs fettuccine pasta (or angel hair or vermicelli pasta)
• 1 lb white mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 cups half and half, *
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped,, plus more for garnish
• 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste, plus more for pasta water
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Cook fettuccine in a pot of salted water (4 qts water, 1 Tbsp salt) according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, slice chicken into strips and season all over with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium/high heat and sauté chicken until lightly golden and cooked through (5 min). Remove chicken from the pan and cover to keep warm.

3. In the same pan over medium/high, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp of butter. Add onion and sauté for 3 min until soft. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft (5-7 min), stirring frequently. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

4. Add half-n-half and simmer over medium/high heat 8-10 min, or until beginning to thicken. Add chicken back to the pan, add 1/4 cup parsley, and season sauce to taste (1/2 to 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper).

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5. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Heat another minute until warmed through, turn off the heat, cover and let rest 10-15 minutes, then stir and serve garnished with parsley.   

Greek Chicken Pasta Soup

This Greek chicken pasta soup is the best for when you don’t want to do too much in the kitchen. It is easy to make and doesn’t require too much time to prepare and make. The soup recipe is hearty and healthy, creamy and delicious. You’ll be satisfied for hours with this mouthwatering steamy dish. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 2 medium-size carrots peeled and diced small
• 4 medium cloves garlic finely minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 10 cups low sodium chicken broth maybe more
• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup orzo pasta
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice remove the zest from a lemon before juicing
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie or leftover chicken
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill
• sprigs of dill for garnish
• finely grated zest from 1 medium lemon
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the oil and butter. Swirl the pan until the butter is melted. Add the onion and carrots and stir to combine. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and rosemary and stir. Cook for another 30 seconds.

2. Add the chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the orzo and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the orzo is tender. Remove the pot from the heat.
3. While the broth mixture is cooking, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and fresh lemon juice in a medium-size heat-proof container (I use a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup) until well combined.
4. When the orzo is tender, take a ladle of the hot soup and SLOWLY drizzle it into the egg mixture while whisking continuously. Continue with several more ladles of broth until you’ve added about 2 cups.

5. Return the pot to the heat now and add the egg mixture. Cook over medium-low heat for another 5 minutes, constantly stirring until soup is thickened a bit. Add the chicken, fresh dill, and lemon zest. If you like a thinner soup, add more chicken broth. Taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice, if needed. Serve garnished with lemon slices, freshly ground black pepper, and dill sprigs.

6. Serve and Enjoy!

Easy recipes are vital for any cook because, let’s be honest, sometimes we don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen when we just want to get to the fun part of eating an amazing meal. What are some dishes you enjoy on a lazy day? Tell us and have fun with the recipes I have listed!

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