Try These Lazy Dinner Ideas For Nights When You Don’t Want To Cook

Chopped Salad

Lazy dinner in less than 25 minutes? Yes, please. Make it even easier and use store-bought chopped veggies, cheese, and pre-cooked bacon. Plus, this recipe serves 6 and requires no heat cooking on the stove or in the oven.

Butter and noodles—it doesn’t get better than that when you’re hungry but lazing about. Dress em up with cheese, salt, and pepper if you like, or gobble them up as is.

Funeral Sandwiches

Funeral sandwiches only take a few minutes to assemble, and they require just a handful of ready-to-use store-bought ingredients like sweet rolls or buns, sliced cheese, and deli meat. Though the recipe calls for butter, that can be easily swapped for mayo if you’re feeling too lazy to melt it.

It’s hard to believe this bourbon-glazed salmon recipe is ready in about 20 minutes with minimal effort—it’s the perfect weeknight indulgence and requires only a few simple steps.

Creamy, comforting, and cheesy,this stovetop mac and chees ready in 20 minutes or less.

Shrimp are great for “lazy” cooks because you can buy them peeled and deveined, which leaves you more time to relax. Plus, they cook in minutes, so you have more time for other things on your to-do list.

It’s good when you’re sick; it’s good when the temperatures drop; it’s good for the soul, we swear it. Place chicken, vegetables, and herbs in your slow cooker, walk away and come back in six hours. Throw in the noodles and dinner is served.

This slow-cooker version of our classic spaghetti casserole makes the dish easier than ever before. With the addition of ground round, onion, and spices, you’ll find the result more flavorful than just dumping in a jar of sauce. But we still keep this satisfying recipe simple with just eight ingredients.

The year 1990 called…they want their sun-dried tomatoes back, but we hung up. Packed with umami, these crimson strips of flavor are a great pantry staple to keep on hand for punching up weeknight suppers. And this quick dish is on the table in 25 minutes.

Turn to this classic meaty chili to serve on busy weeknights or to impress at the potluck. Substitute the ground chuck with ground chicken or turkey if desired. A bottle of beer adds complex flavor, but broth or water can be swapped in.

We always love an old-school classic with a twist. This casserole has all of the sweet-savory blend and hearty ground beef of your childhood sloppy Joe, but in a slightly more refined presentation. After you boil the pasta, the dish takes about 10 minutes to prepare.

Is it queso? Is it mac and cheese? Is it enchiladas? It’s a little bit of all three! This creamy, spicy, and filling dish comes together on the stovetop in minutes and satisfies pretty much ALL of your cravings.

This meal is reminiscent of cheesy chicken Parmesan but in pizza form. Save time with a loaf of store-bought bread, chicken from the deli, and your favorite jar of marinara. Serve with a simple Caesar salad.

This old-fashioned recipe has been filling up Southerners for a long time. Our version takes 30 minutes to prepare. Chicken and rice are equal power players in the dish, while vegetables and garlic add even more flavor.

We used ground chuck and piled on the toppings to create a fast sheet pan supper that your family will be asking for time and again. Plus, this dish is completely customizable to your tastes—and to whatever you have in the fridge—because who has the time to run to the store?

Stuffed cabbage rolls are one of the most comforting recipes, but again—all that rolling! This soup satisfies all your cravings for stuffed cabbage with none of the work!

Fake a slow-simmering Bolognese by using store-bought tomato sauce, such as Barilla or Classico. You’ve still got the Italian sausage, peppers, sweet onions, and garlic that make this dish so satisfying. This recipe for Bolognese freezes beautifully, so think about making an extra batch for a last-minute dinner at a later date.

If you’re looking for a fast and fresh summer dinner recipe, you’ve found it. The creamy cucumber spread is a cool and creamy addition to these sandwiches.

Using frozen peppers and rotisserie chicken, this Chicken Stir-Fry recipe comes together quicker than you can order takeout. The flavor is enhanced with soy sauce, ginger, and brown sugar, resulting in a tasty dish that you’ll want to serve over and over—especially when you need dinner in 10 minutes.

This lazy and tasty meal will be your new go-to during the heat of summer. When you have a bounty of tomatoes, just slice them up and plate them with tangy mayonnaise dressing, and top with crushed garlic crackers. Easy!

The secret to these flavorful tacos is using jarred salsa as the cooking liquid. Chipotle chiles add heat. Let the pressure cooker do the work, and enjoy Taco Tuesday with your favorite toppings.

Enchiladas are SO delicious, but all that dipping and rolling makes me tired. This skillet version skips all the tedious steps but still delivers all the big flavors you love. Rotisserie chicken and canned diced tomatoes bring it together in a flash.

Arguably the ultimate comfort food, this meal is a perennial cold-weather favorite. This easy recipe shaves off cooking time with cream of chicken soup and canned buttermilk biscuits. Grab a roasted chicken from the deli to save even more time.

Okra, pork, lima beans, corn, and a bevy of other veggies make for a hearty stew that can be thrown in a slow cooker and left alone for hours. We recommend putting this together early in the day. Cooking on LOW heat for a long time makes the meat extremely tender.

A honey-soy sauce glaze makes salmon so incredibly delicious. Most of the work in this recipe involves assembling your ingredients on a sheet pan. After 10 minutes of broiling, you have a healthy and appetizing dinner.

Need a quick, easy, and light dinner? This pasta recipe is for you. Jarred pesto adds bright flavor so you won’t miss a heavy sauce, and rotisserie chicken helps it come together quickly. Use fresh pasta for this simple dish, but dried will also work.

Turn to the pantry to make this one-dish dinner that uses jarred sauce and pre-cooked rice. Customize it with spicy sausage or chicken sausage. Add a simple green salad, and dinner is done.

You’ll be amazed that such a complex-looking dish is on the table in 30 minutes. We use ground beef and refrigerated gnocchi alongside fresh spinach and whole plum tomatoes for a meal that is both hearty and healthful. Sprinkle with Parmesan before serving.

The air fryer is a magic little machine that cooks foods fast and gets dinner on the table lickety split. Sweet, smoky, and spicy, these pork chops are easy enough to fix on a Wednesday, but taste good enough for date night!

Looking for meatloaf on your plate in record time? Inspired by Julia Child’s classic meatloaf recipe, this rendition includes all the makings of a winner, such as Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, thyme, allspice, and—of course—ketchup. After baking the loaves in your trusty muffin tin for 25 minutes, you’ll have caramelized bites of meatloaf that can be served on their own with mashed potatoes and vegetables or in a meatball sub.

Soak the catfish for eight hours to tenderize it and get rid of any fishy flavor. Cornmeal gives this dinner an extra crisp crust. Serve it up with your favorite fixins. We like baked beans, coleslaw, and hushpuppies, plus tartar sauce for dipping.

Made with a ham bone, dried white beans, chopped vegetables, garlic, chicken stock, and fresh thyme, this ham soup recipe takes minutes to assemble in a slow cooker. Then it simmers all day, producing a rich and flavorful soup with hardly any effort.

Pick up a pork shoulder from the grocery store and you’ve got dinner made. The only chopping required is the sweet onions in this five-ingredient dish. After the meat is tender enough to shred, you’ll have enough pulled pork to enjoy all week long.

Combine shell pasta with cheese-filled tortellini, mix in a creamy sauce, and the cheese lovers in your life will be happy. Make the ultra-rich sauce with a combination of Cheddar, fontina, and cream cheese.

Store-bought rotisserie chicken joins forces with these filling weeknight dinner bowls inspired by Greek gyros. It’s hard to decide what’s better—the creamy tahini dressing or the crunchy pita chips on top!

This recipe has all the ease of a chicken cutlet with the flavor of a chicken thigh. We pound boneless chicken thighs to 1/4-inch thickness for quick baking. The thighs are dredged in a Panko breadcrumb mixture for a crackly and crisp coating.

Loaded with cheese and covered with breadcrumbs, your kids just might confuse this Easy Cauliflower Casserole with their favorite baked macaroni and cheese recipe. Not only is this version loaded with veggies instead of pasta, it also makes the most of your pantry staples. Don’t have a can of cream of chicken soup? Any “cream of” soup will do the trick.

The most hands-on cooking you have to do for this recipe is browning the meat. Then dump in the remaining ingredients and let it boil for a few minutes. To speed up the process after a busy day, this recipe calls for a package of mixed frozen veggies and dry onion soup mix—no chopping or peeling required. 

If “bacon-wrapped” didn’t already win you over, the sweet and tangy sauce definitely will. Don’t let this fancy-looking dish fool you. Once your pork is wrapped in bacon, all that’s left between you and a delicious slice of meat is 20 minutes of cooking time.

Who’s got time to hassle with making their own pastry on a weeknight? Not this cook! Refrigerated crescent roll dough and rotisserie chicken make these miniature chicken pot pies as easy as they are cute.

These crispy tacos will be a new weeknight favorite. Make the slaw while they fry up in the oven. Use any firm white fish you can find, such as tilapia, cod, or grouper.

The hardest part of this one-pot meal is boiling the penne. Use pre-peeled shrimp, frozen peas, and store-bought pesto to whip up this quick and flavorful pasta. Instead of buying the jarred, shelf-stable version, choose a pesto found in the refrigerator case that will taste more like homemade.

Southern Living Magazine originally published the Easy Boarding House Meatloaf recipe in 2006, and it has been a favorite ever since. Packed with bell peppers, onions, and lean ground beef, this dish is both fresh and filling. Make the meatloaf sauce while your loaf is baking—you’ll spoon on the sauce toward the end.

Poppy seed chicken casserole is a beloved Southern dish that comes together in the blink of an eye. Using pantry and refrigerator staples like cream of chicken soup, sour cream, crackers, and pre-cooked chicken, this recipe is an easy call for a weeknight dinner. Round out the meal with rice and a salad.

With four ingredients and a few spices, you have accomplished the legendary Mississippi roast. A jar of pepperoncini peppers is the surprise ingredient in this slow-cooker dish. This roast recipe is perfect as it is, but there is an epic sandwich just waiting to be built from the leftovers.

Make this stew with pulled or shredded pork from your favorite barbecue joint. With cans of fire-roasted tomatoes and black beans and a jar of salsa verde, you’ll have a satisfyingly spicy dinner ready in 20 minutes. Herbs, sour cream, and avocado round out the flavor.

If you’re looking for big flavor with little effort, try this delicious green beans recipe. We cook them on a sheet pan so you only have to stir once. It’s super easy to make for a quick weeknight side dish, but also special enough for a dinner or holiday party.

This Cobb salad is a genius move for home cooks who want to take a break. If you want to make it really easy, pick up pre-cooked shrimp, store-bought hard-boiled eggs, and even pre-cooked bacon.

A quick meal doesn’t have to be without delicious sides, and this one dresses up a bag of frozen fries with little effort. Bonus, they’re loaded with flavor. Don’t skip the spicy chipotle-mayo dipping sauce.

Whip up this creamy Southern favorite in no time with the help of an Instant Pot. You’ll have this comforting meal on the table fast with little hands-on time. Stir in half-and-half, butter, and Parmesan for creamy, nutty goodness.

We love a side that takes 10 minutes to throw together. Instead of soaking your beans the night before, follow our instructions for substituting canned navy beans. Sauté bacon and onion for maximum flavor, mix in a few ingredients, and bake until bubbly.

Toasting gnocchi in a pan with butter and oil gives them a crisp exterior that pairs well with almost any sauce. This recipe gives it a spring spin with peas, lemon, and fresh parsley.

This speedy pasta bakes comes together on the stove, then finishes in the oven to get its golden-crispy topping. It’s bound to convert the whole family into kale lovers. Serve it as a side or as a main dish.

Thanks to a hands-free overnight seasoning, these pork tenderloins are packed with flavor and grill up in minutes. When it’s time to eat, just heat up the grill, bring the pork to room temperature, and cook for 20 minutes.

When you don’t feel like cooking, this comforting meal is easy to pull together. Layer a jarred pesto sauce and spinach mixture, cheese-filled ravioli, and jarred alfredo sauce for an easy lasagna bake that’s quicker than takeout.

Make a bistro-style turkey sandwich at home in minutes. Hot pepper jelly and Dijon mustard add a tangy-sweet flavor. Top a ciabatta roll with turkey, apple slices, Brie cheese, and arugula.

This classic isn’t a pie, but it provides the same satisfaction. Warm up store-bought or homemade chili and open a bag of corn chips, and dinner is about done. Sour cream, onion, cheese, and jalapenos make a pretty good combo of toppings.

This delicious dinner comes together so fast, it’s sure to be a repeat. Elevate jarred sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce with a couple of tablespoons of white wine. Top the dish with chopped fresh tomatoes and basil.

Pasta dishes are go-tos when you don’t feel like cooking. That doesn’t mean it has to be boring.  Add in spinach, mushrooms, and a package of frozen meatballs to turn quick baked ziti into something extraordinary.

Store-bought dinner rolls team up with a speedy skillet sloppy joe filling to yield a super-easy and delicious weeknight supper the whole family will love. Use sweet Hawaiian rolls, biscuits, or crescent rolls to change up the topper.