7 Quick and Easy Meals for Dinner That Aren’t Pasta
To get you through your busiest weeks
Are you tired of eating pasta to get you through the work week? I can totally relate.
For the longest time, I though spaghetti and red sauce was the fastest meal I could make when I didn’t feel like spending a long time in the kitchen.
Turns out, there are so many recipes that are quick and even more delicious than pasta.
Here are some things I’ve learned when it comes to cooking during the week day that I hope will resonate with you:
Not every meal needs to be from scratch.
Eating out multiple times during the week is tempting, but cooking from home will save you so much money in the long run.
Easy meals can be delicious!
Real people with busy work schedules or with families don’t have the time to make a home cooked meal every day — so let these 7 meals get you through your busiest weeks.
These easy dinner recipes consist of a well balanced mix of vegetarian and meat based meals.
Bonus: they are all budget friendly!
This post is for people with busy schedules who are tired of eating pasta all the time, people wanting to save money from eating out, or for people just getting into cooking and are looking for some easy recipes to try out.
Enjoy!
1. Chicken Tikka Masala with Couscous
Why it’s so easy: You only need 3 ingredients (chicken, tikka sauce can, couscous or rice) and you’re basically letting the chicken simmer on its own the whole time. You can use rice as your side, but if I want something fast I’d choose couscous instead because it’s quicker. This is at the top of my list when it comes to meals that are easy and delicious. It’s seriously so good.
Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts (sub chicken with diced potatoes if vegetarian)
1 can tikka masala sauce (I think Patak’s is the best, but you could also use yellow curry sauce or Thai red curry from Trader Joe’s)
Couscous
Optional: add canned chickpeas
Instructions: Cut chicken breast into cubes, brown chicken in a heated pan for 5-7 mins, add the sauce, bring to a boil then let it simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes. If you want more substance, add canned chickpeas (strained) to the sauce at the end. Serve over couscous.
2. Ground Beef or Turkey Tacos
Why it’s so easy: All you need to do is cook the meat and then assemble your taco. Any ground meat will cook in a relatively short amount of time. All of the toppings you can buy ready to use without the need to cut fresh veggies. I’ve found that these three simple toppings are all that you need to make a mouth watering taco: cheese, guac, sour cream. That’s it.
Ingredients:
Tortillas
Ground beef or ground turkey (sub with black beans for a vegetarian option)
Shredded cheese
Guacamole or avocado
Sour cream
Instructions: Fully cook your ground meat of choice on medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until it’s no longer pink. I usually season with a taco blend seasoning. Lay out your tortillas and add the meat, cheese, sour cream, and guac. You can also add hot sauce or salsa if you already have some at home for extra flavor.
3. Chicken Pot Pie
Why it’s so easy: I made this meal all the time when I was in college and still learning how to cook. I’ve come a long way since then, but I still make this every once in a while when I want a quick, comforting dinner. All you do is mix all of the ingredients together and then let the oven do the rest of the work for you. No chopping or ingredient prepping. It’s the perfect fall and winter meal.
Ingredients:
Pie crust (I always use Pillsbury)
2 Canned chicken
1 can of cream of chicken soup
Frozen mixed vegetable (beans, carrots, corn mix)
Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the canned chicken, cream of chicken soup, and mixed vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, and dill. Roll out the bottom pie crust and place in a pie dish that is oven safe. Scoop your mixture into the pie dish. Roll out the other pie crust and place over top while pressing your thumb around the edges to seal. Don’t forget to poke a few holes in the top. Cook for 35 - 45 minutes at 425 degrees F.
Pro tip: cover the pie edges with foil about halfway through baking so they don’t get burnt.
4. Gnocchi with Spinach and Mushroom
Why it’s so easy: Similar to pasta, gnocchi just needs to be boiled for a few minutes to be fully cooked. After that, you can just toss it with some sauce or some cooked veggies and then it’s ready to eat. Simple, yet delicious – and a little different than pasta.
Ingredients:
Gnocchi
Spinach
Mushrooms
Sauce of choice
Instructions: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Follow the boiling instructions on the gnocchi package. After the gnocchi is cooked, strain and set aside. In the same pan add a tablespoon of olive oil and saute mushrooms and spinach. Cook until soft. Add back the gnocchi and mix together. Add either red pasta sauce or a creamy white sauce or leave it plain and just top with grated parmesan.
5. Sausage Skillet with Veggies
Why it’s so easy: Out of all the meals, this will require the most prep since you have to cut some fresh veggies, but the meat is pre-cooked so it cooks pretty quickly. You could also purchase a bag of frozen pre-chopped peppers and onions if you’re really short on time. This is a perfect quick summer meal you’ll enjoy.
Ingredients:
Pre-cooked sausage
Canned corn
Peppers
Onion
Instructions: To get started, you’ll need two pans, one for the sausage and one for the veggies. Slice the pre-cooked sausages and place in a pan on medium heat. Dice all of your veggies and add to the other pan with olive oil. Cook until the peppers and onions start to get a little soft. Add the strained can of corn at the end. Once the meat is browned on both sides, combine with the veggie pan.
6. Chicken Rice Bowl with Frozen Veggies
Why it’s so easy: This is another three ingredient meal that’s simply delicious. All you need to do is cook the rice for 20 minutes, cook ground meat, and microwave frozen veggies. Make sure to cook the meat in a marinade or use spices to give it flavor. I’d also recommend topping it with hot sauce for extra flavor.
Ingredients:
Ground chicken or chicken thighs
Rice
Frozen vegetable of choice (I’d recommend broccoli)
Instructions: Bring two cups of water to a boil and then add a cup of rice. While the rice is cooking, heat up a sauce pan with olive oil and cook ground chicken or diced chicken thighs until it is cooked through and no longer pink. Microwave your favorite vegetable and then combine together.
Pro tip: add a bullion cube to the rice to make it more flavorful.
7. Cheesy Bean and Rice Burritos
Why it’s so easy: This is a perfect week day meal because there is very little prep that goes into it. All you have to do is pre-heat the beans in a sauce pan for a few minutes. Everything else is ready to go.
Ingredients:
Tortillas
Rice
Canned beans (black or pinto)
Cheese
Instructions: Heat up either black beans or pinto beans in a sauce pan on medium heat. Once the beans are hot, lay out your tortilla and add your beans, rice, cheese, and a hot sauce if you choose. Roll it up and it’s ready to eat.
Pro tip: season your beans with taco seasoning for extra flavor.
