Speedy dinners in a pinch

In our recent member survey, a few of you wanted some easy and fast dinner ideas for when you’re in a rush and didn’t have time to do any prep for the week. So, below are a few speedy meals that you don’t really need a recipe for, along with a few Cooking Club recipe suggestions.

When you’re in that situation, getting in calories becomes more important than having a perfectly balanced meal, so don’t stress about it!

I also want to note that the below suggestions are easy options assuming you have your pantry/fridge/freezer stocked with all of your staples. Some big ones for fast meals that really help a lot:

• Frozen veggies: I’ve really learned to love frozen veggies and use them often. My favorites that I always have on hand are the stir-fry blend (mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, broccoli), broccoli, mushrooms, kale and/or spinach.
• Pre-cut veggies: you can often find bags of pre-chopped veggies that really come in handy when you don’t have time to prep. I don’t buy these often (I lean more on frozen veg for this), but I have used coleslaw mix, shredded brussels sprouts, and sliced mushrooms.
• Pasta, tortillas, bread: These are starchy bases that require minimal to no cooking at all.
• Protein (more on that below): beans, tinned fish, eggs, pre-cooked sausages, ground meat, cottage cheese.
• Cheese: you can put cheese on just about everything and it will instantly make it more delicious AND adds protein and calcium. I always have cheddar, parm, and feta in my fridge to put together quick and delicious meals.

Quick and easy proteins

When you need to get a meal together quickly, protein is usually the hardest thing to figure out. So if you don’t have protein already meal prepped (like shredded chicken, meatballs, etc…), below are some options you can add to meals quickly:

• Tinned fish – tuna, salmon, sardines, etc…You can simply season these with some oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar for an easy protein add-on to bowls or salads or toast. One (6 oz) can of salmon gives you 34g protein and one (3-4 oz) can of sardines gives you 20g.
• Pre-cooked sausage – just quickly pan-fry it or even use the microwave just to warm it up. One (365 brand organic Italian chicken) sausage gives you 14g protein. I’ll usually have two of these with my meal.
• Canned beans – season your beans! Warm them up in the microwave, then toss with a good amount of salt and vinegar. One half of a (15 oz) can of beans will give you 12g protein. It’s best to pair this with some nuts, cheese, etc…for more protein.
• Cottage cheese – a scoop of cottage cheese on top of toasts, bowls, etc…or even stirred into pasta is an easy protein bump. Greek yogurt is another good option, but I find cottage cheese to be more versatile for this purpose. A 1/2 cup serving of cottage cheese will give you 14g protein.
• Eggs – fry or scramble up some eggs to put on top of pretty much anything. Three eggs will give you 18g protein (~6g protein per egg).

When in doubt, make pasta!

One of my personal favorite quick meals is an easy one pot pasta with veggies cooked right in there with the pasta, tossed a simple parmesan sauce (parm, pasta water, butter). Then you can top with a chopped up pre-cooked sausage or any other quick or prepped protein.

How to make it: cook the pasta, add frozen or fresh broccoli or greens during the last couple of minutes. Reserve a cup or so of pasta water, then drain. Transfer back to the pot and toss with plenty of parmesan and as much pasta water you need to make it saucy. A couple tablespoons of butter never hurts! This One-Pot Broccoli Pasta is a good example, but below are a few easy sauce combos:

• Store-bought pesto with a bit of pasta water
• Parmesan cheese along with ½ cup pasta water until it coats the noodles
• Jarred marinara
• Blend 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 cup parmesan + 1/4 cup pasta water

You can turn anything into a quesadilla

Quesadillas are the easiest ever meal because it can be as simple as a can of beans and cheese or you can mix in some frozen or cooked veggies and shredded chicken.

How to make it: add beans and/or cooked protein to a quesadilla with cheese. You could also thaw out some frozen veggies to add in there. Bake or pan-fry and serve with salsa, guacamole, and/or sour cream or Greek yogurt for dipping. These Spinach Artichoke Quesadillas with Marinara are one of my favorites and so easy to make. You can also search “quesadillas” on the recipes page for other ideas.

Smoosh it onto toast

Putting “stuff” on a toasted slice of good crusty sourdough is one of my favorite ways to get a quick nourishing meal in.

How to make it: you could use canned tuna or salmon, a can of beans, boiled eggs, or any other cooked protein you have on hand. Chop it up if it needs chopping, then add it to a bowl with olive oil, a dash or squeeze of acid (lemon or vinegar), a scoop of Dijon mustard, and maybe some Greek yogurt to make it creamy. Other favorite add-ins are chopped pickles or giardinara. Season with salt and pepper, toss it all up, and smoosh it onto toast. You can go a step further and top that with cheese and put it under the broiler for a “melt”.

This Favorite Tuna Melt is a good example!

Of course, you can always make my go-to: avocado toast with scrambled eggs and cheese.

All you need is ground meat and frozen veggies

If you have ground meat (or a couple cans of beans), a bag of frozen veggies, and grated cheese – you’ve got yourself the easiest skillet dinner ever.

How to make it: use your choice of ground meat and frozen or pre-cut veggies. Cook the meat in oil with some salt (1/2 tsp salt per pound). Add the veggies and a bit more salt and cook until they are no longer frozen or are cooked through. Stir in any flavorings like spices (like garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, etc…). Top with cheese, then cover with a lid or put it under the broiler for a minute or two to melt the cheese. Eat it as is, with toast, or put it into a taco. Top with any crunchy, tangy, creamy toppings you have on hand, like Greek yogurt, avocado, a fried egg, pickled onions, kimchi, kraut, etc…

These Cheesy Kimchi Beef and Veggie Bowls are one of my favorite examples of this!

A few other speedy Cooking Club recipes to save the day

Below are a few other recipes that come to mind as something you can quickly throw together with kitchen staples.

• Skillet Pizza Beans and Greens
• Spicy Tuna Scallion Nori Tacos
• Skillet Pizza Chicken
• Egg Roll Noodle Bowl
• Korean Beef Tacos
• Easy Skillet Enchiladas
• Rigatoni with Broccoli Kale Sauce

Comment below with your favorite speedy meals in a pinch!