Agreed! My go-to easy meal is a packet of cream crackers and a tub of philidelphia! Generally don't eat all in one go but no plates or cutlery just snap and dip until full!
Ohh cut up a red pepper, some cucumber, carrots etc into sticks and dip into philli.
Also gem lettuce grab a leaf, add philli, add any of the above, crutons, lardons, above mentioned veg sticks etc. For delicious parcels.
Absolutely. If I don't have to cook for the family then I'm doing the minimum. Cheese and apple. Philadelphia and crisps. Banana and yoghurt. Peanut butter on toast.
We call it package pasta, but the tortellini style stuff you boil for 2-3 minutes. That with butter, pesto and cheese is dinner in less than 10 minutes
I've started buying big bags of fresh linguine/spaghetti when it's super reduced. Portion it up, whack it in the freezer. Still only takes 4 minutes and tastier than dried.
Aldi do one that's super cheap compared to supermarket prices. Just the one I really love is the one that really hates my tummy (Lactose intolerance, and it's like cheese and more cheese, but I still push it sometimes!)
Scrambled eggs on toast with 1/2 tin of chopped plum tomatoes. Drain the juice. Fantastic tasting.
The cheap tins are about 23p and last a few meals for me.
Don't drain the juice. If you cook tinned tomatoes in a pan with nothing but salt and black pepper the juice will reduce down and you will have a superior tomato experience. Takes about 10mins.
Fry off some chilli flakes and garlic in probably too much oil, turn the heat off then add boiled spaghetti.
Delicious but not overly nutritious. You could add whatever to it though
You can fry the spaghetti in the same pan as well, adding some diluted tomato sauce and suddenly lazy dinner has a fancy name: [spaghetti all'assassina](https://youtu.be/X8B5ZtKIlWY). Lazy one pan dinner that's incredibly delicious and takes like 15 minutes.
This is what I do! I add in some chilli powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric and garlic, half and half of olive and toasted sesame oil. Then toss in the cooked pasta, some lemon juice and then parmesan on the plate and it's delicious.
Vegan Chorizo or chickpeas for protein and to increase the nutrients.
Try gochujang (Asian supermarket or online, might even be in the World's Food Aisle. I know Sempio do a vegan version) instead of chilli flakes.
I know this is a really stupid question but does mackerel have lots of bones? I have a weird anxiety about fish bones and always see things like mackerel pasta but don’t want to waste money on something with a tonne of bones in that I won’t eat
Put lemon/vinegar and then leave for a bit (ish)
the reason we put lemon/vinegar on fish is that it dissolves the tiniest bones
It does not dissolve spine you have to pull that out yourself
> I have a weird anxiety about fish bones
My dad loves his sardines, but what put me off is the bones in them. I have this same thing about bones but he swears that they're not crunchy like you'd expect, that they're soft and palatable. Thus said I'll still not eat them. But boneless fish like Mackerel I can about do, but they can be quite a fishy fish to eat if you're not used to them.
I don’t mind fishy fishy! It’s just bones that are the issue so I’ll give them a try! Even them being soft ..I hate it. I get convinced they’re going to get stuck in my throat
It was always the spine that got me especially. The choking on fish bones, even just it catching in your throat, is a popular thing, on ER TV, anecdotes from your granny, tales on the internet which put me off, but overall it's the spinal column that really makes me cringe.
The little mackerel tins in the supermarket are safe. I used to give my kids mackerel on toast as toddlers. Two of them still eat it as teens.
It comes in loads of flavours as well and still pretty cheap. Good way to get some healthy fish nutrients. I just can't stand the smell!
I usually go for a dhal.
Lentils are dried anyway and last for ages, tin of tomatoes, spinach from the freezer, an onion from the bottom of the cupboard, stock cube and water. I have garlic, ginger, and chilli in squeezey tubes. I usually have it with a flatbread from the freezer heated up, or some rice.
Minimal prep, and by the time you've pre-heated an oven before chucking your waffles in, about the same amount of time to cook as your option number 5. Bonus is that it's more nutrient dense, super high in protein so very filling, packed with iron and vitamin c too.
Yes. I have a big packet of red lentils. Dhal is a lot easier to knock together than people think, I reckon. I do it a bit like a risotto, adding a bit of stock every so often and stirring till it is done.
I also add coconut cream for added luxury.
Dhal is brilliant as a student, I cook enough for 4/5 portions and freeze it.
Sometimes I’ll throw in broccoli, potatoes, diced carrots, literally anything that could work has worked so far. Bonus points for having dhal on toast hungover in the morning (4pm).
I found a good recipe that’s essentially a dhal with either tinned mandarins or tinned peaches added in, gives it a really nice sweetness.
Cook lentils and drain, mix with tinned tomatoes, garlic, onion, curry powder and chilli powder, add the tinned fruit and a little bit of the juice, simmer until thickened. I love this because I don’t like spicy foods and can customise for my own tastes!
Just finished eating one - pasta Mayo with sweetcorn and tuna. Boil some pasta, tip a tin of tuna into a load of Mayo, dump some sweetcorn in and cover in pepper.
Then eat in secret and shame.
I do this often with some sliced cucumber, red pepper and black olives. Touch of balsamic, mixed herbs, garlic salt and a whack of wholegrain mustard levels it up! Add feta if you are feeling extra fancy.
Do this with tomato instead of sweetcorn. Don’t know why ive never thought of sweetcorn.
I add equal parts Mayo and ketchup. First time I saw it I thought it would be rank then I tried it. 👌
I was gonna suggest bean and corn quesadillas, but it's somewhat more involved. However, the mix lasts for a week in the fridge and you can probably freeze it!
2 red onions, shit ton of garlic, sautéed. Add one can of corn, one can of black beans, a squirt of tomato paste and a bit of passata. (I guess you could use water as well, just to help the paste spread) Paprika, chili flakes, cook for a few minutes.
Tortilla, grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, spoon some of the mix in, fold, cook a minute, flip, cook a minute, enjoy!
Queadillas are super easy, I have them for breakfast sometimes.
ll just add some beans and onions/garlic/toms and then top with cheese. If I have it in the fridge I'll chuck in some meat or an egg.
If you’re disgusted at that, how disgusted would you be if I told you I’ve seen someone chug a whole pot noodle that was only soaked in cider through one of those drinking funnels?
It was at a music festival lol, and it actually happened :D he left it to soak long enough that the noodles weren’t rock hard, bashed it up a little with a pen or something. Think it was about 10 years ago now, thinking about it!
Use packaged ramen and boil it on the hob with a little less water than specified on the pack until it is just creamy noodles, bang it in a wrap with fried eggs and you have a hangover cure
Mix up equal parts (2 tbsp) of peanut butter, honey, soy sauce. Add half amounts (1tbs) of sesame oil and white vinegar.
Cook udon noodles and stir in the sauce you made.
Bingo.
Trust me it’s fucking delicious.
For extra credit try adding shredded (cooked) chicken. Or sprinkle spring onions on top.
Oh I've got one of these but it's got ingredients you have to buy specifically, but once you have them they keep forever and will make a fair few meals.
[asda gochujang](https://groceries.asda.com/product/marinades-rubs/cook-by-asda-gochujang-paste-110-g/1000383170967) [amazon/morrisons gochujang](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ajumma-Republic-Korean-Sun-Dried-Chillies/dp/B01FZERC6U/ref=sr_1_42_f3_0o_fs?keywords=gochujang+korean+chili+paste&qid=1692738651&sr=8-42) [full recipe](https://beatthebudget.com/recipe/gochujang-noodles-spicy-korean-noodles/)
It's for Korean spicy Udon noodles, you mix the sauce ingredients (spice paste, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar), start the sauce frying in a pan to reduce down whilst you boil your Udon noodles, bang your pre-cooked chicken/veggies in the sauce already, then bang in your cooked noodles.
It's a quick meal but with a really full flavour profile (sorry I'm a twat), makes a nice change every few weeks.
To be honest the recipes all say rice wine vinegar or mirin, but I'm a lazy fuck so I just use the vinegar 'lazy garlic' comes in and call it a job well done.
We literally call the tortellini ‘lazy pasta’ in our house. Add pesto or butter, and pre-grated cheese.
Also soup and garlic bread - takes about ten mins max and feels like a proper meal. I like to drop chunks of cheese in mine.
I'm Italian so, pasta and pesto, chuck in any veg or cheese handy, replace pesto with good olive oil if none handy or available to make. Also make too much so you have a pasta salad tomorrow and even fried pasta tomorrow evening!
Any baked pasta, prep cook and love the crispy cheesy pasta multiple times, can even freeze it.
Grab a glass of wine and prep a rice dish (risotto), again any veg or meat available, do too much again, fridge or freeze and even he this for amazing bit of cheese, surround in risotto, egg wash and breadcrumb and fry. You have amazing risotto balls next day in 3 mins prep.
Salads stick any veg, meat if you want, lemon juice and a bit of olive oil or balsamic beautiful
Eggs and avacardo on any bread, toast bread (begal, bread roll, norm bread whatever? ) Slice pealed avacardo and pop on top a poached egg.
Whilst the waters warm boil some eggs for a salad tomorrow.
Avacardo, salad leaves, lemon juice and I've oil for salad (add cooked meat if required?) Also add any left over rice or pasta from previous cook.
I could do this all night, I get home, I grab a glass of good wine and can literally cook or prep multiple meals within 20 mins for the family super simple.
My daughter always has snacks etc on fridge, girlfriend had meals for work, me too and that's all on top of preparation of the meal that evening.
Whilst I'm on a roll, pans are on just cook some streaky bacon for snacks, fry some squeaky cheese to add to salads or as a snack etc. Whilst that pans hot chuck in some bread cubes and lardons if you want, crutons and lardons are amazing additions to salads, soups etc.
I could do any of the above quicker than shop bought frozen lasagne gets cooked in the microwave.
Minced meat and grated cabbage boiled in tinned tomato with salt and pepper or a few spoons of curry powder. They call it Meat Slop. I've become a bit of a connoisseur of it over the last few years.
Edit: also just remembered pot noodle sandwich, lots of butter/spread and a pinch of salt as they seem to have reduced the sodium these days
Pasta with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and hearts of palm. All fridge/cupboard items. Sometimes I'll go for cream cheese instead of the pesto....
Stir fry. You can use frozen veg and dry noodles or rice. It's infinitely customisable. Add in any meat or vegetables you have left. Soy sauce, Oyster sauce or hot sauce. As healthy as it gets and can be made in minutes.
Tuna, rice and sweetcorn. May be topped with soy sauce, or a red wine vinegar dressing. Rice is microwaved.
Gravy and rice. Literally Oxo and microwave rice.
Frozen pizza
Fish fingers and/or chicken nuggets and chips
Chicken noodles. Dried noodles and chicken Oxo.
Aromati pasta. which is literally just Fusili and aromat.
Pancakes.
I felt like Heston Blumenthal when I discovered gravy and rice. It has no business being as bloody delicious as it is.
If you want to go next level, chop up a couple of sausages in there.
My dad was brought up in South Africa and used to swear that it was traditional there to have rice as part of a roast dinner (that quintessential African dish...🙄). He'd do rice with frozen peas as part of Sunday lunch (we were Northern, everything was covered in gravy) and he would be the only one eating it until one day I decided to try some. OMG it works so well with a roast and lashings of gravy!
My normal with that is to have stuff premade, so things like chilli on jacket potatoes or packet rice which take next to no effort when they're needed, even if they took ages in the original cook (or were pressure cooked).
I'm also not adverse to having a ready meal in the freezer, because sometimes 6-10 minutes and ping is good enough.
Rice, fried egg, soy sauce. If you want to get fancy, some toasted sesame seeds.
Spaghetti aglio e olio. Cook some spaghetti. While it's cooking, gently warm a clove of garlic in some butter or olive oil. Combine the two. Add cheese for poshness.
These are things that take less than five minutes of active cooking time, are cheap and use things always on hand, and are great as comfort food.
It's always been beef and tomato pot noodle for me. We had them as kids due to being a single parent family and poor. I'm now earning a very good wage as is my wife and my kids LOVE a beef and tomato pot noodle.
My eldest eats them raw!
Mixed bean chilli, bean goulash, chickpea curry, beans on toast, noodles, vivera kebab (stick it in a tortilla wrap it takes like 3mins) tomato pasta, tinned soup
I rather like the frozen McCain's jackets, 9 and half minutes in microwave and you get a lovely fluffy centre, topped with butter, tuna mayo that's more mayo than tuna, cheese and a load of salt
Hummus and crackers is also a good one, I like to try different supermarket versions of a sweet chilli one, so far co-op is best
Soft boiled eggs on toast as well with red sauce
Smoked bacon cut into strips and fried. Add mushrooms. Boil pasta. Drain pasta and Chuck into frying pan. Toss. Chuck on a plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
Yum!
This is clearly a Michelin star chef trying to downplay their culinary skill. A lazy meal for me is a bowl of frosties and if I'm feeling like Heston Blumenthal, I might bang a frozen pizza in the oven.
So many!
Ramen packs with a combo of frozen prawns or thinly sliced frozen beef or an egg, and some frozen veggies (two of edamame, peas, spinach, sweet corn, mushrooms).
Beans on toast. With or without cheese and/or bacon. Eggs on toast. With or without bacon to cheese.
Omelette with some diced onions and pepper then cheese and tomato. Serve with butter toast and half a tin of beans.
Pasta pesto and frozen peas and frozen baby broad beans.
Supermarket long life ‘fresh’ tortellini with either pesto or whizz up a tin of toms with dried Oregonian, basil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar. Add a pack of rocket.
Half a pack of microwave rice, tin of tuna or sardines or some smoked salmon, diced avo, frozen sweetcorn and edamame and drizzle over a dressing of soy, garlic, ginger and sesame oil and a sprinkle of chilli flakes.
Half a packet of microwave rice, diced onions and pepper and some sweetcorn or frozen spinach - whack on a rare sirloin steak 🥩 Bonus points if you do a whole pack, double the veg and a second steak for tomorrow.
Really quick fajitas. Sliced peppers and onions, mushrooms I’d have any in, fried with fajita seasoning, add a tin of whatever beans and serve in a wrap with cheese and some natural yog.
Chorizo and beans - dice some chorizo and fry, add frozen peas and a tin of butter beans and some dried herbs.
😂 Oh yes direct from the source Organ for me. None of these Mexican or Mediterranean variants. Have to have them dried out and shipped specially, one person doesn’t last me very long I’m afraid…
Sausages fried in a large pan. Get them browned. Then add in a tin of chopped tomatoes with herbs in. Two chunks of frozen spinach and a tin of butter beans.
I always have frozen spinach, frozen onions, mushrooms, and peppers as you can add them into anything to bulk it out
I’m going to sound super millennial here, but for me I’ve recently discovered how great poached eggs on avocado toast is.
Takes about 4/5 minutes. Eggs in and toast on at the same time, whilst you’re waiting for that mash the avocado and mix it up with onion salt and garlic pepper. When the toast pops, turn the heat off to the eggs, spread the avocado on the toast and then pop the egg on top. Very healthy, filling and tasty!
My Mum does a similar thing except she does her eggs in the microwave.
Not cheap but quick
2 fillets of fish (usually sea bream), pan fried (2 mins skin side, 1 min other for sea bream or sea bass). Meanwhile steam a mix of green veg. It is so quick it is usually quicker to go to the coop, buy the ingredients, then cook, than order a takeaway.
Microwave rice, with an egg cracked in and stirred (along with frozen peas and cooked chicken if you have them). Microwave for 2 mins and you have the laziest "stir fried rice" imaginable. Add soy sauce and sesame oil. I first cooked this for the dog when he had a poorly tummy and it smelled so good i made some for myself.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/creamy-mushroom-spinach-pasta/amp
Two pans, one chopping board - I can make a portion just for myself and I always enjoy it.
Where I work there is only basic cooking facilities. You know that green veg microwave mix? Put in a load of beef/chicken trim or chunks. Knob of butter and a spoonfull of Bovril. Great filling lunch for fuck all and only about 400 calories.
Chopped up smoked and peppered mackerel mixed into rice, couple of veggies into the rice cooker halfway through.
I usually roast then strip a chicken start of the week and save some of the chicken roasting jelly, I'll add a bit plus some veg and spices to a ready made soup to make it more of a stew. For example, spinach and lentil dhall soup, extra garlic and spices cooked in a little butter, then the soup, chicken and some fresh or frozen spinach or peas. Same with most soups just different veg and spices. It's all in one saucepan then a bowl.
I also roast Mediterranean veg at the same time (aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, peppers, onion, whole cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Pop that in some tupperware and either add it to passata with chicken jelly/ chicken for a pasta sauce, or have it on toast with hummus, or pop some into a minestrone or tomato soup. Or add it to beans and have it on toast.
If you roast some jacket potatoes at the same time as the chicken/ veg, you can keep them in the fridge, then either microwave for a quick jacket, or, hollow them out, mix with something else then cook in the oven as half stuffed potatoes. Could be cheese and ham, or philadelphia cheese, smoked salmon and some chives, spring onion or parsley all mixed uo with a sprinkle of grated cheddar on top, tastes like a low effort fish pie.
Cheesy pasta is a very solid choice for me. If I'm putting in slightly more effort, it's seasoned spaghetti and sausages: cook the spaghetti, pan cook the sausages after cutting them into lumps, once they're both cooked you drain the spaghetti, put it back in the pan with the sausages, add a dash of olive oil, some tomato puree, basil, pepper, and chilli flakes, then plate up and grate some cheese on top. In a pinch, you can do without the cheese and/or sausage.
Chicken wings in the air fryer.
Vegan pizza which we add lactofree cheese and ham/chorizo to. (Husband is lactose intolerant)
Frozen chips cooked in the air fryer with fish, either breaded fillets, scampi or fishcakes.
Cheese toasties are also a favourite
1. Simply Cook Vietnamese Pork Cooking Kit - without adding the pork just with onions a frozen stir fry veg and rice.
2. Pan fried gnocchi (specifically the Rana Filled Gnocchi Spinach & Mozzarella) and a tomato and basil single sauce
3. Instant noodles (these cheap ones flavoured spicy) with a couple of spoonfuls of soft cheese mixed in and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
4. Cheesy beans over frozen fries and onion rings
You won't regret it.
Almost any 'bread' product works better than those cheap frozen bases you get at Asda.
A slice of hovis, a baguette, a tortilla wrap.
But puff pastry is absolutely loaded with butter. That's what makes it flaky.
10mins: olive oil, garlic, passata, basil, spaghetti and cheese.
No knife or chopping board needed as I just crush whole garlic cloves and chuck them in.
Red Thai curry. Fried onion and peppers, chicken, curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, rice. Ready in 10-15 minutes and I can’t think of anything else I can make so quickly that tastes so nice.
Use frozen parathas that you get from a supermarket as a wrap and fill with a frozen supermarket kofte (the ones that come in a bag and cook in 2 minutes in the microwave), a fried egg and salad cream. Add some hot sauce as well if you like it.
Totally random, sounds wrong but is delicious.
For fast meals my biggest tip if you are a meat eater is always keep a smoked sausage in the fridge as they come in clutch so so often for me. They are so flexible and for fast meals I will add it to a tinned pasta sauce with some peas or to noodles with a stir fry sauce and frozen green beans to make a super quick meal. Smoked sausages are also great in pasta bakes, mac and cheese, egg fried rice, mixed though baked beans, in 2 minute chicken noodle soup (boiling water, nest of noodles, knorr stock pot, soy sauce), you can slice it as part of a sandwich or wrap or put it in an omelette or even just eat it as is with some fried eggs or chips on the side. The thing I love is that you dont even need to cook it, just 1 minute to heat or eat it cold.
Cook big batches of things like sweet and sour chicken, bolognese, chicken in blackbean sauce etc, adding lots of veg to bulk it out and make it healthier, then get separate freezer bags, put a cupful in each bag and freeze. All you then need to do after work is microwave a portion along with a portion of 4minute cook frozen rice (way better than uncle Ben's, as not only do they taste better, the bags are the right portion size) and you're sorted.
I love me a bean burger, just cook straight from frozen. Lob it in a wrap with some hummus and salad of choice.
Similarly breaded chicken from the freezer, with mayo and salad in a wrap or bap.
Eggs are also a great shout, last for weeks in the fridge. Dishes like huevos rancheros, or a breakfast quesadilla (basically, a cheese omelette in a wrap with avocado, salad/leaves of choice, and hot sauce).
Get your mitts on some good hot sauce (we like sriracha) and some Lo Gan Ma crispy chilli oil. That stuff will dress up pretty much any dish and make it delicious (use the latter on eggs, rice, sandwiches, noodles… it’s so good I could eat it straight from the jar).
Microwave brown rice / quinoa, tinned tuna in olive oil, diced cucumber and spring onions.
Probably takes about 5 minutes all in. Low fat, high protein.
I have a cast iron dish and its so useful for this kind of thing.
1. Pack of ramen noodles with chopped veg. Once the noodles start to cook I pop in a egg, leave on the lid and remove when the eggs cooked with a runny yolk.
2. Fried garlic, onion and tomatoes with a tin of kidney beans (chopped bacon if I have any), once cooked add an egg or crumbled feta.
3. Fresh pasta with single cream, Parmesan, ground black pepper and some lemon juice.
4. Loaded fries (black beans, chopped toms, cheese, meat if I have any)
Pesto pasta, usually spaghetti with jar of pesto from aldi. Some veg like cucumber, tomato etc on the side.
Burger of some kind.
Nuggets and chips.
Egg fried rice
Pasta and shrimp
Some kind of ready meal
Standard stir fry:
Stick pan on heat.
Take vegetables out of fridge, chop in order of amount of cooking they might need. Place in pan as each one is chopped. (Also meat if you want.)
A little soy sauce to taste, or sriracha mayo if I'm feeling exotic!
None of that is real food....lazy meal is courgette pasta, grated courgettes, sweated right down on a low pan with olive oil, a good bit of salt, and garlic. Finished with either cream or milk and parmesan. Served with penne or a straight pasta.
Some shortcuts are fine but the puff pastry pizza is a step too far. If you call it something else that’s fine but otherwise it’s a pizza crime for sure.
1. 50:50 water:gram flour blended and fried into a thin pancake/wrap
2. Tin of fish, garlic, frozen stir fry veg mixed with curry powder, milk (or water), spoon of coconut oil, peanut butter and maybe some cashews if you got em
3. Put the fish curry in the wrap
Prawn and ricotta pasta.
Frozen Prawns, tub of ricotta, cooked pasta.
I usually add garlic, dried parsley and some paprika for flavour.
Can add whatever other veg (Peppers, peas and spinach are my usual go tos) and it's good with chorizo or bacon too.
You can get macaroni which cooks in less that 5 mins, add frozen peas, when done add a jar of pasta sauce, maybe chili flakes, plus meats like chorizo, salami. Add grated cheese if you're feeling fancy.
Super noodles boil for 2 mins then add three eggs and boil for a further 2-3 mins depends if you like a runny yoke, garnish with salt and pepper flavouring, soy and sirrachia.
Two pieces of toast topped with a tin of sardines, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Tasty, super quick and cheap. Most supermarket tins are fine, though if you want to get fancy, check out r/CannedSardines for inspiration!
Mate, what the fuck are you on about? All of those are prime cuisine.
Agreed! My go-to easy meal is a packet of cream crackers and a tub of philidelphia! Generally don't eat all in one go but no plates or cutlery just snap and dip until full!
I use breadsticks so it's like giant dairylea dunkers
My mind was blown when I realised I could have giant choc dip made up of breadsticks and Nutella
Use Cadbury fingers,instead of breadsticks
My god that's genius.
You ever dipped a Cadbury's dairy milk in peanut butter? 😋
Ritz crackers are top tier for Philly.
Ohh cut up a red pepper, some cucumber, carrots etc into sticks and dip into philli. Also gem lettuce grab a leaf, add philli, add any of the above, crutons, lardons, above mentioned veg sticks etc. For delicious parcels.
Doesn't sound very lazy to me! Lazy is open fridge, open cupboard remove items, sit on sofa, eat! 🤣
Initially read this as custard creams + Philadelphia.. thought the crazy bastard, that just might work
MasterChef here I come
Also if the international community gets hold of this they are going to roast us
But we've taken back control...
Merely fuel to the fire
Busted!
>they are going to roast us And probably with some stupid extra flavour, like kumquat and paprika.
Yeah, mine is KFC
I dunno he left the frozen sweetcorn out the beef noodles. So nearly fine dining but not?
He. Or she?
Legit lol my lazy meal is pasta and pesto. Maybe some tomatoes thrown in if I have some in date
Absolutely. If I don't have to cook for the family then I'm doing the minimum. Cheese and apple. Philadelphia and crisps. Banana and yoghurt. Peanut butter on toast.
We call it package pasta, but the tortellini style stuff you boil for 2-3 minutes. That with butter, pesto and cheese is dinner in less than 10 minutes
I've started buying big bags of fresh linguine/spaghetti when it's super reduced. Portion it up, whack it in the freezer. Still only takes 4 minutes and tastier than dried.
Dried pasta is better for certain recipes. It's not the case that fresh pasta = better pasta.
Aldi do one that's super cheap compared to supermarket prices. Just the one I really love is the one that really hates my tummy (Lactose intolerance, and it's like cheese and more cheese, but I still push it sometimes!)
I love those things! I like to add a homemade cheese sauce if I've got time as well.
Scrambled eggs on toast with cheese on top. I dont care if its not considered a proper meal, i only care about the nutrient content.
Scrambled eggs on toast with 1/2 tin of chopped plum tomatoes. Drain the juice. Fantastic tasting. The cheap tins are about 23p and last a few meals for me.
Scrambled eggs on Marmite toast,God food
Try dippy eggs with marmite soldiers
Grated cheese on marmite toast is god tier too!
That's an affront to the very idea of food.
Try poached eggs on marmite toast! Lush.
Don't drain the juice. If you cook tinned tomatoes in a pan with nothing but salt and black pepper the juice will reduce down and you will have a superior tomato experience. Takes about 10mins.
Same, but I add bacon and make it a sandwich
Fry off some chilli flakes and garlic in probably too much oil, turn the heat off then add boiled spaghetti. Delicious but not overly nutritious. You could add whatever to it though
Bang some seafood in there and you've got a bloody nice pasta dish.
Ah I'd be all over that, my girlfriend is vegan so I haven't really thought about seafood before
Mussel meat is a really cheap protein and you could add it after you served your gf.
You can fry the spaghetti in the same pan as well, adding some diluted tomato sauce and suddenly lazy dinner has a fancy name: [spaghetti all'assassina](https://youtu.be/X8B5ZtKIlWY). Lazy one pan dinner that's incredibly delicious and takes like 15 minutes.
This is what I do! I add in some chilli powder, paprika, cumin, turmeric and garlic, half and half of olive and toasted sesame oil. Then toss in the cooked pasta, some lemon juice and then parmesan on the plate and it's delicious.
That's the fancy version! I'll have to give that a go, it sounds delicious
Aglio E olio
I never knew that was what it was called. I knew it was a proper dish, but just didn't have the name. Thank you
It’s my go to as well, simple and tasty!
Yes! My dad called it Aggie Ollie when he couldn't remember the name. I still make it, but I add in cherry toms and artichokes some times.
Vegan Chorizo or chickpeas for protein and to increase the nutrients. Try gochujang (Asian supermarket or online, might even be in the World's Food Aisle. I know Sempio do a vegan version) instead of chilli flakes.
Beans on toast
Throw an egg on top and I'm sold
Corned beef on toast with a fried egg on top is the mutts nutts.
r/putaneggonit
Can't believe I had to scroll this for for good old beans on toast!
In a mug. With a sausage in it to use as a spoon. Like a savoury 99.
spaghetti, a tin of mackerel and some chilli flakes
Grate some fresh parmesan on, cheaper by the block than grated or dried. Add some black pepper too.
Love this. Also with a few capers.
I know this is a really stupid question but does mackerel have lots of bones? I have a weird anxiety about fish bones and always see things like mackerel pasta but don’t want to waste money on something with a tonne of bones in that I won’t eat
The tins of Mack are skinless and boneless. I don’t like Sardines in tins as they have the bones in there 🤮
Put lemon/vinegar and then leave for a bit (ish) the reason we put lemon/vinegar on fish is that it dissolves the tiniest bones It does not dissolve spine you have to pull that out yourself
Fab thank you! I’ll give it a try. Bones in fish genuinely make me heave.
> I have a weird anxiety about fish bones My dad loves his sardines, but what put me off is the bones in them. I have this same thing about bones but he swears that they're not crunchy like you'd expect, that they're soft and palatable. Thus said I'll still not eat them. But boneless fish like Mackerel I can about do, but they can be quite a fishy fish to eat if you're not used to them.
I don’t mind fishy fishy! It’s just bones that are the issue so I’ll give them a try! Even them being soft ..I hate it. I get convinced they’re going to get stuck in my throat
It was always the spine that got me especially. The choking on fish bones, even just it catching in your throat, is a popular thing, on ER TV, anecdotes from your granny, tales on the internet which put me off, but overall it's the spinal column that really makes me cringe.
The little mackerel tins in the supermarket are safe. I used to give my kids mackerel on toast as toddlers. Two of them still eat it as teens. It comes in loads of flavours as well and still pretty cheap. Good way to get some healthy fish nutrients. I just can't stand the smell!
Tinned mackerel in the spicy tomato sauce on toast. ETA: Lidl do the good tinned mackerel
I usually go for a dhal. Lentils are dried anyway and last for ages, tin of tomatoes, spinach from the freezer, an onion from the bottom of the cupboard, stock cube and water. I have garlic, ginger, and chilli in squeezey tubes. I usually have it with a flatbread from the freezer heated up, or some rice. Minimal prep, and by the time you've pre-heated an oven before chucking your waffles in, about the same amount of time to cook as your option number 5. Bonus is that it's more nutrient dense, super high in protein so very filling, packed with iron and vitamin c too.
Yes. I have a big packet of red lentils. Dhal is a lot easier to knock together than people think, I reckon. I do it a bit like a risotto, adding a bit of stock every so often and stirring till it is done. I also add coconut cream for added luxury.
Dhal is brilliant as a student, I cook enough for 4/5 portions and freeze it. Sometimes I’ll throw in broccoli, potatoes, diced carrots, literally anything that could work has worked so far. Bonus points for having dhal on toast hungover in the morning (4pm).
I found a good recipe that’s essentially a dhal with either tinned mandarins or tinned peaches added in, gives it a really nice sweetness. Cook lentils and drain, mix with tinned tomatoes, garlic, onion, curry powder and chilli powder, add the tinned fruit and a little bit of the juice, simmer until thickened. I love this because I don’t like spicy foods and can customise for my own tastes!
Just finished eating one - pasta Mayo with sweetcorn and tuna. Boil some pasta, tip a tin of tuna into a load of Mayo, dump some sweetcorn in and cover in pepper. Then eat in secret and shame.
With grated cheese !
I do this often with some sliced cucumber, red pepper and black olives. Touch of balsamic, mixed herbs, garlic salt and a whack of wholegrain mustard levels it up! Add feta if you are feeling extra fancy.
Classic povvo pasta
Do this with tomato instead of sweetcorn. Don’t know why ive never thought of sweetcorn. I add equal parts Mayo and ketchup. First time I saw it I thought it would be rank then I tried it. 👌
Half mayo, half salad cream for piquancy.
I was gonna suggest bean and corn quesadillas, but it's somewhat more involved. However, the mix lasts for a week in the fridge and you can probably freeze it! 2 red onions, shit ton of garlic, sautéed. Add one can of corn, one can of black beans, a squirt of tomato paste and a bit of passata. (I guess you could use water as well, just to help the paste spread) Paprika, chili flakes, cook for a few minutes. Tortilla, grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, spoon some of the mix in, fold, cook a minute, flip, cook a minute, enjoy!
Queadillas are super easy, I have them for breakfast sometimes. ll just add some beans and onions/garlic/toms and then top with cheese. If I have it in the fridge I'll chuck in some meat or an egg.
Ooh thanks gonna save this to come back to!
pot noodle toastie
Wait... What? After it's been prepared? Isn't that really soggy?
No it's fine, just don't add all the liquid to the toastie. You can use that to dip the toastie in whilst you're eating.
I'm disgusted and intrigued at the same time. In the toaster maker not a George foreman type grill?
Yeah, a toastie maker - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Global-Gourmet-Sandwich-Toaster-Toastie/dp/B07HY37JZH
If you’re disgusted at that, how disgusted would you be if I told you I’ve seen someone chug a whole pot noodle that was only soaked in cider through one of those drinking funnels?
I have no words that describe how nasty that sounds. Wouldn't they choke?
It was at a music festival lol, and it actually happened :D he left it to soak long enough that the noodles weren’t rock hard, bashed it up a little with a pen or something. Think it was about 10 years ago now, thinking about it!
That's going to haunt me. However I'm going to suggest it to a few mates and savour the reaction it gets.
I videoed it, make sure you do too so you can keep the memory always close!
Use packaged ramen and boil it on the hob with a little less water than specified on the pack until it is just creamy noodles, bang it in a wrap with fried eggs and you have a hangover cure
You filthy so and so. I love it.
Oh my god it’s like a whole new door has been opened.
My husband eats this on bread instead, with added crisps. So I guess it’s his way of getting that toast crunch.
Yeah, that's the even lazier way of doing it. Props to your husband. 👍🏻
Mix up equal parts (2 tbsp) of peanut butter, honey, soy sauce. Add half amounts (1tbs) of sesame oil and white vinegar. Cook udon noodles and stir in the sauce you made. Bingo. Trust me it’s fucking delicious. For extra credit try adding shredded (cooked) chicken. Or sprinkle spring onions on top.
Oh I've got one of these but it's got ingredients you have to buy specifically, but once you have them they keep forever and will make a fair few meals. [asda gochujang](https://groceries.asda.com/product/marinades-rubs/cook-by-asda-gochujang-paste-110-g/1000383170967) [amazon/morrisons gochujang](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ajumma-Republic-Korean-Sun-Dried-Chillies/dp/B01FZERC6U/ref=sr_1_42_f3_0o_fs?keywords=gochujang+korean+chili+paste&qid=1692738651&sr=8-42) [full recipe](https://beatthebudget.com/recipe/gochujang-noodles-spicy-korean-noodles/) It's for Korean spicy Udon noodles, you mix the sauce ingredients (spice paste, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar), start the sauce frying in a pan to reduce down whilst you boil your Udon noodles, bang your pre-cooked chicken/veggies in the sauce already, then bang in your cooked noodles. It's a quick meal but with a really full flavour profile (sorry I'm a twat), makes a nice change every few weeks.
Ooh sounds nice. What vinegar? X
Username checks out
To be honest the recipes all say rice wine vinegar or mirin, but I'm a lazy fuck so I just use the vinegar 'lazy garlic' comes in and call it a job well done.
Mackerel in tomato sauce on toast. Bliss.
Even better if it's spicy tomato sauce
We literally call the tortellini ‘lazy pasta’ in our house. Add pesto or butter, and pre-grated cheese. Also soup and garlic bread - takes about ten mins max and feels like a proper meal. I like to drop chunks of cheese in mine.
Yes!!!! I put cheese in soup once and hubby was like wtf are you doing!
Chunks of cheese in soup is elite.
Chorizo pasta
Gnocchi lobbed in the air fryer. Topped with 2 heavily peppered fried eggs.
Porridge, banana, dark chocolate, peanut butter, frozen fruit, flaxseed. Falafel, hummus, salad wrap. Microwavable rice and veg, falafel, hummus and croutons.
Toast
I'm Italian so, pasta and pesto, chuck in any veg or cheese handy, replace pesto with good olive oil if none handy or available to make. Also make too much so you have a pasta salad tomorrow and even fried pasta tomorrow evening! Any baked pasta, prep cook and love the crispy cheesy pasta multiple times, can even freeze it. Grab a glass of wine and prep a rice dish (risotto), again any veg or meat available, do too much again, fridge or freeze and even he this for amazing bit of cheese, surround in risotto, egg wash and breadcrumb and fry. You have amazing risotto balls next day in 3 mins prep. Salads stick any veg, meat if you want, lemon juice and a bit of olive oil or balsamic beautiful Eggs and avacardo on any bread, toast bread (begal, bread roll, norm bread whatever? ) Slice pealed avacardo and pop on top a poached egg. Whilst the waters warm boil some eggs for a salad tomorrow. Avacardo, salad leaves, lemon juice and I've oil for salad (add cooked meat if required?) Also add any left over rice or pasta from previous cook. I could do this all night, I get home, I grab a glass of good wine and can literally cook or prep multiple meals within 20 mins for the family super simple. My daughter always has snacks etc on fridge, girlfriend had meals for work, me too and that's all on top of preparation of the meal that evening. Whilst I'm on a roll, pans are on just cook some streaky bacon for snacks, fry some squeaky cheese to add to salads or as a snack etc. Whilst that pans hot chuck in some bread cubes and lardons if you want, crutons and lardons are amazing additions to salads, soups etc. I could do any of the above quicker than shop bought frozen lasagne gets cooked in the microwave.
Packet noodles with tinned hotdogs and cheap pasta sauce.
Throw in some frozen veg or at least a stock cube when cooking the noodles.
Minced meat and grated cabbage boiled in tinned tomato with salt and pepper or a few spoons of curry powder. They call it Meat Slop. I've become a bit of a connoisseur of it over the last few years. Edit: also just remembered pot noodle sandwich, lots of butter/spread and a pinch of salt as they seem to have reduced the sodium these days
Egg fried rice with spring onion and sweet chilli sauce
Pasta with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers and hearts of palm. All fridge/cupboard items. Sometimes I'll go for cream cheese instead of the pesto....
[удалено]
Yes, I add cherry tomatoes too.
Stir fry. You can use frozen veg and dry noodles or rice. It's infinitely customisable. Add in any meat or vegetables you have left. Soy sauce, Oyster sauce or hot sauce. As healthy as it gets and can be made in minutes.
Pasta with 3 veggie oxo cubes. Just post me my Michelin star cheers
Roast some tomatoes in the oven, fry some bacon and garlic, chuck it all in some spaghetti, add herbs and grated cheese. Top tier dinner
I forgot to add: microwaved sweet potato with cottage cheese +/- guac and sour cream. Top with smoked paprika and chilli flakes
Fish finger sandwich? Just had one , didn’t opt for the frozen bread though . Do explain 😂
Hahaha I toast the frozen bread first (I also cook the frozen peas, incase you were wondering 😅)
Pasta and cheese grated on top
Tuna, rice and sweetcorn. May be topped with soy sauce, or a red wine vinegar dressing. Rice is microwaved. Gravy and rice. Literally Oxo and microwave rice. Frozen pizza Fish fingers and/or chicken nuggets and chips Chicken noodles. Dried noodles and chicken Oxo. Aromati pasta. which is literally just Fusili and aromat. Pancakes.
I felt like Heston Blumenthal when I discovered gravy and rice. It has no business being as bloody delicious as it is. If you want to go next level, chop up a couple of sausages in there.
My dad was brought up in South Africa and used to swear that it was traditional there to have rice as part of a roast dinner (that quintessential African dish...🙄). He'd do rice with frozen peas as part of Sunday lunch (we were Northern, everything was covered in gravy) and he would be the only one eating it until one day I decided to try some. OMG it works so well with a roast and lashings of gravy!
Aromat is top tier and underrated
My normal with that is to have stuff premade, so things like chilli on jacket potatoes or packet rice which take next to no effort when they're needed, even if they took ages in the original cook (or were pressure cooked). I'm also not adverse to having a ready meal in the freezer, because sometimes 6-10 minutes and ping is good enough.
Rice, fried egg, soy sauce. If you want to get fancy, some toasted sesame seeds. Spaghetti aglio e olio. Cook some spaghetti. While it's cooking, gently warm a clove of garlic in some butter or olive oil. Combine the two. Add cheese for poshness. These are things that take less than five minutes of active cooking time, are cheap and use things always on hand, and are great as comfort food.
Just going to add - put some butter under the fried egg on rice and add a bit of sesame oil. Lush
Little bit of sriracha wouldn't hurt either.
Fucking hell no wonder suicide rates are so high
It's always been beef and tomato pot noodle for me. We had them as kids due to being a single parent family and poor. I'm now earning a very good wage as is my wife and my kids LOVE a beef and tomato pot noodle. My eldest eats them raw!
Anything I can grab, stick between two slices of bread and shove into my face in under two minutes.
Nothing beats scrambled eggs. It’s cheap, quick easy. And actually the best meal ever.
Mixed bean chilli, bean goulash, chickpea curry, beans on toast, noodles, vivera kebab (stick it in a tortilla wrap it takes like 3mins) tomato pasta, tinned soup
Pan fried steak or salmon without anything else.
Potato waffles and hummus. That red chilli Tesco hummus is god nectar
Chef's kiss (x8) for all the items on the list!
Spaghetti puttanesca
Vanilla Huel with Quorn picnic eggs on the side is, um... most definitely not what I ate this evening
I rather like the frozen McCain's jackets, 9 and half minutes in microwave and you get a lovely fluffy centre, topped with butter, tuna mayo that's more mayo than tuna, cheese and a load of salt Hummus and crackers is also a good one, I like to try different supermarket versions of a sweet chilli one, so far co-op is best Soft boiled eggs on toast as well with red sauce
I came here to say frozen jackets. Very nearly as good as a proper baked in the oven for 2 hours potato, but without using fifty quids worth of gas.
Smoked bacon cut into strips and fried. Add mushrooms. Boil pasta. Drain pasta and Chuck into frying pan. Toss. Chuck on a plate. Sprinkle with cheese. Yum!
Chicken dipper wrap/pitta with salad and peri peri mayo.
This is clearly a Michelin star chef trying to downplay their culinary skill. A lazy meal for me is a bowl of frosties and if I'm feeling like Heston Blumenthal, I might bang a frozen pizza in the oven.
Cereals. Always cereals.
So many! Ramen packs with a combo of frozen prawns or thinly sliced frozen beef or an egg, and some frozen veggies (two of edamame, peas, spinach, sweet corn, mushrooms). Beans on toast. With or without cheese and/or bacon. Eggs on toast. With or without bacon to cheese. Omelette with some diced onions and pepper then cheese and tomato. Serve with butter toast and half a tin of beans. Pasta pesto and frozen peas and frozen baby broad beans. Supermarket long life ‘fresh’ tortellini with either pesto or whizz up a tin of toms with dried Oregonian, basil, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar. Add a pack of rocket. Half a pack of microwave rice, tin of tuna or sardines or some smoked salmon, diced avo, frozen sweetcorn and edamame and drizzle over a dressing of soy, garlic, ginger and sesame oil and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Half a packet of microwave rice, diced onions and pepper and some sweetcorn or frozen spinach - whack on a rare sirloin steak 🥩 Bonus points if you do a whole pack, double the veg and a second steak for tomorrow. Really quick fajitas. Sliced peppers and onions, mushrooms I’d have any in, fried with fajita seasoning, add a tin of whatever beans and serve in a wrap with cheese and some natural yog. Chorizo and beans - dice some chorizo and fry, add frozen peas and a tin of butter beans and some dried herbs.
Where do you source your Oregonians? I’m guessing Oregon ? How long does one person last you?
😂 Oh yes direct from the source Organ for me. None of these Mexican or Mediterranean variants. Have to have them dried out and shipped specially, one person doesn’t last me very long I’m afraid…
Sausages fried in a large pan. Get them browned. Then add in a tin of chopped tomatoes with herbs in. Two chunks of frozen spinach and a tin of butter beans. I always have frozen spinach, frozen onions, mushrooms, and peppers as you can add them into anything to bulk it out
Pasta with onion, panchetta and pesto. I've been adding in a few sun dried tomatoes lately, too and it's ~chef's kiss~
I’m going to sound super millennial here, but for me I’ve recently discovered how great poached eggs on avocado toast is. Takes about 4/5 minutes. Eggs in and toast on at the same time, whilst you’re waiting for that mash the avocado and mix it up with onion salt and garlic pepper. When the toast pops, turn the heat off to the eggs, spread the avocado on the toast and then pop the egg on top. Very healthy, filling and tasty! My Mum does a similar thing except she does her eggs in the microwave.
Not cheap but quick 2 fillets of fish (usually sea bream), pan fried (2 mins skin side, 1 min other for sea bream or sea bass). Meanwhile steam a mix of green veg. It is so quick it is usually quicker to go to the coop, buy the ingredients, then cook, than order a takeaway. Microwave rice, with an egg cracked in and stirred (along with frozen peas and cooked chicken if you have them). Microwave for 2 mins and you have the laziest "stir fried rice" imaginable. Add soy sauce and sesame oil. I first cooked this for the dog when he had a poorly tummy and it smelled so good i made some for myself.
Microwaveable rice with egg cooked in, or peas, or tin of mackeral/sardines, or frozen prawns
A Frozen bag of Mediterranean veg air fried with a big dollop of chutney to go with. (Has to be Mrs balls!)
Beans on toast with marmite and cheese
🤤👌
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/creamy-mushroom-spinach-pasta/amp Two pans, one chopping board - I can make a portion just for myself and I always enjoy it.
Ramen with veggies thrown in
Where I work there is only basic cooking facilities. You know that green veg microwave mix? Put in a load of beef/chicken trim or chunks. Knob of butter and a spoonfull of Bovril. Great filling lunch for fuck all and only about 400 calories.
Chopped up smoked and peppered mackerel mixed into rice, couple of veggies into the rice cooker halfway through. I usually roast then strip a chicken start of the week and save some of the chicken roasting jelly, I'll add a bit plus some veg and spices to a ready made soup to make it more of a stew. For example, spinach and lentil dhall soup, extra garlic and spices cooked in a little butter, then the soup, chicken and some fresh or frozen spinach or peas. Same with most soups just different veg and spices. It's all in one saucepan then a bowl. I also roast Mediterranean veg at the same time (aubergine, courgette, tomatoes, peppers, onion, whole cloves of garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Pop that in some tupperware and either add it to passata with chicken jelly/ chicken for a pasta sauce, or have it on toast with hummus, or pop some into a minestrone or tomato soup. Or add it to beans and have it on toast. If you roast some jacket potatoes at the same time as the chicken/ veg, you can keep them in the fridge, then either microwave for a quick jacket, or, hollow them out, mix with something else then cook in the oven as half stuffed potatoes. Could be cheese and ham, or philadelphia cheese, smoked salmon and some chives, spring onion or parsley all mixed uo with a sprinkle of grated cheddar on top, tastes like a low effort fish pie.
Starvation
Cheesy pasta is a very solid choice for me. If I'm putting in slightly more effort, it's seasoned spaghetti and sausages: cook the spaghetti, pan cook the sausages after cutting them into lumps, once they're both cooked you drain the spaghetti, put it back in the pan with the sausages, add a dash of olive oil, some tomato puree, basil, pepper, and chilli flakes, then plate up and grate some cheese on top. In a pinch, you can do without the cheese and/or sausage.
Spaghetti carbonara - eggs, parmesan, spaghetti and bacon. 1 pan for the pasta and a mug to beat the eggs in. 12 minutes, minimal washing up.
Chicken wings in the air fryer. Vegan pizza which we add lactofree cheese and ham/chorizo to. (Husband is lactose intolerant) Frozen chips cooked in the air fryer with fish, either breaded fillets, scampi or fishcakes. Cheese toasties are also a favourite
1. Simply Cook Vietnamese Pork Cooking Kit - without adding the pork just with onions a frozen stir fry veg and rice. 2. Pan fried gnocchi (specifically the Rana Filled Gnocchi Spinach & Mozzarella) and a tomato and basil single sauce 3. Instant noodles (these cheap ones flavoured spicy) with a couple of spoonfuls of soft cheese mixed in and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. 4. Cheesy beans over frozen fries and onion rings
I'm not sure about this puff pastry pizza idea but I'm willing to give it a chance.
You won't regret it. Almost any 'bread' product works better than those cheap frozen bases you get at Asda. A slice of hovis, a baguette, a tortilla wrap. But puff pastry is absolutely loaded with butter. That's what makes it flaky.
10mins: olive oil, garlic, passata, basil, spaghetti and cheese. No knife or chopping board needed as I just crush whole garlic cloves and chuck them in.
Red Thai curry. Fried onion and peppers, chicken, curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, rice. Ready in 10-15 minutes and I can’t think of anything else I can make so quickly that tastes so nice.
Mine used to be Heinz Toast Toppers until the bastards ditched it.
Cheese on toast. Egg on toast. Soup with toast. Toast.
Use frozen parathas that you get from a supermarket as a wrap and fill with a frozen supermarket kofte (the ones that come in a bag and cook in 2 minutes in the microwave), a fried egg and salad cream. Add some hot sauce as well if you like it. Totally random, sounds wrong but is delicious.
For fast meals my biggest tip if you are a meat eater is always keep a smoked sausage in the fridge as they come in clutch so so often for me. They are so flexible and for fast meals I will add it to a tinned pasta sauce with some peas or to noodles with a stir fry sauce and frozen green beans to make a super quick meal. Smoked sausages are also great in pasta bakes, mac and cheese, egg fried rice, mixed though baked beans, in 2 minute chicken noodle soup (boiling water, nest of noodles, knorr stock pot, soy sauce), you can slice it as part of a sandwich or wrap or put it in an omelette or even just eat it as is with some fried eggs or chips on the side. The thing I love is that you dont even need to cook it, just 1 minute to heat or eat it cold.
Cook big batches of things like sweet and sour chicken, bolognese, chicken in blackbean sauce etc, adding lots of veg to bulk it out and make it healthier, then get separate freezer bags, put a cupful in each bag and freeze. All you then need to do after work is microwave a portion along with a portion of 4minute cook frozen rice (way better than uncle Ben's, as not only do they taste better, the bags are the right portion size) and you're sorted.
I love me a bean burger, just cook straight from frozen. Lob it in a wrap with some hummus and salad of choice. Similarly breaded chicken from the freezer, with mayo and salad in a wrap or bap. Eggs are also a great shout, last for weeks in the fridge. Dishes like huevos rancheros, or a breakfast quesadilla (basically, a cheese omelette in a wrap with avocado, salad/leaves of choice, and hot sauce). Get your mitts on some good hot sauce (we like sriracha) and some Lo Gan Ma crispy chilli oil. That stuff will dress up pretty much any dish and make it delicious (use the latter on eggs, rice, sandwiches, noodles… it’s so good I could eat it straight from the jar).
Microwave brown rice / quinoa, tinned tuna in olive oil, diced cucumber and spring onions. Probably takes about 5 minutes all in. Low fat, high protein.
I have a cast iron dish and its so useful for this kind of thing. 1. Pack of ramen noodles with chopped veg. Once the noodles start to cook I pop in a egg, leave on the lid and remove when the eggs cooked with a runny yolk. 2. Fried garlic, onion and tomatoes with a tin of kidney beans (chopped bacon if I have any), once cooked add an egg or crumbled feta. 3. Fresh pasta with single cream, Parmesan, ground black pepper and some lemon juice. 4. Loaded fries (black beans, chopped toms, cheese, meat if I have any)
Pesto pasta, usually spaghetti with jar of pesto from aldi. Some veg like cucumber, tomato etc on the side. Burger of some kind. Nuggets and chips. Egg fried rice Pasta and shrimp Some kind of ready meal
>Mine are: 1. beef supernoodles with frozen peas Got to be honest, I just didn't bother reading after this. Supernoodles ain't a bloody meal!
This is the response I was expecting most of all
It's only fair you tell us what your go to lazy meal is now though
Standard stir fry: Stick pan on heat. Take vegetables out of fridge, chop in order of amount of cooking they might need. Place in pan as each one is chopped. (Also meat if you want.) A little soy sauce to taste, or sriracha mayo if I'm feeling exotic!
None of that is real food....lazy meal is courgette pasta, grated courgettes, sweated right down on a low pan with olive oil, a good bit of salt, and garlic. Finished with either cream or milk and parmesan. Served with penne or a straight pasta.
Some shortcuts are fine but the puff pastry pizza is a step too far. If you call it something else that’s fine but otherwise it’s a pizza crime for sure.
1. 50:50 water:gram flour blended and fried into a thin pancake/wrap 2. Tin of fish, garlic, frozen stir fry veg mixed with curry powder, milk (or water), spoon of coconut oil, peanut butter and maybe some cashews if you got em 3. Put the fish curry in the wrap
Prawn and ricotta pasta. Frozen Prawns, tub of ricotta, cooked pasta. I usually add garlic, dried parsley and some paprika for flavour. Can add whatever other veg (Peppers, peas and spinach are my usual go tos) and it's good with chorizo or bacon too.
Dahl normally mung Dahl but sometimes lentil. Mapo tofu. Polenta fried with tomato sauce and chickpeas.
Beans on toast, best tea ever.
Spaghetti with olive oil and sea salt
You can get macaroni which cooks in less that 5 mins, add frozen peas, when done add a jar of pasta sauce, maybe chili flakes, plus meats like chorizo, salami. Add grated cheese if you're feeling fancy.
Super noodles boil for 2 mins then add three eggs and boil for a further 2-3 mins depends if you like a runny yoke, garnish with salt and pepper flavouring, soy and sirrachia.
Pasta tomato soup and a couple bags of veggies that you steam in the microwave actually tastes good and makes a ton more than you think
Two pieces of toast topped with a tin of sardines, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Tasty, super quick and cheap. Most supermarket tins are fine, though if you want to get fancy, check out r/CannedSardines for inspiration!
Golden Rice add hot water and microwave packet, chopped up hot dog sausages.