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Maybe you’re wedding planning, or maybe you’re a wedding vendor working hard to help your brides’ dreams come to life. The truth is – wedding festivities can make life feel busy quickly! And sometimes, the last thing you want to think about is what to make for dinner.
These aren’t recipes that require 47 ingredients, three hours of prep, or a kitchen that looks like a Food Network set. They’re easy. They’re filling. They’re perfect for those nights when you are tired, and your brain has officially clocked out.
So save this list for the next time your busy season in life has you wondering, “What can I make for dinner that requires the absolute minimum amount of effort?”
During my busy seasons, I have a few requirements for dinner:
It needs to be easy.
I don’t have the mental capacity to follow a complicated recipe after a long day during busy seasons of life.
It needs to be quick.
The sooner I can eat, the sooner I can get horizontal.
It needs to be filling.
We’re not surviving busy seasons of life on coffee and granola bars.
It needs to create minimal dishes.
Because the last thing anyone wants to do after dinner is stare at a sink full of dishes.
And leftovers are always a bonus.
If tonight’s dinner can become tomorrow’s lunch, even better.
With that in mind, here are some of our favorite easy meals for surviving busy seasons of life.
@itsmesaramartinez If you’re someone who despises making dinner 👋🏼 welcome to my series dumb dinners. I’m on a mission to create dinners with the least amount of ingredients and the least amount of steps possible. Dinner so easy they’re kinda dumb. Dumb Dinners, Episode 22: Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Bake What you’ll need: 1 can Pillsbury Grands biscuits (16.3 oz, 8 count) 1 rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked shredded chicken (about 2 cups shredded) 1 bag baby spinach (5 oz) 1 jar alfredo sauce (15 oz) 1 bag shredded whole milk mozzarella (8 oz) ½ packet Hidden Valley ranch seasoning How to make it: Spray a 9×13 dish Cut biscuits into pieces, layer across the bottom Add shredded chicken Add spinach Sprinkle ranch seasoning Pour alfredo over everything, give it a shake Stir gently Top with mozzarella Bake at 350° for 36-40 min Let it sit 5 min That’s it. That’s dinner. #creatorsearchinsights #easyrecipe #easymeal #easymeals #dinnerideas
♬ original sound – itsmesaramartinez
Coming up first is this super yum and super easy chicken alfredo biscuit bake! Only a handful of ingredients, minimal effort, made in one dish – and it tastes so good! This recipe is perfect for those nights where you don’t want to eat out or DoorDash but need something that doesn’t feel like a whole chore to make.
This TikTok creator actually has a whole playlist of what she calls, “Dumb Dinners,” too! If you haven’t checked out her page yet, you might find some other super easy dinner meals you enjoy, too!
@itsmesaramartinez Welcome back to Dumb Dinners, my weekly series for anyone who has to feed people every night and would like to spend as little time doing it as humanly possible. No fancy techniques, no long ingredient lists, and nothing you have to stand over. Dumb Dinner: Crockpot Lazy Meatball Lasagna What you’ll need: 1 jar marinara sauce (32 oz) ¾ cup water 8 oz dried lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (not oven-ready) 1 cup whole milk ricotta 1¾ cups shredded mozzarella, divided About 30 frozen bite size meatballs ⅓ cup grated Parmesan 1 tsp Italian seasoning ½ tsp garlic powder How to make it: Spray the crock pot or use a liner Stir the marinara, water, ricotta, and seasonings right in the crock Break the noodles in, add the frozen meatballs and ½ cup of the mozzarella Stir everything together and press the noodles down under the sauce Cook on high, checking at 2 hours (or low, checking at 3) Top with the rest of the mozzarella and the Parmesan, cover 20 min to melt Rest 10 min with the lid off before scooping #creatorsearchinsights #fastdinnerideas #dinnerideas #easydinner #easyrecipe
♬ original sound – itsmesaramartinez
Also, from the same TikTok creator, this crockpot lazy meatball lasagna makes a substantial amount of leftovers and feels cozy for an easy fall meal, too! It is so simple and easy and takes barely any time at all to get together!
@deandrabuskirk Part 15 of my Fall/Halloween Series 🎃🍂 The easiest comfort meal 🍂 This cozy slow cooker beef and potatoes recipe is the ultimate comfort food for a busy weeknight or chilly fall evening! Tender stew meat, buttery potatoes, savory au jus gravy, and simple seasonings come together in one easy crockpot meal. 🤎 Recipe Below ⬇️ Ingredients: • 2 lbs stew meat • 1 bag small potatoes • 1 stick Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter • Kinder’s Butter Seasoning, to taste • Garlic powder, to taste • Salt and pepper, to taste • 1 packet dry onion soup mix • 1 packet au jus gravy mix • 1 cup beef broth • Carrots, optional Directions: 1. Add the stew meat, small potatoes, and optional carrots to your crockpot. 2. Season with Kinder’s Butter Seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix over everything. 4. Mix 1 packet of au jus gravy mix with 1 cup of beef broth. 5. Pour the au jus mixture over the meat and potatoes. 6. Place 1 stick of Kerrygold Garlic & Herb Butter on top. 7. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. 8. Spoon the buttery au jus gravy over the beef before serving. Serve with green beans and a warm biscuit with honey for the perfect comfort food dinner! 🍯 📌Save this easy crockpot recipe and follow for more slow cooker meals!
♬ original sound – DJ Rehab
This recipe might have slightly more ingredients if you decide to use all the seasonings listed but still is a very simple and straightforward hearty and cozy meal for fall! It’s one of those dump-and-go recipes that requires little brain work, yet delivers a great meal as a result – yummm!!!
@whitneykailyn_ 🍗🍅Crockpot Italian Grinder Chicken Sandwiches Ingredients * 2 lbs chicken breasts * 1 packet Italian dressing seasoning * 1 cup chicken broth * 1 jar (16 oz) banana peppers, drained * ½ red onion, sliced * 3–4 cloves garlic, minced * 8 oz cream cheese or 1 cup plain Greek yogurt for a higher-protein option * 1½–2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese For Serving * Hoagie rolls * Shredded lettuce * Sliced tomatoes * Thinly sliced red onion * Banana peppers Directions 1. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, banana peppers, red onion, and garlic to a crockpot. 2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5–6 hours or until the chicken shreds easily. 3. Shred the chicken directly in the crockpot. 4. Stir in the cream cheese (or Greek yogurt) and mozzarella (or Parmesan) until creamy and well combined. 5. Serve on toasted hoagie rolls. 6. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and banana peppers for that classic grinder flavor. Tip: For a higher-protein version, swap the cream cheese for plain Greek yogurt. If using Greek yogurt, stir it in after cooking and let it warm through rather than boiling it to keep it smooth. 🥖🧀🥬🍅
♬ Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (Single Edit) – Michael Jackson
If you’re in the mood for a sandwich vibe, check out this Crockpot Italian Grinder Chicken Sandwich dinner recipe! It comes together very nicely with minimal effort and pairs well with refreshing and healthful sides (think salad and veggies)! This recipe is definitely a hit for when you’re wanting something a little different and refreshing!
@lowcarblove TRYING THE VIRAL BAKED FETA EGGS! 🍳 #easyrecipes #bakedfetaeggs #breakfastideas #lowcarbrecipes #keto
♬ original sound – Mayra Wendolyne
Do you ever like breakfast-for-dinner? Breakfast for dinner can be really fun, and in this case, this viral baked feta eggs is a total hit! It is one of the easiest recipes to make, is super filling, and pairs well with toast! Super tasty and nutritious for a quick and easy meal!
Now let’s talk about the nights when even these recipes sound like too much work.
You know the nights.
And someone asks: “What’s for dinner?”
Absolutely not.
This is when we fully support taking shortcuts. Buy the rotisserie chicken. Use the frozen vegetables. Make the microwave rice. Eat leftovers. Put cheese on something and call it a meal. And yes… Order the DoorDash.
Whatever your busy season looks like, you still have to eat.
Sometimes taking care of yourself looks like making a 20-minute dinner. Sometimes it looks like eating leftovers straight from the container. And sometimes it looks like ordering DoorDash, putting on pajamas, and going to bed early.
Whatever helps you get through a particularly hectic season of life, we’re here for it.
So tell us: what’s YOUR go-to easy dinner when life gets a little chaotic? We’re always looking for new ideas to add to the list!
Cover Photo Cred: Jessa Maria Photo
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