Hello! We’re half way through the week! It’s been great so far, but busy. RER will be revealing the redesign this week plus I’m still working group fitness in the morning.
So, this is my office for the week:
In addition to the group fit and redesign I have a few other projects I’m working on right now. I don’t really have the time to spend a long time cooking.
And I’m not in the mood. I wanted something quick and easy tonight!
So, I threw together my super easy go-to weeknight dinner. This is something my mom made growing up when she needed to feed my and my brother after work and practice and 100 other things. But I’ve made it a little healthier with a few swaps.
My mom makes all the healthy swaps now too, we got on the health wagon a few years ago together. In the past she’d make it with regular pasta and skip the added veggies – but this bulks it up and is just as good!
Easy 4 Ingredient Week Night Pasta Dinner
Easy Week Night Pasta Ingredients: whole wheat pasta, lean ground turkey, jar of marinara (low sugar – check the ingredients), green beans.
Cook the turkey and season to taste. Boil pasta. Combine turkey, pasta, green beans and sauce. Divide into containers for the week. Enjoy!
I know Ina would NOT approve of this un-fancy meal, but it works.
Pair with wine. Now, really enjoy!!
And I don’t have to cook tomorrow either. Boom.
Question: What’s your go-to quick meal when you’re busy/tired/hungry?
Share with us so we can get some inspiration!
Always a good idea when either low on ingredients or wanting a simple, inexpensive, meal! Reminds me of the vegetable rotini dinner i saw on http://www.medi-health.com the other day! I’ve used the method you’ve shown above to have lunch for a week on less than 15 bucks:
-Rotisserie chicken
-Rice
-Spinach
-One avocado
-Frozen mixed greens
Basically cook the rice, chop up the chicken and throw it into the rice; mix that up. Lightly saute the spinach with salt and olive oil, mix with rice/chicken. Chop up the avocado into squares and mix into the whole mixture. Cook bag of mixed greens for side of vegetables. cheap meals!
There is certainly a great deal to fijnd out about this subject.
I really like all of the points you have made.
chicken and brown rice/or quinoa so easy and fast!
I’m lazy! Just a sandwich and a glass of soy milk.
my brother and sis in law actually brown ground meat (your pick, beef/chix/turkey) and freeze it and then pull it out for a quick casserole. My favorite that I can handle rewarmed/aka leftover is goulash. Our recipe for 2 is meat, noodles, ketchup (lots of sugar, but a can of tomato soup is too much for 2) a bit of brown sugar, and mustard. If you are making for a large group use tomato soup and add more brown sugar.
Usually I will just go for a fried egg sandwich or cereal.
Lately I have been making a bowl of rice, black beans, some quickly sauteed kale, and avocado – then it gets covered in hot sauce. So good!
I fully support covering food in hot sauce 🙂
I love simple meals that are easy to throw together. This sounds awesome!
Hi Monica,
Thank you for this recipe it comes at the right time. I don’t have much time for shopping and I always buy to much ingredients for my meals. 4 is a good number and I’m now totally into cooking meals with few ingredients.
I also do a quick pasta dish – but with red onions, chicken, some red chili flakes and finished with some marianted artichoke hearts, lemon juice and chopped parsley.
That looks yummy!
I used to make a meal similar to this as my “go-to” but now that my husband has effectively eliminated all pasta from our household, my go-to is chicken fajitas. Cook a couple thin sliced chicken breasts on the stove with garlic salt, pepper, and a little dried cilantro. Or just use a packet of fajita seasoning – I just don’t like the taste usually so I just use my own seasonings. Sautee veggies in another pan (green peppers, diced onion, mushrooms, etc). Cook 1 cup minute rice (this could be made healthier by using brown rice but ehh…not a fan myself). Heat up a couple tortillas, spoon everything inside, top with shredded cheese and salsa and whatever else you want – voila! Dinner.
I make a whole bumch of quinoa in the rice cooker and divide it into containers. That way I can grab one and throw whatever I want in it if I don’t have anything for lunch the next day. My go to lately has been a whole rack of mushrooms slathered in Sriracha. MMM.
Pancakes. I grew up with breakfast for dinner (both parents were in the Navy when I was little). So when there’s a time constraint or I’m tired, pancakes, eggs, and microwave turkey sausage for the win. Or take out Chinese…
That Food Network humor is awesome 🙂
I’ll often do the same four ingredients (maybe different veggies) and of course some mozz on the top.
My quick go-to dinner is an omelet with spinach and cheese, mixed greens on the side, and either toast with PB or a sweet potato half (cooked in the microwave). Filling and healthy and quick!
I usually just eat cereal or eggs for dinner if I don’t have time to make something real – so lazy. 🙂
What kind/brand of pasta sauce do you buy that’s low sugar? I can never seem to find one.
Any quick tips on cooking Whole Wheat Pasta so the texture doesn’t stay kinda tough? My husband hates it…
I suggest trying different shapes of the pasta, ‘hiding it’ with his favorite sauce and cooking it a little longer to take out the toughness instead of making it al dente.
My go-to meal is a little something that I like to call “veggie dinner”. It’s where I saute a can of green beans in some sesame oil, throw an egg in there, and EAT IT! It tastes like Chinese food except it’s cheaper!
I made a similar dish with eggplant, peppers, ground turkey and pasta. When my husband is out of town, this will last me or 4 days.
My go-to lazy but delicious meal is an omelet but lately I’ve been eating a lot of “what’s in the fridge” salads.
The easiest meal when I’m short on time and starving is eggs – I always can count on eggs to be quick and delicious – throw in some black beans and salsa and it’s perfection!
I have another go-to that is a bowl with eggs, beans and rice.
My go-to is a quesadilla filled with refried beans and veggies! It is the perfect combo of grains, protein, and veggies.
I’m lazy, so my go to meal is PB&J. Especially if I’m too hungry and tired to want anything else
Stirfry – noodles or quinoa, veggies, chickpeas and if I’m feeling like meat i’ll add diced chicken breast.
I love chickpeas – always have those on hand too!
i am IN LOVE with tuna melts. super easy for just one meal or for me and my fiance. i always keep cans and single serve packets of tuna at home. I also love eggs.
I do something similar except skip the pasta and throw in about every veggie I have in the fridge that looks like it’s about to go to the dark side – cabbage, zucchini, tomatoes, etc. And yeah, I’m done cooking for a couple days!
Nice! I need to up the veggies in my version for sure 🙂
My go to meal that is quick and easy….chic fil a drive through, boom!
Ha! I hear that, just not on Sundays 🙂
I made that once after you posted it, but it had peas; everyone loved it. 🙂
I’ve been lacking on time and imagination for dinners lately– this may make an appearance soon at our house.
One of my go-to’s is ground turkey with taco seasoning and add one can of drained no/low-salt black beans. We can use it for tacos, burritos, or quesadilla embellishments. Add a few sliced red bells or some apple slices on the side (eliminates the mom guilt of no veggies).
Super jelly of your sunrise beach workouts!!!
Do you use the TJ’s taco seasoning? I feel guilty, like it’s lazy, but I love it.
I use the gigantic bottle from Costco $5.50 then I can just eye-ball whatever quantity I need. I use it for the taco meat (above), occasional fajitas or also my taco soup for the crock pot. That is a masterpiece! 🙂 Happy to share that recipe also.
I make chicken and brown rice and always have veggies on hand to throw into mix, healthy, easy and filling! 🙂
I like to cook beef tips or cubed chicken in olive oil and garlic. Sauté onions and peppers. Dice some avocado and put it all in artisan romaine leaves–lettuce wrap. Add 90 sec brown rice for some carbs.
Use leftovers and put on rice or mixed greens the next day. To make it even easier use rotisserie or even canned chicken.
Love 90 second brown rice! I use the frozen kind from TJ’s so it’s 120 seconds…
Breakfast- eggs or French toast. Throwing quesadillas together is always a snap too. I plan for 5 meals a week, though, so most of the time I feel obligated to cook what I’ve spent money on.
You are good! I try to meal plan, but have been lazy lately 🙂
YUM. I make a similar dish to bring to work for lunches-home made sauce w/a bunch of dices veggies (peppers, onion, zuch, squash and spinach) and what ever meat I have on hand (chicken suasage, ground turkey)then add ww pasta (or quinoa)
omletes and roasted sweet potatoes for quick, healthy and filling.
Or, If I have the ingredients, I will do a flatbread pizza w/veggies and a side salad.
This reminds me I have sweet potatoes in the cupboard!!
I make a similar dish! Easy peasy!
Yah! Great minds 🙂
Hel-lo! I make this meal almost once a week. Exact same except I omit green beans and add in a can of diced tomatoes (buy the 8-pack at Costco) and usually throw in a bag of spinach, some chopped onion and maybe a zucchini or whatever veg I have on hand (carrots, celery), plus salt, pepper, and oregano. My hubs loves it, it’s super healthy, and my 2 year old will eat it and not realize he’s getting lots of veg. Im a dietitian and wish more people would eat “stupid simple” meals like this way more often!!
Yeah! I’m glad a dietitian is on board with this!! Thanks for chiming in 🙂
My go to meal is chicken fajitas. It is so easy to sautee up chicken and veggies. I like to add in random veggies like squash with the onion and peppers too.
I love this too because I always have tortillas 🙂
Whenever we grill chicken I do two extra chicken breasts so that I can have the leftovers with salad for lunch at work or a last minute dinner at home. Fastest to the table? Chicken, Broccoli, Ramen – boil 6 cups of water, add 1 bag frozen broccoli or 1 head of fresh, boil 3 minutes, add 3 packages of Ramen noodles, boil 3 minutes, add 1-2 seasoning packets (we use the oriental flavor for this). Remove from heat and add 1 -2 cups chopped chicken. Stir, scoop into bowls and devour!
I haven’t had ramen noodles in so long! This sounds delicious!!
ha pasta is my go-to meal this week. i boiled some GF rice past, threw together a very simple, homemade pasta sauce, baked a batch of bison meatballs . . . and voila! no need to worry about what’s for dinner for the whole week 🙂
Exactly! I love it 🙂
My go to dinner is to throw frozen cod in the oven and roasted brussels sprouts when I’m in a rush. It’s easy to toss in the oven for 25 minutes and I can do things while dinner is cooking itself.
I accidently bought brussle sprouts this past weekend!! Do they taste good just roasted??? I’ve never eaten them before, should be fun to try.
http://teatimewithb.blogspot.com/
Roasted is the BEST way to make Brussel Sprouts! Cut them in half, toss with EVOO and salt. Roast. Eat.
sweet I will totally try that. Thanks for the tip.
Eggs. I usually go to eggs.
Me too, my other go-to is eggs all the way.
I make an easy “stir fry” with any veggies I have around, and I always have chicken in the freezer. Just thaw the chicken during the day, and throw it all in a skillet – boom! I flavor it differently – soy sauce, peanut sauce, just olive oil, etc. Sometimes I put hummus on it at the end for quick flavor! Goes great with pasta or just plain. I’m hungry now!!
I love stir-frys too! I try to keep TJ’s frozen brown rice on hand for those nights.
We do a pasta similar at the end of the week before grocery shopping to use up all the leftover vegetables in the fridge. Quick week night meals are the way to go!
I agree! Make it quick and tasty, that’s all I care about 🙂 Well, mostly.
Nicole’s a genius! That sounds delicious!
you are right this is genius!!! I want to make this just as soon as passover is over!!! No wheat for a whole week should be interesting and hard.
Lately I roast eggplant on sunday, divide up Trader Joe’s pizza dough, and make mini pizzas with garlic hummus, roasted eggplant, basil, and gravy that I make and freeze. Mmm. Delicious.
That sounds amazing!
I appreciate this simple, go-to, realistic meal! Life happens, and it is not always possible to create a masterpiece…yet this is WAY better than a prepared, processed, frozen meal. Thank you!
So true! Thanks Cheryl 🙂
I make whole wheat cous cous which cooks so fast. I’ll add a can of beans or chick peas, olive oil and oregano and garlic and kalamata olives. Feta cheese if I have and a squeeze of lemon juice too.
If I have frozen cooked shrimp in the freezer I’ll use that instead or in addition to the beans. (You just run them under cold water for a few minutes to defrost and then toss right into the pot of cous cous.
Oh and always add in spinach leaves. I do this at the end so they are just wilted not overly cooked.
I used to make couscous all the time – not sure why I stopped!