• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Good Cheap Eats
  • About
    • About Good Cheap Eats
    • Media
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Contact Me
  • Members Only
    • Login
    • Club Homepage
    • Club Resource Library
    • Downloads
    • Live Club Events
  • Recipe Index
  • Blog
  • SHOP
    • Purchases
    • Cookbooks
    • Planner
    • The Good Cheap Eats Club
    • Meal Plans
    • Holiday Helps
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Valentine’s Day
  • Budget Strategies
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • About
  • My Account
  • Join the Club
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Budget Strategies
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • About
    • My Account
    • Join the Club
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » 30-Minute Meals

    What to Make for Dinner When You Have No Time to Cook

    Published: Sep 7, 2019 · Modified: Apr 6, 2021 by Jessica Fisher

    FacebookTweetPinPrint
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more details, please see our disclosure policy.

    What to make for dinner? It’s a daily question, isn’t it? Here are some simple strategies to help you answer it in an easy, economical way.

    snacks dinner plate this …

    What’s do you feel like eating?

    I dunno. What do you feel like eating?

    I dunno. We don’t have much time….

    Sound familiar?

    What to make for dinner is a question that most of us have to answer on a daily basis, whether you cook for yourself or feed an army. And sometimes, it feels like there’s no right answer.

    Home cooking takes time. Time that it feels like you don’t have. But the truth of the matter is that everyone has time to cook.

    It’s just that sometimes you spend that time on other things. Watching TV. Scrolling on the phone. Chatting with a friend. 

    These can all be good things, but if they get in the way of one of life’s essential needs: eating, then they’re in the way. Time to get a handle on your time budget.

    That said, even the best time managers find themselves short on minutes when it’s time to make a meal. Whaddya do then?

    ingredients for pita bread pizza

    What to Make for Dinner When You Have No Time to Cook

    When you don’t have a lot of time to pull together dinner, you need some quick, go-to strategies to get dinner on the table without a lot of fuss.

    Wondering what to make for dinner, ask yourself these simple questions:

    What do you have on hand that will make a meal?

    When I was young and naive, I simply went to the store when I didn’t know what to make. Once there I’d choose a protein and a vegetable, but then I couldn’t remember what else was at home so I’d buy more spices and bags of rice or pasta.

    I overbought and overspent – and wasted time in the process!

    Check your cupboards, fridge, and freezer to see what’s already on hand. Chances are you’ll be able to pull together something quickly if you make up your mind to do so.

    bowl of caesar salad

    What’s easy to whip up for dinner?

    My kids could eat Caesar Salad every day. And why not? If make homemade, it’s delicious as well as nutritious. Why shouldn’t I fit it in, especially since it’s so incredibly easy to make? No brainer!

    Easy meals are those that you can make without a lot of physical or mental effort. Think about your favorite non-recipe meals, those meals you could put together without a recipe, like burritos, tacos, sandwiches, pasta.

    Focus on making meals that are simple. Dinner will be ready lackey-split.

    chicken noodle soup and biscuits

    What’s a quick dinner to make?

    I’ve found that when I’m stumped with what to make for dinner, I need something quick to get us to the table. Quick meals are some of my favorites. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t need to involve canned cream of anything.

    Heat some oil in a pan, add some onion and shredded carrot, some broth, then some quick seasonings. Stir in chicken stock, noodles, and chicken, and you’ll have a homemade Chicken Noodle Soup in just a few minutes!

    What to make for dinner doesn’t need to be the Million Dollar Question. Think about what you have, what’s easy, what’s quick, and get to the kitchen. 

    Still not sure what to make for dinner? Check out these favorite Good Cheap Eats recipes:

    What to Make for Dinner When You Have No Time to Cook

    Pinto Beans And Rice

    Beans and Rice, aka Burrito Bowls, come together in a flash. Use canned beans and frozen rice if you're really pressed for time. Rustle up some simple toppings like chopped lettuce and tomato, shredded cheese, and a bit of sour cream. Dinner in a bowl never tasted so good!

    Herbed Lemon Linguine with Tomatoes

    This flavorful pasta dish is easy to assemble with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and lemon. To make it a little heartier you can add cooked shrimp or chicken or a can of drained cannelini beans. So simple and delicious!

    Stovetop Mac and Cheese - No Need for a Box!

    We don't need no stinkin' boxes when we can make stovetop mac and cheese from scratch in just a few minutes. Seriously. You'll want to always have these ingredients on hand for quick and simple suppers.

    Turkey Pesto Panini

    These Turkey Pesto Panini are make-ahead and very freezer-friendly. But, even if you aren't far thinking, you can assemble the sandwiches in about five minutes and then let the panini press or oven do the rest of the work.

    Pesto & Tomato Grilled Cheese Sandwich

    Maybe you prefer a "real" grilled cheese sandwich? No problem. Dress it up with a pesto spread and a few tomato slices. So gourmet, but so incredibly quick.

    Green Chile Burritos

    Bits of green chile tumble around in a bath of melted cheese and beans. So filling yet so flavorful, you're going to want to make more than one. And you can, because they take just minutes to make!

    Hands-Free Cashew Chicken

    Get all the taste of take-out without the price. This Hands-Free Cashew Chicken really is hands-free. Mix up the ingredients, slide the pan into the oven alongside a pan of baked rice and then go do something else. Dinner will cook itself!

    Sausage and Potatoes with Sour Cream Sauce

    Take simple sausages and potatoes to a new level with an herbed sour cream sauce you mix yourself. A quick vegetable rounds out a meal that is pretty easy to pull together.

    Spinach Salad with Chicken and Strawberries

    Bagged baby spinach is a godsend. Top it with fruits and chicken for a quick but delicious dinner that even the guys will go for.

    Vegetable Fried Rice

    A bag of frozen rice and a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies hop into a pan. Some oil and seasonings join them and within minutes dinner is hot and ready to go. You won't miss the take-out option and neither will your wallet.

    What to Make for Dinner When You Don't Have Time to Cook

    « The Easiest Grilled Pizza You Can Make
    These Enchilada Recipes are the Answer to Your Meal Planning Woes »
    FacebookTweetPinPrint

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elle

      September 30, 2020 at 1:20 am

      The menus Look like my daily meal fried rice, wrap, pasta, sandwich ,noodles soup. Cook all of the menu shown every mth except fot the bean mix with rice not my taste. Yes its fast to.prep time saving plus within budget

      Reply
    2. Juls Owings

      September 10, 2019 at 9:44 am

      mac and cheese with smoke sausage, eggs, ramen noodles loaded with veggies (no broth too high in salt), pancakes, and a meat and cheese tray with a veggie and fruit tray… usually crackers as we aren’t much of bread eaters

      Reply
    3. Diana

      September 02, 2015 at 11:52 am

      You snuck your new book in here like it was no big deal!!! Sneaky! 🙂 Looks fab and I was glad to read the fuller description on Life as Mom too 🙂

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 07, 2015 at 9:50 am

        Hehe. I wondered if someone would notice. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Belinda

      August 31, 2015 at 11:50 pm

      I will forever be grateful to you for teaching me through the Pantry Challenges … I also used to throw away stacks of food that got old, mouldy and yucky because, I’d either bought too much or had bought something I thought I might make one day but then never did!
      Thanks to the Pantry Challenges I’ve done with you in the last year or so, I’ve become much more conscious of checking my cupboards and freezer when I plan meals and before I shop, and I’m much better about cooking what we already have on hand before I buy anything else!
      Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        September 07, 2015 at 9:50 am

        Great job!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter their budget.

    More about me

    collage of media outlets where good cheap eats has been featured.
    cooking for one
    cooking for many banner
    cooking to freeze banner

    Pantry Staples You Can Make at Home

    • Potsticker Dipping Sauce
    • Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
    • Instant Pot Potato Soup
    • Spanish Brown Rice (Mexican Brown Rice)
    • How to Make the Best Tuna Sandwich
    • Protein Overnight Oats

    Take the Pantry Challenge

    • Prepping for a Pantry Clean Out
    • How to Stock the Pantry on a Budget
    • 90+ Pantry Staples You Can Make Yourself
    • What to Make for Dinner When There’s “Nothing” to Eat

    Footer

    back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Good Cheap Eats