No recipe meals always seem to find a spot on our weekly meal plan. Maybe there will be a season of my life when I enjoy spending a couple of hours cooking, but let me tell you, now is not that season. With young kids and parents that are both working full-time jobs, it’s nice to have something uncomplicated on the menu — dinner that doesn’t need a recipe card, a website link, or 14 ingredients.
There are a lot of benefits of no recipe meals, think about it!
- Saves time. One of the benefits of cooking without a recipe is that it saves time. Making no recipe meals means you don’t have to spend time searching for and following instructions. This can save you a decent amount of time in the kitchen, allowing you to spend more time doing the things you love or the things that you have to do re: wrangling children 🙂
- Easier clean-up. Recipes often require multiple dishes, utensils, and seasoning (my least favorite) which can result in a lot of clean-up. When you cook without a recipe, you can often prepare meals using only one pot or pan, making clean-up a breeze.
- Less cooking stress. Cooking without a recipe can be a stress-free experience. Without the pressure of following instructions or worrying about whether you’re doing everything right, you can relax and enjoy the cooking process.
30+ no recipe meals for you to pick from
No matter what season you’re in, if you’re someone who prefers quick and easy meals that don’t involve hours in the kitchen, you’re in the right place. Check out these no recipe meal ideas and find a few to add to your rotation.
- Burgers + tots
- Chicken nuggets + bagged salad
- Grilled cheese + tomato soup
- Avocado toast
- Pizza + bagged salad
- Eggs, toast, and bacon
- Deconstructed gyros
- Grilled brats + zucchini sticks
- Bagel sandwiches (egg, ham, cheese)
- Buttery noodles
- Chicken salad on a croissant (or overtop of a salad)
- Ground beef tacos
- Spaghetti + meatballs
- Chicken quesadilla
- Grilled ham + cheese sandwich
- Pancakes, sausage, and fruit
- BLTs
- Chicken teriyaki stir fry
- Hot dogs, chips, and fruit
- Grilled PB&J (or regular!) with fruit and/or raw veggies
- Chicken fajitas
- Breakfast hash (potatoes, eggs, veggies, cheese, meat)
- Grilled chicken + caprese salad
- Sheet pan roasted veggies + chicken sausage
- Burrito bowl
- Mini-charcuterie plates
- Oatmeal topped with fresh fruit and crushed nuts
- Fish tacos
- Egg salad sandwiches
- Pork + pepper stir fry
- Pesto pasta topped with chicken sausage
You probably already know and love many of these meals, but they are easy to forget about in the meal planning moment. So next time you’re cooking, why not ditch the recipe and try a simple no recipe meal?