Simple meal ideas

I have a limited repertoire of skills in the kitchen. My main meals are basically this right now :

Tacos

Taco Salad

Spaghetti

Various Hamburger helpers

Boxed meals

Roast in the crockpot

Toaster oven stuff (pizza,nuggets, fries, onion rings, mushrooms, cheese sticks, chimichangas, etc)

Hamburgers

Hot dogs

Mac and cheese

Steaks

These are mostly what I have been preparing lately. I know how to cook some other things but some of them are quite complex meals or take a lot of time (Like homemade pizza , for example)

Can you list some other meals for me to throw into the mix? What Ive been cooking is beginning to seem a little stale. I would just like some idea for other simple meals. Maybe something you cook regularly?

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I’m in the process of learning to cook more meals from the ground up, so I don’t have many recipes to share, but one thing I really like to make are soups… some of them are very simple to make, but can be very tasty.

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cook up some hamburger meat then add the taco seasoning…set aside.

fry on low heat a tortilla on one side and add shredded cheese until it melts and add the taco meat on one half of the tortilla, and pickled jalapenos if you wish then fold the tortilla and fry a little bit longer on both sides…set on a cutting board and cut into triangles, use sour cream, guacamole and salsa on top and eat with your fingers…so delicious.

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I forgot, i know of a simple thing to make that I love - sardine sandwich, if you like the taste of sardines. It’s very healthy if you don’t use white bread, You get protein and omega 3s. The way I make it is after a video I watched on youtube. Just sardines, mayo and/or butter, arugula, squeeze lemon on top. But there are likely lots of ways.

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Thanks for the responses @jukebox @magz

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A can of chili over three scrambled eggs is so good. If you want some protein and you have some chicken then just ask ChatGPT for different spice combinations to put on it and roast it in the oven or fry it in a pan. You can fix a Mexican spice combination or classic or mediterranean or others. In fact ChatGPT is a good source to answer this question. Just ask it for chicken recipes or simple beef recipes or rice and bean recipes or simple pasta recipes.

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I’ve been making soft scrambled eggs the last few days and throwing some sweet habanero siracha on them.

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Got it — here’s a short list of very simple, healthy meals that don’t need much time or skill:


Breakfast

  • Overnight oats – oats + milk/almond milk + fruit (prep the night before).

  • Avocado toast with egg – whole grain bread, mashed avocado, fried/boiled egg.

  • Greek yogurt with berries & nuts – no cooking, just assemble.


Lunch

  • Tuna or chickpea salad wrap – canned tuna or chickpeas + Greek yogurt/mayo + celery/onion in a whole wheat wrap.

  • Grain bowl – cooked rice/quinoa + roasted or raw veggies + a protein (chicken, beans, tofu).

  • Simple soup – canned beans + broth + spinach + carrots simmered together.


Dinner

  • Sheet pan chicken & veggies – chicken breast + olive oil + garlic + broccoli/carrots, bake all at once.

  • Stir-fry – tofu or chicken + frozen veggies + soy sauce/ginger, serve over rice.

  • Salmon with lemon & green beans – bake salmon fillet with lemon slices, steam green beans.


Snacks

  • Apple slices + peanut butter

  • Carrot sticks + hummus

  • Handful of nuts

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I use to make this about once a month. It’s deceptively simple.

ChatGPT said:

Here’s a simple Spanish rice recipe (also called Mexican rice) you can make in about 30 minutes:


Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1 cup long-grain white rice

  • 2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)

  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 ½ cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

  • 1 cup tomato sauce (or blended tomatoes)

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • ½ tsp chili powder (optional, for extra flavor)

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)


Instructions

  1. Toast the rice
    Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the rice and stir frequently until it turns golden brown (about 5 minutes).

  2. Add aromatics
    Stir in onion and garlic, cooking until softened and fragrant (about 2 minutes).

  3. Simmer
    Add the broth, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

  4. Cook covered
    Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

  5. Fluff & serve
    Remove from heat, let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Garnish with cilantro if you like.

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thanks @77nick77 @TheLogician

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Thanks @anon70282812

12233

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Cheese quesadillas real easy just two soft shells with cheese in middle cooked on stove top I like to add tomatoes

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Thanks @Rainstorm

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Bean burritos. Flour tortilla with refried beans and shredded cheese heated up for 45 seconds in the microwave, if you have it, put on some hot sauce before rolling it up.

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Scrambled eggs sandwich. For extra flavor put mayo on the bread. So good.

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Chicken salad wraps:

Rotisserie chicken

Sliced cheese

Lettuce

Celery

Honey mustard

Mayo

Flour Tortillas

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Roasted veggies

Sliced cauliflower

Sliced zucchini

Sliced onion

Cherry tomatoes

Feta cheese

Mix with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper

400 degrees 15 minutes

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I discovered a greek dip that’s healthy, really simple to make and great for snacking. You need a 8x8 inch glass or metal pan. Cut up a tomato or two to make two cups and dice up two scallions and get one cup of feta cheese crumbles which are easy to find in most grocery stores. Buy some Greek seasoning, if you can’t find it in the supermarket you can easily buy it off of Amazon

Spread two tablespoons of olive oil on the bottom of the pan then layer the tomatoes, then the feta cheese then sprinkle the scallions on top. Sprinkle on 1 1/2 tablespoons of Greek seasoning.

Buy some flatbread or pita bread and brush it with olive oil and cut it into 2x3 inch pieces put it on a cookie sheet or baking pan and broil it for 2-4 minutes until it’s browned and crispy.

Then use the pita or flatbread to scoop the tomato dip. It’s so good it’s almost addictive, when I discovered this I made it three times in a week. You can vary the amount of tomato and cheese to your liking, you don’t even have to measure them out, you can just estimate the amounts and put as much as you like. Once you make it and you like it, you won’t have to read a recipe to make it, it’s easy to just make it from scratch, from memory.

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Chicken with white rice is super easy to make, especially with instant rice. What I do is measure how much water I need for the rice, then cut up some boneless, skinless chicken thighs and add those to the boiling water for about 10 minutes until they’re nice and tender. Also you can salt the water for the rice to your liking. Then when the chicken has boiled to a good tenderness just add the instant rice, stir it all up, and cover the pot for however long it says on the box. Typically it’s 5 minutes but I’ve noticed it sometimes takes a few minutes longer for all the rice to absorb the water.

Another really easy and tasty meal is biscuits and gravy. You can buy the biscuits in a can at Walmart and throw them in the oven. Buttermilk biscuits are always a good choice for this dish. For the gravy I prefer the Pioneer sausage country flavor.

For something super easy and tasty there’s grilled cheese sandwiches but with a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of American in between the bread. It makes a very unique but good taste.

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My simplest meal is like, a dozen tater tots and a grilled cheese sandwich. You get a good price on a big bag of taters and this meal will stay very cheap. I usually use two slices of american on the sandwich.

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