Any reccos on meals that are as fast and easy as pasta with sauce, but are not pasta and sauce?

I cook - and pretty well and healthfully - when I have time and bandwidth, but so often by the end of the day I’m just fried, and those 20mins and 2 steps just win out.

Added context: I’m a single mom. What I eat, my kid needs to eat.

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Here are a few of my go-tos as a single mom for me and my 2 kids:
1. All you need is 20min and a large frying pan, 1lb shrimp, 2 zucchini cut in half moons, 1c corn, 1c cherry tomatoes, a little garlic, butter/oil, seasonings. First, add a little butter to pan and cook shrimp, remove shrimp then add some oil, garlic and zucchini, stir about 5 min till zucchini is almost soft, add corn, cook 3 min, then add cherry tomatoes, cook 2 min, add shrimp back in and you’re done. Super quick, tasty and kid approved.

2. Cut up some chicken breast, cook in frying pan with butter/oil, once cooked add in about 1/4c “sauce” my favorites are Kraft Asian toasted sesame dressing or Lugers marinade. Push chicken to outside of pan, add 1c frozen green beans to middle, season, add oil/butter as desired, mix all together. Serve with minute rice or pasta.

3. If you have a little extra time (or can prep night before or morning before work) cube 1 lb chicken, combine w 1 bag mixed frozen veggies, 1 can low salt cream of mushroom soup, 1/2 c milk. Pour mixture into frozen pie shell. Cover with foil and bake on 350 for 1 hr.

Hope this helps a little. You’re doing great mama.

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Thank you!!! 💖 These are some great ideas. Fewer pots is always a bonus, and sounds like stocking up on some more canned/frozen options will help with shortcuts to variety.

I'd do sheet pan meals or crock pot meals if you want to set it and forget it, or instant pot meals (stews, chili's, etc)

likesmart

Eggs cooked all sorts of ways are my personal “go to” fast food.

Sometimes I poach an egg and put it in canned soup or stir in an egg, egg drop soup style


Cheese quesadilla that are just two tortilla wraps, cheese of your choice, in frying pan. Potential add-ins: salsa, spinach, rotisserie chicken or any leftover meat.

If you can go to store: rotisserie chicken + premade bagged salad.

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Highly recommend chicken in pressure cooker. Easy to cook even from frozen when in a pinch.

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combine this with rice, sweet potato, a vegetable etc

Goop has some pretty easy, tasty and healthy recipes.

This is my go to when I don’t have time but want a bunch of veg (and flavour)

https://goop.com/gb-en/recipes/kitchen-sink-korean-noodle-stir-fry/

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Stir fry with frozen veggies

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Burgers. I buy a big pack of ground beef, season it up, make pattys then individually wrap in plastic wrap, then put in gallon ziploc in freezer. You can then take out however many and cook from frozen in frying pan.

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Lentil pasta!! Do that plus roast a bag of frozen broccoli in the oven - ~425F for 20 min. Super easy and actually pretty nutritious with the lentils and broccoli

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Lots of noodle soups can be made pretty simply and all in one pot! I’d recommend keeping some chicken (or other) stock on hand and sauté the hardier veggies/meat a bit before pouring in the stock and adding noodles (potentially topping with a poached egg or stirring in leafy greens). Frozen veggies can make this even easier!

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my go to's:
air fryer soft boiled eggs, avocado and toast (or sometimes air fried hashbrowns)
evol burritos
rice bowls with veggies, nori/kelp chips, and salmon or sliced sausage
whole grain sandwiches

Black bean burgers are easy and quick to pre-make, then when you want to eat one, it’s as simple as heating/toasting the burger and a bun in a pan.

Salmon in the air fryer takes 8 minutes to cook, with one minute of prep…just olive oil and seasoning. While it’s cooking throw a bag of steamable veggies in the microwave.

Salmon with sweet chili sauce is crazy easy and my kids love it. I pour this on salmon filets, stick it in the oven for about 12 minutes, steam some broccoli and make rice and it’s done. 30 min all in.

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