Although most of us are aware that cooking from scratch is the healthiest and one of the cheapest ways to get your nutrition game up and going, sometimes it’s the last thing you want to do.
That’s when the temptations come in: cheesy tacos, meaty burgers, or frozen pizza. But it turns out you don’t need that much effort to prepare a pretty good meal and “I Don’t Feel Like Cooking Today” meals can be an art form in itself.
So when someone asked people “What is your go-to ‘I don’t feel like cooking’ meal?” on Ask Reddit people rolled up their sleeves, sharpened their kitchen knives, and got to work. From very basic ingredients to as little effort as possible, this is what we call a perfectly optimized meal.
#1
Pasta with butter or olive oil and powdered parmesan

Image source: Theweedhacker_420, Andrew Quinney
#2
Not magic but fried egg sandwiches are quick, cheap and easy on a weeknight and the whole family likes them. Egg fried the way you like, cheese on toasted bread. Bonus if you’ve got some leftover ham or bacon in the fridge.
Image source: ndphoto
#3
Bread and cheese. French bread and French cheese to be precise.
Image source: Dirichlet-to-Neumann
#4
Cereal

Image source: WrittenOnYaKitten, Allison Belen
#5
I always keep at least 5 “lazy day meals” in my freezer for this exact purpose. If I see a good discount on ingredients I’ll buy more than I need, cook a larger portion than what I intend to eat that day, and keep one in the freezer. It helps a lot when you get sick and need to eat like a normal human being.
Just remember FIFO (first in; first out).

Image source: MrFunnyMoustache, Taz
#6
Grilled cheese
Image source: KrayzieAlcohilicFlow
#7
A freezer pizza

Image source: trick_tickler, Jason Tester
#8
Frozen dumplings from the supermarket

Image source: pillowsweetheart, Robin
#9
Toast. An entire loaf of toast.

Image source: ramenadventures, secretlondon123
#10
PBJ

Image source: seawee8, Giorgio Trovato
#11
quesadilla

Image source: NOT000, David Kessler
#12
Egg on rice, lil soy sauce, lil sesame oil. *mwah* 👌
Image source: AxeJohnson
#13
Nachos

Image source: licmabollsack, jeffreyw
#14
Ramen and an egg

Image source: Stinky_pudding, Kanesue
#15
Baked potato
Image source: _boov
#16
There’s a lot of cooking going on in this thread.
For me a sandwich. Specifically cream cheese and ham.

Image source: HorizontalDan, Erin Wang
#17
A flour tortilla with shredded sharp cheddar and some La Victoria salsa. Fold it over and nuke it for 30 seconds, and eat away!

Image source: Maxsdad53, extended epiphany
#18
Instant mashed potatoes with butter and peas

Image source: Optimal-Spot6348, Ernesto Andrade
#19
Tuna melt on English muffins here. Always got tuna, mayo, an onion and something I can toast under some cheese .

Image source: clovisx, Craig Simpson
#20
Lunch meat, pepperoni, pickles, olives and cheese.

Image source: sturm_fireforge, stu_spivack
#21
Peanut butter on a spoon

Image source: elle_quay, Tyler Nix
#22
Same here, though it’s more like “we don’t feel like coming up with anything to make, or going shopping” since it still involves some cooking.
We get these noodles called Mi Goreng, make them, add some sauteed vegetables (whatever we have) cooked in gochujang, with a fried egg on top. It is so good.

Image source: Shirlenator, hmboo Electrician and Adv
#23
toast with sunny side up eggs, feta cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers

Image source: daisy470, L.A. Foodie
#24
Black bean chili. A can of black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, some onion, some garlic, some chili powder, salt, pepper, and a bit of simmering. Easy, cheap, and tasty. It’s a weeknight staple now.

Image source: AtomicPedals, Erik BurtonFollow
#25
Shawarma place less than a 5 min drive from me.

Image source: TheClayroo, Jorge Soto Farias
#26
Eggs and toast,
Image source: shehulksmashes
#27
Rotisserie chicken and a box of stuffing.
Image source: Leading-Taste12
#28
Canned stuffed dolmas from Trader Joe’s. Also a great work lunch.

Image source: henderson7779, ENESFİLM
#29
I nuke a bag of veggies and legit just eat out of the bag with a fork

Image source: touching_payants, Mitch Kasanami
#30
My family has done this all the time ever since I was little and now I have my wife making it too.
We affectionately call it shaker cheese spaghetti.

Image source: MelodicHunter, Stephen Strowbridge
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