11 Half-Homemade Meal Ideas for When You Don't Have Time to Cook

Tis the season for merry-making, connection, gratitude… and busyness!

A bunch of my superstar clients have mentioned feeling rushed and busy this month. (No surprises there!) But, naturally, they’re struggling to get fast, easy meals that they feel good about on the table. I’ve been sharing lots of ideas, but thought I’d pull a bunch together in one place to share with all of you.

These are what you might think of as half-homemade meals. Hope it’s helpful!

Meal Idea #1: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

Start with a prepared rotisserie chicken or roast a chicken if you’ve got more time. Turn it into 3 easy meal options:

Option a: Roast chicken plus roasted potatoes (or frozen brown rice if you’ve got less time) and your veggie of choice

Option b: Chicken quesadillas. Shredded chicken, whole wheat tortillas, cheese, plus rinsed, drained black or kidney beans. Make the quesadillas in your panini maker, in a small frying pan, or under the broiler (spray them with canola or olive oil spray to help get the tortillas crispy). Pair them with a side salad.

Option c: Big, hearty salad topped with chicken. Load up the salad with whatever sounds good—in other words, no boring “diet” salads. Some ideas include leftover roasted veggies, chopped raw veggies, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, feta, goat or other cheese, nuts, dried fruit, pomegranate seeds or berries, baked coconut chips, or anything else you can think of. Pair it with some hearty whole grain bread or crackers to round out the meal and help keep you full and satisfied.

Meal Idea #2: Frozen Shrimp to the Rescue

Frozen shrimp is easy to keep on hand, plus it defrosts and cooks in just minutes. Grill or sauté your shrimp with some olive oil, salt, and pepper and then throw together one of these meals: 

Option a: Shrimp fajitas. Grill or sauté some onions, peppers, and perhaps some broccoli florets (make sure the florets are cut small so they cook through; also you might even buy the veggies pre-cut and bagged to save time). 

Heat up some whole wheat tortillas and serve with cheese, salsa, and low-fat sour cream. Top them with chopped cherry tomatoes and avocado chunks if you’ve got more time. 

Pair with brown rice and some orange wedges or other fruit.

Option b: Pasta pomodoro. Combine diced tomatoes (I like the Kumato Sunset variety this time of year), lots of slivered basil, some sliced green onions, salt, and pepper with a hearty helping of olive oil and let it sit for about 20 minutes so the flavors blend. Toss in cooked whole grain or Banza pasta, rinsed cannellini beans, shrimp, and top with parmesan cheese or fresh mozzarella chunks.

Option c: Grilled shrimp salad. Try adding grapefruit, avocado chunks, and pine-nuts; then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. If you’ve got more time, check out this recipe! 

Meal Idea #3: Bean Bonanza

Make a Chipotle style bean and rice bowl. Throw some rice in the rice cooker (or again, buy it pre-cooked and frozen for a faster option). Rinse two cans of black beans, add about 1/3 cup of water, 1 Tbs chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp dried oregano, some fresh garlic if you like. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Combine the rice, beans, and whatever toppings you like for a bowl-style meal. I like tomatoes, avocado, cheese, fresh greens, and often I add whatever leftover veggies happen to be in the fridge.

Meal Idea #4: Breakfast for Dinner

Option a: Breakfast tacos. Make scrambled eggs. Heat up corn tortillas. Add rinsed and drained black beans, avocado chunks, shredded purple cabbage, chopped tomatoes, cheese, and salsa. Serve with whole grain toast and fruit.

Option b: Frittata. Scramble eggs, add in whatever mix-ins sound good (such as ham, turkey, feta or goat cheese, spinach, arugula or other greens, sautéed onions, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes or other veggies). Add a dash of salt and pepper. Spray an oven-safe skillet and bake at 400° for about 15-20 minutes or until set. Pair it with a simple greens salad or fruit and a whole grain English muffin or bagel.

Meal Idea #5: Tuna or Salmon Burgers

Option a: Traditional burger style. Buy them frozen, grill or sauté to cook, and then top with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and spicy mayo. The Trader Joes chili lime burgers are good too!

Serve with a can of vegetarian baked beans and a side salad.

Option b: Salad style. Make a big salad loaded with all of your favorite things and top it with a tuna or salmon burger.

Once you’ve made peace with food, ALL foods can be a part of a healthful dinner. The options are endless and they don’t have to be complicated.

Enjoy!