What are your "I can't be arsed cooking but I don't want a takeaway" go-to meals?

[Mangoesontherun]

I need ideas for those days when I can't be arsed chopping a load of veg and creating a nourishing meal from scratch please! Those days where there are no batch-cooked meals in the freezer, you're knackered, and you want something on your plate in as little time as possible. While ideally being healthy ...

Egg fried rice. Microwave pouch of rice straughtvin the pan and broken up, add frozen mixed veg and fry with a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce, make a well then scramble the egg in the pan and cook. One final big stir and you’re done 😁 ready in less than ten minutes.

Rotisserie chicken and salad

Tortellini (or other fresh pasta that takes around 4mins to cook), loads of frozen veg, some form of protein (can even be cooked chicken breast/ham off cuts etc) and a tomato based sauce (from a tub/jar if super quick, whip up one from Passata if I have the motivation). 5/6mins and very tasty .

Omelettes and veg/salad on the side
Carbonara with salad
Pasta with cream bacon and courgette or peas

Pasta and pesto. Either:

Green pesto with pasta, a few pine nuts and some Parmesan.

Red pesto (ALDI Pesto Rosso is best) mixed with low fat crème fraiche and mixed through pasta with some chopped sun dried tomatoes and some Parmesan.

French bread pizza

Part bake flat French bread
Pizza sauce, add whatever topping and grill. Quick, easy, cheaper and better than pizza.

Hot dogs with all the trimmings.
Healthy? No.
But on days like that I really couldn't give a shit.

Prawn linguine (or whatever pasta you have on stock)

Frying pan with a little olive oil medium heat.
Start boiling water for pasta.
Ready chopped onions and garlic from the freezer softened in the pan.
Halve some cherry tomatoes and chuck in to soften (6-8 per person). If feeling very lazy, chuck in whole and squash.
Magic ingredient - glug of white wine from always on the go wine box into frying pan.
Optional - a little chilli powder.
Once water boiling chuck pasta on to cook
While pasta cooking add 80-100g frozen prawns per person (I don’t bother defrosting them)
If it looks a bit dry, add more wine.
When pasta ready, drain, mix together with prawn sauce and serve.

Family bag of chilli heatwave Doritos spread out on a plate, top with grated cheese, microwave until cheese is melted. Not exactly healthy so ... ummmm ... maybe have a pint of water with it? Or an apple afterwards? (Of course you could make a wee salsa and guacamole if you have the ingredients, but if I'm in that kind of mood when I'm starving and knackered, I don't bother!)

It's funny because I normally eat very healthily. I'm vegetarian, and I'd say that 3/4 of the things I cook are vegan actually, I love cooking, am retired so happily spend ages pottering around in the kitchen trying new recipes, blah blah blah but on those "fuck it" days I'll have the Doritos and cheese combo, or a few weeks ago I just ate a whole tin of condensed milk 😂. Tasty 😋

Filled pasta, sauce, frozen veg and a garlic bread
(Frozen) Fish, (frozen) chips and mushy peas - I usually swap out a fish finger for a vegetable finger for the kids
Packet noodles, throw some peas in the pan and serve with some chicken dippers

Fried egg, oven chips and frozen peas.
Baked beans on toast
Sausage pasta (cut up and brown sausages, add ready chopped onion and garlic and chilli powder, once soft add can of chopped tomatoes and a few drops.ofnworcestershire sauce, add to pasta and serve delicious!)

Cheese, ham and spinach pancakes. Takes 2 mins to whip up the batter, chop ham and cheese while pancake is cooking on one side, flip it, chuck the filling in (no need to cook the spinach) and voilá!

I like your style

Are you feeding just yourself or a family? I keep a burrata in the fridge and have it with a salad.

My go to is an omelette with salad or a frittata with lots of veg. I love eggs but my DH doesn't so much.

Yesterday for lunch I had oatibix and strawberries though!

Spaghetti carbonara, made with just eggs parmesan and pancetta.

Filled pasta with sauce.

I have bags of frozen risotto or paella (Picard range in Ocado is good) that just go on the hob for 10 mins or so.

Omelette and salad.

I also like your style 😁

Aldi or Morrisons cheese fondue in a ceramic ramekin, crusty bread, veg crudités (still have to cut them up!) and a plate of continental meats. Piece of fruit for afters.

Egg, and chips. Quick, and easy. I make homemade chips, which I put on to cook in the airfryer. When nearly ready, fry the egg. Easy!

Just me and husband now, so it's even easier - no kids to please!

Beans on toast, cheese on toast, eggs on toast, avo on toast, sardines on toast.

My easy recipe is a whole chicken - if I can be arsed I spatchcock (just cut in half so it cooks quicker) serve with anything left over or a sachet of flavoured couscous / grains. Or just a couple of pitta breads and hummus and put the chicken in

Some brilliant ideas here - thanks so much everyone.

That's tonight's tea sorted - I've got a packet rice so I'll do egg fried rice and I'll stick some salmon in the air fryer to go with it.

And I'll work my way through the rest of your ideas as the week goes on!

Loving your work