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Sometimes dinner sneaks up on you! I put together all my favorite Last Minute Dinner Ideas to bail you out on a day when the hours get away from you. Even if you’ve had a long and exhausting day, these fast dinner ideas are easy to get on the table.
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Last Minute Dinner Recipes
Is there anything as frustrating as realizing you don’t have anything ready for dinner after a long, busy day? After years of coming up with dinner ideas last minute, I put time and effort into a list of foolproof “dinner equations” to help you even when you think you have nothing in the fridge.
Using only pantry staples and leftovers, I promise you can come up with last minute dinners you and your family will love. What are your favorite last minute meals? Tell me in the comments, and I can add some of your favorites to the list!
An Overview of my Quick Dinners
- Each recipe is quick and easy to make.
- I’ve only put recipes with simple ingredients on the list, so you won’t have to do any extra shopping!
- They’re very customizable recipes – meaning that even if you don’t have an ingredient, you can swap it out with ease.
- There’s a ton of variety, from tacos, to soups, salads, and more!
What Can I Make for Dinner?
1: Protein + Rice + Veggies
One of my oldest standby combos for a quick dinner with simple ingredients is combining a protein, rice, and veggies! If you have these simple ingredients on hand, you can make a super easy stir-fry or a delicious burrito bowl. Bottled sauces work great with this combo, from soy sauce to salsa and sour cream, so you won’t have to whip up anything extra.
Last Minute Dinner Staples
Tip from Isabel
Make use of odds and ends of canned or frozen vegetables, as well as any leftovers like shredded meat or frozen chicken breasts. It might surprise you how delicious a meal can be made from frozen ingredients.
2: Pasta + Simple Sauce
A favorite among kids everywhere is good old fashioned macaroni and cheese, but it’s actually just as easy to make your own delicious pasta dishes and it barely takes any more time! All it takes is noodles, tomato sauce or milk and cheese, and any add-ins of your choice. I’m a big fan of butter sauce with lemon, garlic, and parmesan cheese, poured over a big pot of noodles.
3: Leftovers + Bread + Cheese
When it comes to a lazy Friday night dinner, you really can’t go wrong with sandwiches! They’re one of the fastest foods to make, use up leftovers in delicious new ways, and you can use all sorts of fresh veggies or your favorite dressings and sauces. Out of bread? Use a warm flour tortilla!
4: Canned Beans + Broth + Veggies + Protein
If you have broth, you can make soup! The great thing about soup as a last minute meal is that you can pretty much toss any leftover you’ve got in the pot. Leftover sausage? Chop it up and toss it in! Green beans, bell pepper, or the last dregs of a bag of spinach? Into the pot they go!
With soup, you really don’t even need a recipe. So long as you add some salt (a non-low-sodium broth will have plenty) and bulk it out with a starch like pasta, rice, beans, or potatoes, you’re already on your way to a filling meal. Empty out the last of some bags of frozen veggies, let it simmer, and serve it up! Here are some of my favorite soups for inspiration!
5: Lettuce + Protein + Fruit + Cheese
Salads as entrees are fantastic for just how versatile they are! You can toss pretty much everything into a salad and it will turn out delicious, so long as you follow the basic salad equation:
- Lettuce + Protein (meat, beans, or tofu) + Sweet (fruit or candied nuts) + Salty (nuts or salty cheese) + Crunchy (Carrots, peppers, or nuts) + Soft (soft cheeses, soft fruit, or a softer lettuce like butter lettuce!)
Toss on a vinaigrette or dressing of choice (you can even make your own homemade vinaigrette) and you’ll have a delicious and super healthy easy dinner!
Tips for Dinner Ideas Last Minute
- It’s always handy to have a few odds and ends of leftovers! Things like sweet potatoes can be added to sandwiches if sliced, or sauces if mashed. A little leftover ground beef is perfect to mix into a sauce for pasta or top chips with for nachos.
- Some proteins cook extra quickly. Seafood, such as whitefish or salmon, can be cooked in the air fryer for under 10 minutes and come out perfectly!
- You can never go wrong with sheet pan vegetables. Chop up all the veggies you’ve got, toss them in oil, layer them on a sheet pan and bake until butter-soft. Serve them with dressing, Mozzarella cheese, or just plain with salt!
Good Things to Make for Dinner FAQ
If you’re missing a staple like pasta, rice, or broth, there are always great and easy substitutes. Pasta and rice, for example, are generally interchangeable, or can be swapped out for another starch like cubed potatoes. And broth is easily replicated with water and extra seasonings, or even canned soup!
If you’re really desperate for a meal and a boxed dinner like macaroni, ramen, or a frozen meal are all you have, you can always spice them up into a more filling meal! Add in things like frozen veggies, extra cheese, or sliced up deli meat. Ramen tastes better with a medium-boiled egg added into the broth!
Easy Dinner Guides
- 20-Minute Meals
- Budget Friendly Meals for Big Families
- Meals that Freeze Well
- Kid Friendly Weeknight Dinners
- Simple Dinners for Two
See my School Lunch Ideas for Picky Eaters, too!
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