We’ve all been there, haven’t we? After a long day of work, it can be hard to muster the energy to cook. Before you reach for a frozen pizza, or pull up a delivery app, though, you might want to consider one of the following six meals. They’re all quick, simple, and positively scrumptious –– the perfect follow-up to a tiring day. Give them a try, and you might wind up with a new weeknight favorite.
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Stuffed Peppers
What’s better than a simple, yet satisfying meal? A simple, yet satisfying meal you can whip up in a flash. And you’ll be hard-pressed to find a recipe faster than stuffed peppers. Variants of the dish exist in multiple cuisines, from North American to Eastern Mediterranean. All it takes is a hollowed-out pepper—bell pepper, poblano, piquillo, dealer’s choice—and some tasty filling, typically consisting of spiced meat. If you want to make the dish go further, rice is always a welcome addition, too. From there, it’s simply a matter of baking the whole affair, then tucking into the fruits of your labor.
Spaghetti al Limone
When it comes to weeknight pasta dinners, there are some excellent candidates. Spaghetti carbonara and aglio e olio both require few ingredients, and just a touch of finesse. For our money, though, spaghetti al limone is the way to go. Even following a busy shift, combining cream with garlic and lemon juice is easy as pie. Plus, nothing perks you up after working all day like pasta coated in a creamy, citrus-infused sauce. Sprinkle some black pepper and parmesan on top, and you’ll be eating like a king.
Sloppy Joes
Chances are you’ve already got the ingredients for this American classic kicking around. Sloppy joes provide the flavor of a juicy hamburger, but demand only half the effort. Dice up a few onions, fry them with some ground beef, then douse the ensuing mixture with your choice of tomato sauce or ketchup. Finally, add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, to lend your filling an underlying acidity. Served on a soft hamburger bun, the sweet, meaty concoction is pure bliss.
Butter Chicken
Few recipes exemplify the benefits of batch cooking better than butter chicken. At a glance, the concoction of chicken chunks and rich tomato gravy might seem intimidating. In truth, you only need some basic ingredients and a handful of spices to get it tasting just like your favorite Indian eatery. What’s more, you can easily double, or even triple the recipe, ensuring dinner is covered for days to come. Simply heat the sauce through and serve it over rice, If you’re feeling fancy, warm some naan for dipping as well.
Fried Rice
Found yourself with excess rice, and nothing to pair it with? That’s nothing to worry about. In fact, it means you’ve got the most crucial component of a good fried rice. Refrigerating the titular ingredient in advance will wind up making the finished product crispier. As for additives, there’s no shortage of options. You can use a plethora of meats, or none at all. Vegetables like onion, carrot, and peas are traditional, but not essential. And whether you crack in an egg or two is up to you. Just don’t be shy about adding to the mix; the more components, the further it’ll go.
Honey Garlic Salmon
Preparing fish can be a delicate affair. With salmon, though, there’s a simple trick that gets it right every time. If you do most of the cooking on the skin side, then give the flesh a quick kiss in the pan, you’ll wind up with a perfect piece of fish. As for seasoning, you can do it however you please. Honey garlic glaze is a classic, and for good reason, but far from your only option. If you’d prefer some Asian flavors, or a healthy dose of garlic and butter, go ahead and enjoy those instead.
