The Lazy Dinners Our Editors Make When They Have No Time to Cook

The last thing you want to do when you get home from a long day at work is cook some elaborate meal that takes 45 minutes to prep and an hour to bake. There are too many other things on our to-do lists (like smashing the patriarchy) to waste time in the kitchen. If you’re wondering what you should make for dinner tonight, we asked our editors for some of their favorite quick dinners that require minimal effort.

Here’s what we recommend.

Cacio e pepe

“This dish is so simple and easy to make but tastes so luxurious. It only takes one pan and four ingredients. If you want to try it, I love this cacio e pepe recipe from Leite’s Culinaria.” — Kenzie Mastroe, food and lifestyle editor

Grilled cheese

I can make it in less than 10 minutes, and it’s delish!” — Kim Zapata, trending news writer 

Veggie chili

“I seriously make this veggie chili constantly. It’s so easy and so good.” — Amelia Edelman, senior parenting editor

Sheet pan shrimp fajitas

“When the most labor-intensive element of prepping a meal is chopping up the cilantro, you know you have a winner. Not only is the mise en place for this dish stupidly simple — slice up a few peppers and an onion, dump a bunch of seasonings on top of everything and mix — but it cooks in literally 10 minutes. I always have to double-check my notes because I can’t believe how quickly it bakes. The flavor payoff exponentially outweighs the effort, and there’s only a sheet pan to clean at the end. How I don’t make this sheet pan shrimp fajita recipe every night of the week is a mystery.” — Cristina Velocci, director of editorial operations

Ritz cracker chicken

“This Ritz cracker chicken was my mom’s go-to weeknight meal to get me and my sisters fed, so there’s a big nostalgia factor with this dish. As an adult, this has become an easy, cheap recipe (at minimum, all you need is chicken, crushed Ritz & an egg!) that feels like a level up from plain ol’ pasta. I can prep, throw it in the oven and get changed out of my work clothes while it cooks (bonus!). I usually pair this with some veggies or a little salad to make it feel like a rounded-out meal. Oh, and wine. Can’t forget wine no matter how lazy the dinner is.” — Allie Gemmill, assistant entertainment editor

Linguine with peas, asparagus & arugula

“This linguine and veggie pasta dish is absolutely delicious, and because there are some green vegetables in it, you don’t feel as horrible about eating it. I also make some modifications to the recipe, swapping out low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt for the heavy cream and roasting the asparagus to add a nutty flavor. I also add a generous amount of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.” — Elizabeth Yuko, health editor

Rice Krispies chicken

“My mayo-obsessed mom made this for me and my siblings growing up, and it’s still one of my favorites to this day. Almost like chicken fingers (and just as satisfying, IMHO) without the greasy, fried part. Just spread mayo onto the chicken breast, coat with Rice Krispies and bake for 20 minutes. Voilà!” — Jane Asher, social media editor

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