This is a wonderful guest post, written by my blogging BFF, Rosemarie of The Busy Budgeter.
After a long day of working, running around with the kids, and taking care of 5000 things, who wants to spend hours in the kitchen making dinner?
Um…no one! I’m betting even gourmet chefs like Gordon Ramsey or Martha Stewart don’t want to make a two-hour dinner after a long day.
I’m hardly Gordon or Martha, but I DO enjoy food. I do NOT, however, love cooking—especially after a busy day. I consider myself a bit of a foodie, but I’m definitely a fast foodie…but I’m not talking about McDonalds, Wendy’s or Burger King.
When I say FAST, I mean I’m all about the 15-minute dinners.
I mean, what can be more satisfying than cooking up something delicious and healthy for a fraction of what you’d pay at the drive-thru and in the EXACT amount of time? You just can’t beat it. In fact, 15-minute dinners are how my family and I got over our addiction to the drive-thru.
We love a 15-minute meal. Seriously. It’s actually become kind of a goal for us: can we get in and out of the kitchen while still making something delicious, healthy and under-budget? So far we’ve been pretty successful.
So give a few of our 15-minute dinner favorites below a try! (Plus, find even more 15-minute meal ideas here.)
You’ll be amazed at how easy most of these recipes are! In fact, many of them are open to interpretation, so you can add your own spin! (For example, swap out turkey for chicken or soy crumbles for beef.) It’s fun and simple. Get started today!
15-Minute Ham & Cheese Sliders with Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing
Head over here for an easy, printable recipe card!
This recipe is one of my favorites and the ingredients are all straightforward and healthy. My kids really love these simple ham and cheese sliders, and the poppy seeds seriously make the whole thing. It’s a little bit sweet and salty, and a little bit savory—the perfect balance to hit all your cravings.
Ingredients:
8 dinner rolls
8 slices of Hillshire Farm black forest ham
4 slices Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of butter
¼ teaspoon of poppy seeds
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Split dinner rolls in half and stuff them with 1 slice of ham and ½ slice of Swiss cheese.
Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Mix honey and mustard together and serve on the side.
Quick & Easy Turkey Reubens
Head over here for an easy, printable recipe card!
I used to think sandwiches weren’t dinner-appropriate food, but I’ve changed my tune, especially after trying these amazing, warm, gooey delicious reubens. I even make my own thousand island dressing (which is so simple you’ll faint). The dressing is what makes this sandwich, and of course, the marbled rye with mounds of turkey. It is seriously SO good!
Ingredients:
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup mayo
2 Tbsp sweet relish
⅛ tsp black pepper
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp garlic powder (optional)
1 lb deli oven roasted sliced turkey breast
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup canned sauerkraut, drained
8 slices marble rye bread
Instructions:
Prepare dressing by combining ketchup, mayo, relish, pepper, and salt in a medium-sized bowl and stirring until completely combined. Set aside.
Divide turkey into four even portions on a large, microwave-safe plate (if your microwave is not very large or your plates too small, you may have to heat the portions just one or two at a time).
Top each with a slice of cheese and then evenly divide the sauerkraut over the top of the cheese.
Heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes, until cheese is melted and turkey is hot.
Lightly toast bread slices in toaster and then spread one side of each slice with thousand island.
Use a spatula to transfer the heated turkey portions on top of a prepared slice of bread. Top with another slice of bread, and then cut in half and serve.
The Ultimate 15-Minute Chili
Head over to the link for an easy, printable recipe card!
Chili is a favorite at our house—it’s perfect on a cold-weather day. We try to make it not-so-spicy so the kids enjoy it just as much as we do. When we serve it up, it HAS to include all the toppings—sour cream, cheese, and corn chips. This 15-minute chili also makes for great crowd-pleasing food whether for a party, a game or another get-together.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 large yellow onion – chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
14 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
16 oz tomato sauce
15 oz kidney beans, drained
1 4-oz can green chilies
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add ground beef and onion and cook until beef is browned. Drain off excess grease.
Add garlic, if using, and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds) – If you’re using garlic powder, skip this step and add the garlic powder in with the rest of the spices below.
Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.
Bring to a boil, and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for at least 15 minutes (the longer you simmer the better it will be!).
Serve with preferred toppings (like sour cream and corn chips).
15-Minute Crispy Tex-Mex Chicken Wraps
These wraps are my favorite! The crispy chicken is full of protein, PLUS the beans offer even MORE protein, so these really satisfy. They’re full of yummy veggies and they come together so quickly. The sauce is really the best part—it’s another time when the sauce makes the meal, so it’s totally worth a totally tiny amount of extra time.
Ingredients:
Tex-Mex Ranch Sauce:
1/3 cup ranch dressing
1/3 cup mild or medium salsa
1 Tablespoon reduced sodium taco seasoning
Wraps:
6 Flour tortillas (10-inch)
6 Romaine lettuce leaves
2 medium-large tomatoes, sliced into 12 slices
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn kernels – thawed
1/2 cup black beans — rinsed and drained
1 lb crispy chicken tenders — cooked according to package directions and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Prepare your Tex-Mex Ranch Sauce by whisking together ranch dressing, salsa, and taco seasoning in a small bowl until completely combined. Set aside.
Warm your wraps in the microwave briefly (about 15-20 seconds) and lay each out on a clean work surface.
Spread about 1 Tablespoon of Tex-Mex Ranch Sauce in the bottom center of the tortilla (leaving about 2 inches of space around the edges of the tortilla).
Top with 1 leaf of lettuce, then two slices of tomato.
Sprinkle about 1 Tablespoon of corn and 1 Tablespoon of beans over the tomatoes (try to keep everything building up on top of the lettuce — it will make it easier to wrap the finished product) and then top with a handful of chicken (about 1/3 cup).
Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top (about 2-3 Tablespoons) and evenly drizzle remaining ranch sauce on top of chicken /cheese.
Fold the left and right side of each wrap inwards and then roll into a wrap. Secure with toothpicks, if needed.
Cut in half and serve.
15-Minute Sloppy Joes
Head over to the link for an easy, printable recipe card!
Does it get any better than sloppy joes? Everyone loves them! Plus, the great thing about this recipe is that the simple sauce is healthier than anything full of sodium and preservatives you’d get in a can! We serve these up almost weekly at my house—and I bet after you try them, you will too!
Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
1 lb ground beef
½ cup chopped onion (about 1 small onion)
1 cup ketchup
2 tsp mustard
3 Tbsp light brown sugar, tightly packed into each spoonful
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste (¼-½ tsp of each)
Pre-sliced hamburger buns (4-6)
Instructions:
Heat a medium-sized skillet on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
Add ground beef and chopped onion.
Cook, stirring frequently and chopping up the beef with the spatula/spoon as you go until meat is browned.
Drain off excess liquid.
Add remaining ingredients, stir well.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Portion meat onto hamburger buns and serve warm.
Rotisserie Chicken Meals
Rotisserie chicken meals are so fast and simple. I can often find rotisserie chicken on sale (plus it smells SO yummy in the checkout line)! They’re inexpensive (usually $5 a pop) and you can stretch them so far, especially if you incorporate them into meals with other ingredients. Try any of our favorite 15-minute $5 rotisserie chicken meals! Simple, healthy, versatile, and cheap—you really can’t go wrong! Here are some of our ultra faves.
Super-Simple Rotisserie Chicken Quesadillas
Chop up the chicken, then add cheese and extras (try black beans, green pepper, onion, and salsa to taste) to create the filling. Place a flour tortilla in a buttered hot skillet on medium high, add filling, layer with another tortilla, turn when cheese is melting and cook the other side to a crisp.
Strawberry Avocado Salad with Rotisserie Chicken and Honey Balsamic Dressing
Chop up chicken. Slice strawberries and avocado. Layer chicken, strawberries, and avocado on salad greens, then add blue cheese and chopped walnuts. Combine equal parts honey, balsamic vinegar, and oil. Add a splash of lemon juice (and poppy seeds if you have them). Mix and dress the salad.
This is our FAVORITE salad dressing. It’s a million times better than any store bought and we make it frequently.
Buffalo or Barbecue Rotisserie Chicken Pizza
Buffalo Version: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat chopped chicken in hot sauce (we add some melted butter to ours). Layer a Boboli pizza crust with room temperature cream cheese, then sprinkle with ranch seasoning (the dry dip kind), then a little mozzarella cheese. Finally add the spicy chopped chicken, sprinkle with more mozzarella and bake for 10 minutes.
BBQ Version: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce over a Boboli pizza crust. Sprinkle Monterey jack cheese over crust, add finely chopped chicken and red onion then more cheese. You can add extras if you have them on hand (crumbled bacon is super good!) then bake for 8-10 minutes.
15-Minute Breakfast for Dinner
Sometimes it’s fun to switch up your dinner routine, especially on the weekends—and these 15-minute “breakfasts for dinner” are a fun way to whip up something fun and different the whole family will love!
3-Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Donuts in 15 Minutes
Head over to the link for an easy, printable recipe card!
These donuts are seriously the bomb! They’re so easy to make and go so well with coffee, hot chocolate, or well, just about anything! This recipe makes 5 donuts and you get 5 cute little holes to enjoy as well, which I think somehow taste even better. This is the ultimate autumn-time treat, and they come together super fast.
Ingredients:
1 can of Buttermilk Biscuits (any brand, just not the “Flaky” kind)
Oil for Frying (we use canola oil)
½ cup Powdered Sugar
1½ Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
Instructions:
Heat oil in either a stockpot or a deep fryer to 360 degrees.
Separate biscuits, then, using a small container (empty spice jars work perfect), cut circles out of the middle of the biscuits. Save the middles—they’ll become donut holes.
Fill a gallon-sized storage bag with powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
Shake well to combine ingredients.
Drop biscuits into hot oil for about 20 seconds on each side. Look for a light golden color.
As soon as they’re done, put them into the bag of seasoning and sugar.
Close the top and shake the bag to cover donuts.
Remove to a plate to let cool.
Enjoy!
15-Minute Bacon Egg and Cheese Breakfast Pizzas (Freezer-Friendly)
These yummy little bagel pizzas are so filling. Plenty of protein! The great thing is they’re freezer friendly enough to just pop in the microwave or toaster oven and enjoy when you reeeeeallly don’t want to spend ANY time on dinner (or breakfast, of course)!
Ingredients:
3 plain bagels, sliced
6 large eggs, beaten
⅛ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
10 fully cooked bacon slices (microwaved according to package instructions), crumbled
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 415° F.
Place bagels on an ungreased cookie sheet and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together eggs, garlic pepper, salt, and pepper.
Cook/scramble in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Remove eggs from heat and evenly distribute scrambled eggs over bagels.
Sprinkle bacon over eggs.
Toss together mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, and cover the bacon/eggs with cheese mixture.
Bake at 415° F for 10 minutes.
Pizza bagels will be extremely hot right out of the oven, allow them to cool briefly before enjoying.
These also freeze very well — wrap cooled pizza bagels tightly in plastic wrap (I usually place them in an airtight container or in a large Ziploc bag for good measure) and freeze.
Defrost in microwave or toaster oven before enjoying at a later time.
Ideas for Quick & Easy Sides
I’m a big fan of simple sides. We usually go with something healthy—a salad or fresh fruit. If you’re wondering what to prepare to round out your 15-minute dinner, here are a few super-easy, kid-friendly suggestions:
Cut apples or pears
Fruit salad
Applesauce
Bagged salad
Coleslaw (ready-made)
Baked beans
Chips and guacamole (Super simple guac recipe: mash avocado with a whisk, add lime juice, cilantro and finely-chopped onion. That’s it!)
Canned or frozen corn
Canned or frozen green beans
Baby carrots and celery with ranch dressing
Love 15-minute dinners? What are your favorite fast and easy meals? Do you see anything here you think you’ll try tonight? Let me know! Enjoy!
The post Quick & Easy 15-Minute Dinner Ideas appeared first on Jessi Fearon.