Put down the takeout menu.
Five-Minute Fried Rice
"I scramble an egg on the skillet, add jasmine rice, shredded rotisserie chicken, whatever vegetables I have on hand and soy sauce for cheap and easy fried rice."—Megan Marie, Facebook.
@cosepose via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Fish Stick Tacos
"Cook the fish sticks according to the instructions, pop them into tortillas with lettuce, tomatoes, and any of your favorite taco toppings like mayo, guacamole, or ranch dressing."—SKipnees
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Souped-Up Boxed Mac & Cheese
"I almost always have boxed mac and cheese sitting in my pantry, so I like to spice it up with whatever is in my fridge. Some of my go-to add-ins are broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen peas, and mushrooms. You can even add extra protein like chicken sausage or shrimp. It makes mac and cheese feel healthier, more filling, and even more sophisticated."—Hannah Loewentheil
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No-Cook Burrito Bowl
"I throw leftover roasted vegetables over leftover rice and half a can of beans, then I top it with some salsa. When I'm feeling fancy AF, I'll add some avocado."— Britney Pellouchoud, Facebook
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Quick Meatball Subs
"I microwave frozen meatballs and put them on a hotdog bun topped with spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan."—erandrsn
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Pesto Pasta
"When I'm feeling lazy, I boil pasta with whatever vegetables I have sitting in my fridge or freezer. I top it all with store-bought pesto. It's so easy, but so satisfying."—Kayla Suazo
@cool_turefood / Via instagram.com
Pantry-to-Bowl Black Bean Soup
"All you need to make this comfort food is a box of chicken or veggie stock, canned corn, canned black beans, and a jar of salsa. Pour everything into a big pot and bring it to a boil for 10 minutes. Let it simmer for another 30, and then top it with tortillas, avocado, or whatever's in your kitchen."—brittanijuneb
brittanijuneb / Via buzzfeed.com
Huevos Rancheros
"I heat up canned black beans with some spices like chili powder or cumin. Then, I toast tortillas in a pan with butter until they're crispy and fry an egg. I layer the tortillas with black beans, salsa, and fried egg, and there you have it: Easy huevos rancheros."—kateg44899cc54
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One-Pan Quinoa
"I usually make some variation of this one-pan, five-ingredient Mexican quinoa using quinoa, fire roasted tomatoes, canned corn, black beans, and lime. I'll switch it up depending on what I have in my kitchen."—Ciera Velarde
@plant.powered.mamaqueen via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
"I use half a jar of salsa per chicken breast, dump the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook it on high for 4 hours. Serve it with some cheese, sour cream, and avocado salsa on warm tortillas."—Elissa Westmoreland, Facebook
@thaicaliente via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Grown-Up Grilled Cheese
"I usually have bread and cheese lying around, so I make a souped up grilled cheese sandwich with some fig jam on the inside. I place another cast iron pan on top of the sandwich while I fry it to make it extra crispy."—Sarah Aspler
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Amazon
Naan Pizza
"Using naan instead of pizza dough to make flatbread saves time and effort, and it tastes amazing. I buy store-bought naan and top it with whatever pizza toppings I'm craving, from pesto and ricotta to arugula and prosciutto. I pop the naan pizzas in the oven for about 10 minutes and call it dinner."—Hannah Loewentheil
@tutrampham via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Mini Chicken Parmesan
"I take frozen chicken nuggets and microwave them, then add canned marinara sauce and cheese and microwave again. It feels fancy even though you made it in five minutes."—transboytheo
@jalessiajordan / Via instagram.com
Fancy Instant Ramen Bowl
"I take instant ramen and spice it up with whatever is in my fridge like eggs, fresh or frozen veggies, and any protein. You don't even need to boil the egg. You can crack it right into the broth and turn it into egg drop soup."—caryls
@continents via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Shakshuka
"I throw chopped onions into a pan with olive oil and sautée until translucent, then add canned tomatoes and stew with whatever spices and veggies I have on hand. After 20 minutes, I crack a few eggs in and let them cook. It's easy, budget-friendly, and versatile."—LunaMagnolia86
@committofitkelsey / Via instagram.com
Two-Ingredient Tomato Soup
"This is the easiest cream of tomato soup, and it's vegan. Add jar of tomato sauce to a sauce pan, then add the coconut cream and stir until it's dissolved. Just add salt and pepper to taste and serve."— nickif4154fa1ae
@anja_mohammed via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Ten-Minute Hibachi
"I throw rice, butter, soy sauce, garlic, veggies, and whatever leftover meat I have on hand into a pan. Cook it until everything is hot and boom: Hibachi in ten minutes. Especially when I have leftover rotisserie chicken, this is my go-to meal."—Sandra Lomotey
@sarahknowles_beauty via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Breakfast For Dinner
"I like to defrost frozen tater tots and top them with scrambled eggs and cheese."—Hannahjg
Hangry Fork / Via hangryfork.com
Egg Roll Bowl
I brown breakfast sausage in a saute pan with whatever Asian seasonings I have on hand like ginger and red pepper flakes. Then, I add soy sauce and coleslaw to the pan until it wilts. It's basically an egg roll in a bowl."—megant4681d30ce
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@rachelastroth via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese
"I microwave frozen cauliflower florets until they're tender. Then I add shredded cheese, cream cheese, and a splash of milk and continue to microwave and stir until it's all melty and cheesy. Voilà: Lazy and healthy(ish) cauliflower "mac" and cheese."—hannahb45c3481fb
@momlife.4ad via Instagram / Via instagram.com
Beans and Greens
"I make lots of versions of this beans and greens recipe depending on what's in my fridge. I usually use garlic, onion, spinach, and canned cannelloni beans, and then I'll add anything like mushrooms, shallot, sun dried tomato, kale, or bacon. I just sauté everything in a pan with oil or butter, toss with red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and Parmesan."—CariJayne
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Cheater's Enchiladas
Take frozen burritos, top them with canned red enchilada or tomato sauce sauce, cheese, and any of your favorite Tex-Mex toppings. Bake them in the oven and you've got instant enchiladas that cost next to nothing."— alaurenc90
@from_vs_kitchen via Instagram / Via instagram.com
via BuzzFeed/Food