Some of the most incredible meals on the planet can take literal days to prepare. Sourcing the finest ingredients, seasoning and prepping the food, and then cooking it to perfection is an art form that takes time and effort to prepare with love. But sometimes we don’t have the energy to cook with effort and love, and we need to just throw some crap in a saucepan and render it down to something edible. Sometimes we just don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen prepping and cooking. We want something simple, tasty, and easy for the days when we want to eat as lazy as we feel.
If that sounds familiar, then this one’s for you.
Two-Minute Egg Omelet
This one is great on those days where you’re either running out the door or in serious need of some quick pre-gym protein. This particular recipe calls for two eggs, onions, peppers, feta cheese, and some baby spinach, and it’s definitely a solid combo. If you’re more of a “ham and cheese” kinda guy, a little shredded cheddar and diced ham will work well, too. All you do is crack the eggs into the cup, beat it around (feel free to add a tablespoon or two of milk/water), toss it in the microwave for a minute, toss in all the other ingredients, put it on for another 30 seconds, and then let it rest for a minute. The egg cooks perfectly, the cheese melts, and the other stuff has time to mix together. Recipe
Spiced Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Sandwich
The peanut butter and banana sandwich comes in a million different shapes and sizes, but we’re fans of this crunchy, gooey, delicious mess because the inclusion of ginger and cinnamon powder give it the kick we never knew it needed. Slather peanut butter on one side of each piece of toast, top one piece with sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey, coat the sandwich with butter/margarine/coconut oil, and fry it in a sauce pan like you would a grilled cheese. The cinnamon sugar topping mixes perfectly with the peanut butter and bananas. Recipe
The Best Goddamn Popcorn
Popcorn is one of our absolute favorite snack foods because it’s super easy to make, and depending on what you season it with, it can be as healthy or unhealthy as you want. Microwave popcorn is obviously the easiest, but this stovetop method is about as easy as real popcorn can get. Add butter to taste and throw a little salt on it, or feel free to do a little salt and old bay, smoked paprika and garlic salt, a little caramel, or whatever else is within arm’s reach. Total cook time for this is less than ten minutes, and cleanup is a breeze. Recipe
The BLT Quesadilla
A traditional BLT is a relatively simple sandwich to make. Bacon, lettuce, and tomato (duh) placed in between two slices of toast (or three, if you’re feeling like a traditional club-style setup), and boom—a sandwich. But this lazy BLT quesadilla makes the process even more simple. A few slices of bacon, crumbled over a melty, gooey pile of cheese on a crispy tortilla, then topped with chopped tomato, lettuce, and a little sour cream, make this “sandwich” superb and incredibly easy. The bacon takes a little time to cook, but after that, you’re looking at a total of 10 minutes from start to finish, and minimal cleanup outside a pan and a cutting board. Recipe
Perfect Microwave Nachos
On the surface, microwaved nachos sound gross. Soft, soggy, cold—blegh! These microwave nachos, however, stay crispy no matter what, take only a few minutes to prepare (the taco meat takes a little while, but if you’re feeling that lazy, you can just go out and buy the pre-cooked stuff, or just leave it out), and tastes as good as anything you’d have from the oven or your local Taqueria spot. Recipe
Chunky Monkey Protein Smoothie
Sometimes, the mere idea of cooking is enough to make us break a sweat. On days when we just don’t want to lift a finger, a protein shake is exactly what the doctor ordered. They’re filling, can be prepared in no time at all, and cleanup is usually easy as washing out a mug. This one calls for chocolate protein powder, a frozen banana, some almond (or regular) milk, almond (or peanut) butter, and a little cacao powder/crumbles for taste and texture. You can make it in under five minutes and in the end you’ll have a delicious, filling, and, believe it or not, healthy lazy meal. Recipe
Extra Crispy Tortilla Pizza
Skillet cooking is generally thought of as simple, and these extra crispy tortilla pizzas are no exception. Just a thin layer of oil, a tortilla, a little cheese, a little sauce, and whatever toppings you want. Start it on the stove, finish it on the broiler, and have yourself a skillet-cooked pan pizza in minutes. It doesn’t really get lazier than that. Recipe
Easy Grilled Cheese
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the epitome of lazy cooking, and people go to great lengths to make them lazier. We’ve heard everything from drying machine grilled cheese sandwiches, to bread toaster grilled cheeses, and even clothing ironed grilled cheese. But this regular pan-fried grilled cheese is simple to put together, takes minutes to cook, and tastes absolutely brilliant on its own or paired with some good old-fashioned Campbell’s Tomato Soup (Campbell’s because it’s another easy-to-prepare meal). Recipe
