Is anyone else seriously unmotivated to cook dinner during the summer?
I don’t know if it’s the heat or the never-ending list of fun things to do, but I have no desire to stand over the stove at night.
But since the humans I live with still want to eat, I decided to put together a list of no-cook meals I could make this summer.
And today I’m sharing that list with you.
9 No-Cook Meal Ideas for Summer
1. Salads
Salads don’t have to be boring.
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You can easily turn a salad into a meal by adding fruit and fresh bread on the side.
2. Snack Trays
Snack trays, or charcuterie boards, are very popular right now. These are great for using up whatever is in your pantry and fridge.
Pile all kinds of finger foods on a platter; things like deli meat, pepperoni, salami, jerky, fruit, cheese, crackers, veggies, and hummus are great.
Kids seem to love these trays, and they are easy and fast to put together.
3. Wraps or Sandwiches
Ideas for sandwiches and wraps are limitless. Don’t limit yourself to peanut butter and jelly or grilled cheese.
You can pair meat with cheese and fruit or put leftovers or pretty much any combo you like into a wrap.
Get ideas from your favorite restaurants and make copycat versions of your own.
4. Taco Bowls
Get out all your favorite taco fillings like rice, tortilla shells or chips, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and beans.
You can stick with a vegetarian version by using beans only or pre-cook a few batches of taco meat in advance that you can pull out on taco night.
5. Breakfast for Dinner
I will never turn down breakfast for dinner.
If you don’t want to fool with making eggs, you can always have frozen waffles or breakfast sandwiches, cereal, yogurt, or oatmeal.
If you are willing to cheat and cook just a little, grab a frozen quiche and pop it in the toaster oven.
6. Chicken or Tuna Salad
Grab a rotisserie chicken or canned meat and whip up a quick chicken or tuna salad to serve on bread, crackers, or lettuce.
My favorite thing to do with tuna is to make this tuna melt on bread with cheese and tomato.
7. Power Bowls
Have you gotten on the power bowl bandwagon?
Just select a starchy base like rice or potatoes, add a protein of your choice, don’t forget to throw on some veggies, and top with your favorite sauce.
Just like salads, you can make power bowls to match your favorite cuisine types.
8. Loaded Baked Potatoes
Take those loaded potatoes you can order at a restaurant to the next level by adding some meat, veggies and all your favorite toppings like cheese, sour cream, or avocado.
Try different flavors by using sweet potatoes or white potatoes.
9. Soup
Believe it or not, soup still tastes good in the summer. You can opt for a favorite brand of canned soup or try a Bertolli frozen soup. Pair soup with a small sandwich or salad and you have a filling meal.
BONUS: One of the hardest parts for me is coming up with sides for meals, so here are a few ideas of little to no-cook sides: salad, microwave steamable veggies, microwave rice or potatoes, fruit, or chips.
If you have other ideas for no-cook meals, please share them on Defeating Busy’s Facebook and Instagram, so we can all spend less time in the kitchen this summer.
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