Lazy Girl Meals: Your Guide to Simple Cooking

As I become used to not having my dad cook what feels like gourmet meals every day, I’ve learned that I don’t always feel like cooking, especially when I’ve had a long day of classes and meetings. So I’ve turned to scrounging around the kitchen for things that I can make in less than 10 minutes while still being considered a meal. 

My tried and true go to: pasta. I absolutely love pasta and even though it takes a bit to boil the water and cook the noodles, it requires almost zero effort. First, you need noodles of your choice, pasta sauce, and some type of meat if you wish. If you want to make your own sauce, it takes longer, but I typically use tomato paste, fresh onion and garlic, ground pepper, and capers, which are something that not a lot of people enjoy but I love. Pasta is my favorite because there are so many variations and it doesn’t require too much work, so you’ll typically have a full meal ready in about 20 minutes. 

I’m not much of a breakfast person, but avocado toast is good to start your day. This takes almost no effort, especially if you prefer avocado spread to fresh avocado. I like to put cream cheese on my avocado toast to add more flavor, and adding garlic powder on top makes it even better. If you want to make a more nutritious meal, you can put bacon or an egg on top for protein. This is also a good meal for lunch or even dinner if you’re not very hungry but still want something to fill you up. 

When I was younger and I felt like “cooking,” I would make quesadillas. All this requires are tortillas (I prefer corn) and cheese of your choice. It takes no time at all to put cheese on the tortilla after you warm it up on the stove and then I put it in the microwave to melt the cheese faster. I enjoy eating my lazy quesadillas with tabasco sauce and sometimes sour cream, but if I’m really feeling ambitious, I’ll quickly cook chicken to add more protein.

Last but not least, I love making steak and potatoes. This does require more work, but it still takes minimal effort. All you need to do is season your steak and cook it to your preferred doneness; I choose medium rare but if you don’t feel experienced enough, well done might be a better option. As for the potatoes, putting them in the oven can be less work if you don’t want to cook them on the stove and have to focus on two pans at once. Another alternative is mashed potatoes, but unless you want to make them fresh, it takes even less effort.

And just like that you (might) have a lazy girl meal plan. Don’t feel bad about making lazy meals or even ordering out because college is hectic, and our lives don’t always account for a Michelin star meal. Take it from me: don’t take your family’s cooking for granted.