19 Frugal Instant Meal Ideas for When You Don’t Want to Cook

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Frugal instant meal ideas for nights you don’t want to cook. Avoid costly takeaway with these super quick and easy meal alternatives.

instant meal ideas for nights you don't want to cook

Do you ever have days when you don’t want to cook? Maybe you’ve had a long day at work, or you’re sick, or you’re just feeling burned out.

If you’re a regular blog reader here, you know I’m all for cooking from scratch. And there are plenty of tricks you can use, like menu planning & batch cooking, to make this process easier.

But then there are the times when I don’t even want to walk past the kitchen, let alone cook another meal. It’s at these times when the following instant meals come in handy.

Quite often, when we have a day when the kitchen is a no-go zone, we fall back on takeaway, which is fine as an occasional treat but not so good if it becomes a regular occurrence. Having a backup plan is essential for saving money and eating better than the Red Rooster drive-thru.

I won’t claim that these instant meal ideas are the cheapest or the most healthy you’ll ever eat, but compared to most takeaway meals or premade supermarket meals, they’re pretty good.

17 Cheat Instant Meals for Nights When You Don’t Want to Cook

Below are some of my favourite super-easy frugal instant meal ideas.

Some of these ideas are no-cook meals from the grocery store.

Some include a little bit of cooking, but not much; easy stuff like boiling pasta (one pot), bunging some chips in the oven, or microwaving rice.

1. Rotisserie Chicken + Bagged Salad + Dressing

As far as easy supermarket meals go, this one has to be the easiest. Throw some frozen chips (fries) or gems (tater tots) in the oven, and you’ve got a full and easy family meal.

BBQ chooks from Woolies are just as cheap as the fresh, free-range ones you can get at Aldi, and they are a great alternative when you don’t feel like cooking.

Serve with a lightly dressed salad, and you’ve got a complete meal.

If you don’t want to use store-bought salad dressing, you can drizzle your salad with a little olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar for a super simple homemade dressing. Just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar is another super simple dressing idea.

Budget tip: substitute with frozen chicken tenders or nuggets for a cheaper alternative.

2. Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli + Bottled Pesto

Cook the ravioli according to the packet directions. Drain, return to the pan and toss the pesto through the pasta. For a little extra decadence, you can also stir a little cream through if you have it or some leftover chicken.

Serve with a side of salad.

Budget tip: ravioli can be frozen, so it’s great to stock up when it is half-price and freeze for when you need it.

3. Marinated Skewers + Frozen Vegetables + Hokkien Noodles

Soak the noodles in boiling water. While they’re soaking, slide the meat off the skewers and fry in a little oil until cooked through, adding any leftover marinade.

Add the frozen vegetables and stir-fry until defrosted and heated through. Drain the noodles and toss through the meat and vegetable mixture before serving.

Budget tip: Grab your skewers from Aldi or keep an eye out for when skewers go half-price and freeze for later.

4. Toast + Cheese + Ham

You can’t beat a toasted sandwich for a quick and easy light meal.

Leave out the ham for the vegetarian option, or substitute it with avocado or tomato or whatever takes your fancy.

Add a little mustard or chutney for an adult flavour and some spinach to up the green content.

You might also like: Meals From Leftovers

5. Turkish Bread + Eggs + Sliced Mushrooms + Cheese

Breakfast for dinner in the form of an omelette or scrambled eggs.

Toast the Turkish Bread under the griller (any bread will do – or try salad instead if you don’t eat bread…but I’m not suggesting you grill the salad).

Fry your mushrooms and any other ingredients you’re using (spring onions and ham are a favourite of mine).

In a clean pan, cook your eggs. Either scramble them or make an omelette. Top with cheese, if using, and your veg, fold and serve.

6. Rotisserie Chicken/Pulled Pork + Bagged Slaw + Buns + Mayo + BBQ Sauce

Chicken, slaw, and bread rolls are one of our favourite easy dinners. The optional addition of BBQ sauce is delicious. We usually make our slaw with shredded cabbage and mayo, but you can also buy it in bags and mix it with mayo for convenience.

You can buy pulled pork and pulled beef at the supermarket next to the BBQ chooks. It’s not going to be as good as the one you’ve lovingly braised in the slow cooker, but it’s pretty good, and it’s something a little different to the usual BBQ chook.

7. Pizza Base + Grated Cheese + Pizza Sauce + Leftovers

Regular bread or wrap bread (tortillas) can be used in place of pizza bases if you prefer. Top with pizza sauce and grated cheese for a basic pizza, or add leftovers from the fridge or marinated vegetables for something more filling.

8. Instant Rice + Cooked Prawns + Crushed Garlic + Cream

Here’s a gourmet instant dinner that makes the most of garlic in a jar, which is a useful standby to have in the fridge.

Cook the rice according to the packet directions or reheat it in boiling water.

Heat a little butter in a pan, and toss in the garlic, prawns, and cream. Heat for 2 minutes. Serve the prawns with rice.

Budget tip: Keep an eye out for half-price frozen prawns. Or substitute with leftover BBQ chicken.

9. Instant Rice + Egg + Ham + Frozen Vegetables + Soy Sauce

For an easy fried rice, cook the rice according to the packet directions. Cook a scrambled egg and remove it from the pan. Fry ham and vegetables, add rice and soy sauce and cook through. Stir in egg and serve.

10. Couscous + Leftover / Rotisserie Chicken + Sliced Mushrooms + Pesto

Prepare couscous according to packet directions. Fry the sliced mushrooms briefly. Add the chicken and pesto. Serve with couscous.

11. Instant Rice + Rotisserie Chicken or Cooked Prawns + Coconut Cream + Curry Paste or Powder + Frozen Spinach

Maybe not the best, but the quickest chicken curry you’ll ever make. Cook rice according to packet directions. Add chicken or prawns to a pan with coconut cream, curry powder or paste and spinach and cook through. Serve with rice.

12. Ricotta Cheese + Ciabatta Loaf + Avocado + Smoked Salmon

I had this meal in a gourmet restaurant in Sydney, but it’s a simple instant meal to have at home.

Spread some cut bread (it doesn’t have to be Ciabatta loaf) with ricotta cheese, top with slices of avocado and smoked salmon or use tinned salmon or tuna for a cheaper version.

Budget tip: a little salmon goes a long way, and it’s cheaper to purchase in Aldi or on sale. Substitute with tinned tuna for a less expensive version.

13. Wraps + Avocado + Tomato + Grated Cheese + Tinned Beans

Quesadillas are popular in our house. Crush the beans and spread them on one wrap. Top with avocado, tomato and grated cheese. Top with a second wrap and cook in a sandwich press.

Budget tip: refried beans are easy to make and taste delicious (and they’re healthy and filling). Freeze in batches for easy meals and use instead of the crushed beans.

14. Couscous + Rotisserie Chicken + Marinated Vegetables + Salad Leaves

Marinated vegetables can be purchased in jars or in the deli section of the supermarket. Keep an eye out for when they go half-price – they’re great to keep in the pantry or fridge.

Prepare couscous. Toss chicken, marinated vegetables with a little of the flavoured oil and salad leaves through the couscous. Simple. Tasty. Delicious.

15. 2 Minute Noodles + Tinned Tuna + Frozen Vegetables

Straight from the pantry (and freezer), this meal can be on the table in less than 10 minutes. Boil the noodles and vegetables and then drain. Toss the tuna through the noodles and serve. Substitute an egg instead of tuna if you prefer.

16. Tinned Tuna + Bagged Salad + Tinned Beans + Dressing

Tuna and bean salad is easy and healthy and, apart from the salad, uses ingredients straight from the pantry. I like adding couscous or bulgur to my salads, both of which are pantry staples and super quick to prepare.

If you’re looking for something more gourmet, you can check out your supermarket’s range of cheeses, herbs, or additions like roasted beetroot in the salad aisle.

17. Wraps + Hummus + Avocado + Spinach

An easy vegetarian dinner on the table in minutes. Hummus and salad wraps make an easy and light meal. For a more substantial wrap, add cheese and tomato or leftover chicken if you have it in the fridge.

19. Fish Fillet or Chicken Tender + Tortilla Wrap + Mayo + Salad + Cheese

This is one of our favourite easy supermarket dinner ideas. We add sliced tomato, lettuce and cheese to our wraps.

20. Frozen Pie + Frozen Fries + Frozen Peas

Pies, chips and peas are such an Aussie/British fare. Bung the pie and chips in the oven, and peas in the microwave, then sit back and enjoy a cool drink while you wait for the oven to do all the work.

If cooking is the last thing you want to be doing, you don’t have to resort to takeaway or microwave meals. Instead, make the most of the quick supermarket meals and save.

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10 Comments

  1. Great meal ideas! Number 12 sounds particularly delicious and is making me hungry.

    1. Melissa Goodwin says:

      If you have nigella seeds, they are particularly nice on this :).

  2. Great list. I routinely cook a large batch of rice, which I freeze into containers and muffin trays. Saves heaps of time on a busy night, while being extremely affordable. I highly recommend this to anyone who has the freezer space!

    1. Melissa Goodwin says:

      Great tip. Thanks!

  3. Hi Melissa,
    I second the frozen rice, even cheaper than minute rice + no cooking at all, just tawing.
    Also, frozen portions of homemade pizza base (I usually make one portion in the bread maker, and freeze half). Frozen soup is a favourite here (pumpkin and veggies).
    Also, I make batches of pesto and freeze in portions, so much better than the store bought.
    Admettidely I have a fairly large freezer…????

    1. Melissa Goodwin says:

      Great ideas. Thanks! It’s amazing how much you can fit into a tiny freezer though. We have a tiny one above our fridge.

  4. Victoria (Slow Cuppa) says:

    I actually did something nearly the same as Number 15 last week. Rather than egg or tuna, I used left over bacon!

    1. Melissa Goodwin says:

      Yum! Can’t beat bacon. :)

  5. Betseylee says:

    Here’s my easy-peasy, no-brainer, economy, last minute, favourite food – easily feeds four.
    Take a tin of tuna in oil. Tip the oil into the frying pan and add pre-cooked rice, a diced, or sliced onion and any leftover veg you have to hand – peas, carrots, tomatoes, whatever, diced small. Stir it all together for a few minutes, to get it hot, then add the tuna, trying not to break it up too much. At the last minute, when it’s good and hot, crack in a raw egg and quickly scramble it around. Voila! A tasty and filling meal for four. You could swap the tuna for leftover cooked chicken. You will not have the benefit of the flavour from the oil but it will taste great all the same. Pepping up the rice with half a chicken stock cube might help.