# Favorite No Fuss Dish for the Exhausted **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848 "2020-01-23T15:44:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/61 "2020-01-25T04:11:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, I’m with you here – if it’s properly foiled, no need to wash. Just roll it up and throw it away. Hell, my neat freak mother and my finicky mother in law don’t wash trays most of the time when they foil them, unless they notice something leak through. I mean, that’s the whole point of foiling. 100% from me. I have a old Blue steel,outer rolled corners, official because there was nothing official about them, Detroit-Pizza-making, factory parts pan. And damned if I’m gonna clean it for fish sticks because the seasoning is legendary , but also it gets to 350 minimum every time I use it, Foil or not, it is more sterile than a autoclave. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/62 "2020-01-25T11:11:33Z")
> [@Rough\_Draft](#): > > Cheese roll-ups (not quite a quesadilla, not quite a burrito): > > Spread a tiny bit of butter on a flour tortilla. Scatter some shredded cheddar top. Add any salsa\* you like, then sprinkle with garlic salt. Nuke until cheese starts to melt. Roll up and chow down. > > \*I’m not the world’s biggest fan of Pace, but it works great on these things. If you’re REALLY lazy/tired, a flour tortilla + a stick of string cheese nuked for several seconds makes a decent snack. The cheese gets really melty quite fast. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/63 "2020-01-25T11:30:58Z")
Breakfast burrito: go to a McDonald’s, and order a half-dozen of their $1 breakfast burritos. Go home, put in freezer bags, put bags in freezer. Now, whenever you get the craving for one, they’re waiting for you; no McDonalds run needed. Pull one out and nuke it. I recommend a couple minutes at low power to heat them all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/64 "2020-01-25T11:43:42Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > You don’t wash the cookie sheet??? > [@Hampshire](#): > > Nope. That’s what the sheet of foil is for. > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Um, sorry no. If it’s involved in the cooking, it gets washed. Stuff may get stuck on the sides, crud sticks to the bottom from the oven. I mean, c’mon. > [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, I’m with you here – if it’s properly foiled, no need to wash. Just roll it up and throw it away. Hell, my neat freak mother and my finicky mother in law don’t wash trays most of the time when they foil them, unless they notice something leak through. I mean, that’s the whole point of foiling. That’s the side I come down on too. We cook all sorts of stuff on a foiled cookie sheet. When I’m cleaning up after supper, I pull the foil off and toss it. A quick look will tell you if anything’s leaked through, and if so, I’ll wash it. But if it hasn’t, I’m putting it directly back in the oven, which is where it lives in between uses. > [@Tatterdemalion](#): > > Curses, foiled again! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/65 "2020-01-25T15:45:06Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > 100% from me. I have a old Blue steel,outer rolled corners, official because there was nothing official about them, Detroit-Pizza-making, factory parts pan. > And damned if I’m gonna clean it for fish sticks because the seasoning is legendary , but also it gets to 350 minimum every time I use it, Foil or not, it is more sterile than a autoclave. OMG-- you own one of those pans?? 🙂 Very cool! They were highlighted in this episode of [Cook’s Country](https://www.cookscountry.com/recipes/9775-detroit-style-pizza) when Bryan Roof made pizza. I also line everything with foil, but I use non-stick foil. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/66 "2020-01-25T15:48:54Z")
My go to lazy meal is Campbell’s Bean and Bacon Soup. Open can, dump in pan, add a can of water, stir, tell Alexa to set a timer for 10 minutes, go watch TV, come back when timer goes off and… dinner. If I’m extra motivated I’ll make a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it (Bread, butter or oil, cheese, pan, heat, flip, eat)… or if slightly less so a toasted cheese sandwich (bread in toaster, cheese in between when toast is warm). Sometimes I’ll add a slice or two of ham… but that is bordering on actually cooking. Otherwise it involves speaking into a speaker and saying something like "I’ll take a number 2, medium sized, with a coke.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/67 "2020-01-25T16:26:23Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > 100% from me. I have a old Blue steel,outer rolled corners, official because there was nothing official about them, Detroit-Pizza-making, factory parts pan. > And damned if I’m gonna clean it for fish sticks because the seasoning is legendary , but also it gets to 350 minimum every time I use it, Foil or not, it is more sterile than a autoclave. Heh. I actually made three Detroit-ish style pies yesterday with some 4-day old dough I had going in the fridge. (I didn’t do sauce on top, and I didn’t have any brick cheese around, hence my “Detroit-ish” disclaimer.) Damn, I do love those pies. One of these days I’ll have to get around to getting some of those proper blue steel pans. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/68 "2020-01-25T17:18:10Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > All y’all have a funny idea of no fuss and exhausted. Some of these sound like they take about 40 minutes, and multiple steps (boil, toast, slice, melt, etc.). Just saying’. yup > [@Joey\_P](#): > > I suppose mine would be the poor man’s version of that. Make some toast, just like you normally do. Put some pizza sauce and cheese on it. Put it under the broiler for a few minutes and it’s done. we do that with matza for Passover. It’s delicious and relatively easy, but it involves buying shredded mozzarella (not a household staple) and the cleanup is a pain. > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > “Even the OP” here. > > Boiling a potato, regular or sweet, is the laziest stovetop cooking you can get. It’s water to cover, and wait as it cooks. You don’t even have to fuss with a timer as with boiling eggs. Just jab for doneness with a fork and lift it out of the pot with the same fork. > Cut the potato open and dump cottage cheese on it. Sprinkle with capers. Tah-dah. > > I guarantee that you will extend less effort on this than smearing sticky uncooperative gobs of peanut butter on bread, and then balancing slippery blackberry jelly on a knife edge from jar to sandwich. > … But it doesn’t satisfy the “I want it now” criterion. And if I’m actually cooking, I could just as well pop a chicken in the oven or chops on the stove. My “I’m exhausted, don’t want to cook” meals are: Cereal with milk Canned sardines over wasa crisps (I keep a supply of both handy. They keep indefinitely) PB&J on frozen sandwich bread Leftovers (right now we have lentils chili in the fridge. Also rice, some string beans, and a lot of oranges. That’s better than the usual options, but within the normal range.) If I’m feeling a little more adventurous, I might boil an egg and make myself soft boiled eggs on toast. Or pop a batch of popcorn in the skillet. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/69 "2020-01-25T17:44:28Z")
> [@Guy\_Incognito](#): > > 1 package of boxed mac-n-cheese > 1 pouch of tuna > Handful of potato chips > > Prepare mac-n-cheese according to box directions, toss in the contents of the pouch of tuna and and mix it up. Server on a plate with crumbled potato chips as a topping. > > Quickie tuna casserole! My wife used to do something similar. Boil up some egg noodles, add a can of tuna, a can of peas, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/70 "2020-01-25T22:15:04Z")
I opened a super-premium (hey, it was a gift!) can of catfood for the boys (a good cowboy feeds the stock first) and the opened can smelled,well…my friend said “I’ll have some of that on a cracker.” Dan ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/71 "2020-01-25T22:56:02Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > My wife used to do something similar. Boil up some egg noodles, add a can of tuna, a can of peas, and a can of cream of mushroom soup. I just buy the boxed Tuna Helper (I throw in extra peas). ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/72 "2020-01-25T23:25:45Z")
Small tub cottage cheese + semi-dried basil + small handful of cherry/grape tomatoes OR Put on teapot, throw packet of ramen in a bowl, sprinkle on the seasoning packet, crack an egg on it… pour boiling water over it, cover with a plate, eat 3-5 minutes later. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/73 "2020-01-26T01:43:11Z")
Yeah, I’ve had ramen with an egg, too. I don’t know why i don’t do that more often. It’s dead easy, and pretty satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/74 "2020-01-26T03:35:58Z")
The nuke in little bag rice, dump into a bowl, add a tablespoon of soy sauce, half a tbsp of mirin, mix well, add about a tbsp butter, mix, then top with an egg and mix together. Sort of my version of a Japanese breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/75 "2020-01-27T05:50:16Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > But the one for Sludge seems like genius! Definitely trying that one. Sludge may win the thread if it tastes like the heart stopping trip to heaven it sounds like. I agree. At first I thought, “hmm, sounds strangely good, but I will never be able to make it, because I would never have potato flakes in my house.” However, then I realized that I do on rare occasion buy them, because they are a great additive to bread (yeast love them and bread rises beautifully with a few tablespoons of potato flakes in the dough). If I may expand the thread to include a no-fuss dessert, I learned a neat trick from a co-worker many years ago. Of course, for most people a “no-fuss” dessert is probably ice cream or something else bought at the store, but if you are like me you don’t keep ready-to-eat sweets on hand. So here is a two-ingredient dessert that you actually have to make: JAM CAKE 1 box angel food cake mix 1 jar jam of your choice Mix together, put into a greased rectangular pan, bake at - oh, let’s say 375 - for a while, until done. If you are obsessing over the size of the jar of jam, or whether the pan is 9x11 or 10x14, you are thinking too hard. Just do it. This makes a LOT of cake, and it’s not as good when it isn’t fresh, so either eat it up pretty quick or refrigerate/freeze leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/76 "2020-01-27T15:46:19Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Um, sorry no. If it’s involved in the cooking, it gets washed. Stuff may get stuck on the sides, crud sticks to the bottom from the oven. I mean, c’mon. > . Really? I always cover my sheet pans with foil so I don’t have to wash them. Once in awhile, the foil might rip and the sheet gets greasy. Then, of course, I wash it. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/77 "2020-01-27T15:50:12Z")
Egg fried over easy, placed on top of leftover rice, topped with a dollop of oyster sauce. If even that’s too much effort, there’s always Stouffer’s lasagna in the freezer. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/78 "2020-01-27T18:30:19Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > I agree. At first I thought, “hmm, sounds strangely good, but I will never be able to make it, because I would never have potato flakes in my house.” However, then I realized that I do on rare occasion buy them, because they are a great additive to bread (yeast love them and bread rises beautifully with a few tablespoons of potato flakes in the dough). > > If I may expand the thread to include a no-fuss dessert, I learned a neat trick from a co-worker many years ago. Of course, for most people a “no-fuss” dessert is probably ice cream or something else bought at the store, but if you are like me you don’t keep ready-to-eat sweets on hand. So here is a two-ingredient dessert that you actually have to make: > > JAM CAKE > 1 box angel food cake mix > 1 jar jam of your choice > > Mix together, put into a greased rectangular pan, bake at - oh, let’s say 375 - for a while, until done. > > If you are obsessing over the size of the jar of jam, or whether the pan is 9x11 or 10x14, you are thinking too hard. Just do it. > > This makes a LOT of cake, and it’s not as good when it isn’t fresh, so either eat it up pretty quick or refrigerate/freeze leftovers. Wait. Do you add water or eggs like the box directions say? Or just literally the contents of the box and the jam? ---
**Author:** ![TimfromNapa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@TimfromNapa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimfromNapa)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/79 "2020-01-27T20:56:08Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Here’s something I came up with for those days when I can’t be bothered to cook: > > Boil a sweet potato to desired softness, skin and all. > > Cut in half lengthwise. > > Salt to taste. > > Add layer of cottage cheese. > > Add generous teaspoon (or more) of capers, widely distributed over mound of cottage cheese. > > Enjoy! > For me, cottage cheese is a savory dish, not sweet. The capers add a delicious salty burst as you eat. Much like caviar, but not expensive, and no fishy aftertaste. > > Y’know, caviar would probably taste good on this in place of capers if you are so inclined. > > I also tried leftover canned peas with a lemon juice kick, but capers are better. I needed to use up the peas though, and I used them straight out of the fridge with no reheating. > > Any other ideas? Other easy dishes? Get box of favorite breakfast cereal from cupboard. Pour cereal into bowl. Cover with milk. Eat. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/80 "2020-01-27T22:51:35Z")
Cook Top Ramen the in microwave for 4 minutes then eat the noodles. After the noodles are gone crumble saltine crackers in the broth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848.md?page=5)