# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/81 "2020-01-27T23:27:42Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Bachelor stew: > > Fry up some ground beef. Then pour a can of tomato soup along with whatever veggies you have in the fridge or pantry. That reminds me of the “toss it in” soup/stew my family used to make as a kid: Brown the ground beef or cheap steak. Then start tossing in whatever canned or frozen vegetables you might have: carrots, green beans, beans, peas, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, onions, etc. You can even add a can of condensed soup to it as well. (tomato soup is good, as well as french onion) Then add water (and maybe bullion/broth if you have it) and let it boil. It was a good way to use up the vegetables we had in the cupboard and freezer. Food pantries usually give out canned stuff we wouldn’t have eaten otherwise by themselves. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/82 "2020-01-27T23:50:47Z")
Break up a block of cheap ramen noodles and put them in the microwave with a cup of water for 3 minutes. Dump it on a plate and add some grated cheese and spaghetti sauce and heat some more. You now have cheap Italian pasta. You can also throw some frozen veggies in the microwave for a side. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/83 "2020-01-28T01:15:29Z")
Regarding foiling a pan. That’s what I do. If it won’t fit in the dishwasher I don’t want to have to wash it. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/84 "2020-01-28T04:21:06Z")
1 can cream of mushroom soup, prepared normally. Heat to just boiling, then add 1.5 cups Minute Rice (I know, but it’s convenient sometimes). Remove from heat, cover, 5 minutes, done. ---
**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 28, 2020, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/85 "2020-01-28T06:23:25Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Wait. Do you add water or eggs like the box directions say? Or just literally the contents of the box and the jam? The angel food cake box mix I’ve used doesn’t call for eggs (are you sure you aren’t thinking of yellow cake mix?), so … no. Just the angel food cake mix and the jam. ---
**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 28, 2020, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/86 "2020-01-28T06:55:07Z")
Just ate a dinner that probably qualifies for this thread, if a policy of squirreling things away in the freezer is allowed. Got home at 7:30pm, much too tired to cook. From my freezer, I pulled out: a piece of salmon (precut and frozen from a big filet bought at Costco weeks ago), and a package of English muffins. From the fridge, I grabbed triple-washed mixed greens and some wasabi sauce. Then: - thaw salmon in microwave, sear in cast iron skillet - thaw and toast English muffin - Assemble sandwich: salmon, greens, and wasabi sauce on toasted English muffin Not bad. Of course, a nice long marinade for the salmon before it was seared would have made the sandwich better, but that gets into “fussing” territory. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/87 "2020-01-28T14:48:58Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Breakfast burrito. Fry up bacon, scramble some eggs with cream cheese, heat a flour tort in the bacon pan and load it up. Hot sauce optional. > > Cook up a batch of macaroni in one pot. Heat up a can of chili in a second pot. Mix them both togeddah and add grated cheddar. The breakfast burrito sounds swell but a lot of work, I think it would be easier and faster to nuke a frozen one. Or buy one at the drive through. Chili mac, though, is the bomb with wagon wheels. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/88 "2020-01-28T14:57:08Z")
I always have cooked crumbled hamburger in the freezer. I dump some in a baking dish, thaw in the microwave. Add some canned vegetables (corn is popular) and beef gravy. Top with mashed potatoes, frozen, already prepared, even instant made with milk and butter. Top with grated cheese and bake 20 minutes. Shepherds pie! ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/89 "2020-01-28T16:34:57Z")
My lazy version of shrimp fried rice: While rice cooks, sauté onion, ginger and garlic in a frying pan. Chop green pepper in medium-sized pieces and add to pan. Rinse frozen shelled shrimp to remove ice and add to pan. When the shrimp are cooked and the rice is done, add rice to pan, mix and eat. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/90 "2020-01-28T22:41:14Z")
Hmmm…way too much frying, boiling pasta, preparation, and toasting suggested here to meet my expectations. Put a potato in the microwave and “bake” it. Poke a couple holes in a cheap bag of creamed chipped beef or chicken a la king and heat it in the microwave. Split the potato and pour the stuff over it. Voila! No pans, pots, or utensils (other than your plate and fork) to clean. In fact, I usually just put it on a paper plate and let my dogs lick the fork clean. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/91 "2020-01-28T23:59:08Z")
Lamajune, a.k.a. Armenian pizza > **[Lahmacun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahmacun)** > > Lahmacun (listen (help·info) pronounced lahmajoun) or Lahmajo (Armenian: լահմաջո) is a flatbread topped with minced meat (most commonly beef or lamb), minced vegetables, and herbs including onions, garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, and parsley, flavored with spices such as chili pepper and paprika, then baked. Lahmacun is often wrapped around vegetables, including pickles, tomatoes, peppers, onions, lettuce, parsley, and roasted eggplant. > Due to its shape and superficial similarity, it is sometimes... Add a dab of sour cream, shallots, broccoli, cheese (usually gouda for me) and some sprinkled spices. Heat in toaster oven. Afterwards, add sections of Ojai Pixie tangerines (if in season; if not, any citrus will do). Prep time: about 5-7 minutes, or 2-3 minutes if you skip the toaster oven part. Availability of lamajune is greatly aided by living in a neighborhood with lots of Armenians. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/92 "2020-01-29T02:04:36Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#): > > Hmmm…way too much frying, boiling pasta, preparation, and toasting suggested here to meet my expectations. > > Put a potato in the microwave and “bake” it. Poke a couple holes in a cheap bag of creamed chipped beef or chicken a la king and heat it in the microwave. Split the potato and pour the stuff over it. Voila! No pans, pots, or utensils (other than your plate and fork) to clean. In fact, I usually just put it on a paper plate and let my dogs lick the fork clean. Wow. I make microwave potatoes often. I make creamed chipped beef in the microwave often. Why did it never occur to me to put them together! I have always used toast for the chipped beef; a potato would be much better. THANK YOU! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/93 "2020-01-29T02:35:24Z")
Tonight was simply frozen cocktail meatballs, nuked and slathered with BBQ sauce and some spices. Not meant to be a balanced meal, just something so my stomach doesn’t growl in the night. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/94 "2020-01-29T03:50:44Z")
Well, I tried Sludge with Chunky Vegetable Soup and I was most pleased with the yummy results. I think it would be even better with a full can of water instead of half. But this is a brand new emergency recipe for me now, and I haven’t had one of those for awhile. Thanks **Annie Xmas**! ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Mabes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mike_mabes/32/1782_2.png) [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/95 "2020-01-29T07:26:07Z")
Honey Nut Cheerios ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/96 "2020-01-29T13:08:29Z")
Are many of you on one of those old 6 small meals a day bodybuilding type diets? Just curious how all these 200-300 calorie snacks or whatever count as meals. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/97 "2020-01-29T13:23:15Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Pouch of rice takes 90 seconds in the microwave. > > Pouch of Tasty Bites Indian food takes 60 seconds. > > BAM! I’m eating curry. This gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/98 "2020-01-29T15:08:26Z")
> [@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. I wash and reuse foil - what do I win? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/99 "2020-01-29T15:46:34Z")
Check the freezer section of your grocery store to see what kinds of semi-prepared meats they have available. You’ll likely find hamburger patties, diced chicken, pre-cooked shrimp, cooked breakfast sausage, etc. Keep some of those in your freezer as easy protein sources for quick meals. The freezer section will also have family-size items like lasagna, gumbo, enchiladas, etc. Often they skimp on the meat in those kinds of things, so add in some of the frozen meat to make a more hearty meal. Tossing in some of the frozen diced chicken into canned soup or chili can also make those kinds of things more of a meal. ---
**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 29, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848/100 "2020-01-29T16:49:04Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > I wash and reuse foil - what do I win? 🙂 I re-use foil if I can do so without heavy washing. For instance, the foil I used to encase the spring-form pan when I rested it in water to cook something delicate can probably be used 2-4 times for the same purpose, without actually applying soap or scrubbing or anything. I’m impressed that you actually wash your foil. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-no-fuss-dish-for-the-exhausted/846848.md?page=6)