5 Dinners That Are So Easy You'll Have Energy to Spare

Perfect for a busy week.

By
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva
Micah Siva, RD
Micah Siva is a trained chef, registered dietitian, recipe writer, and food photographer, specializing in modern Jewish cuisine. She runs Nosh with Micah, her personal blog.
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Published October 20, 2025
Micah Siva
A pan of creamy pasta shells with a Simply Recipes logo overlay

Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

After a weekend visiting family in Canada, we’re back home in Chicago! Whenever we go out of town, I plan my week’s menu at the airport and order grocery delivery to arrive slightly after we land. That way, I can satisfy that late-night hunger after a flight, and make sure there’s milk and a carton of eggs in the fridge for breakfast the next day.

While it often means that I’m not receiving my shopper’s frantic texts while I am in the air, and sometimes their substitutions are nonsensical (like parsley flakes for coconut flakes?!), I do my best to set us up for success when we get back home.

This week, I’m relying on some pantry staples along with a few fresh ingredients I can trust a shopper to pick out to make easing back into normal life as smooth as possible.

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  • Golden Fried Rice

    Bowl of fried rice with egg, bacon, and green onions, spoon included

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    Whenever I have leftover rice, I pop it into a zip-top bag and put it in the freezer for simple meal solutions. I make my frozen rice bags in two-cup portions, so I know exactly what’s in there. I love fried rice as a vehicle to use up leftover items in the fridge or freezer, including my frozen rice. It may be untraditional, but I like to add frozen corn, chopped carrots, snow peas, and edamame beans for added color. I’ll even add broccoli or cauliflower if I have them on hand. Note: for food safety, you should only reheat your rice once, so make what you’ll eat tonight!

  • Cheesy Hamburger Skillet

    A top view of a skillet with the Cheesy Hamburger Skillet Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Recipe developer Meghan Splawn says, "The base is ground beef and pasta, but it only needs a handful of other ingredients to come together: canned tomatoes, broth, cheese, and a little cream. Everything cooks in a single skillet and takes less than 20 minutes to cook. The result is an ultra-creamy pasta balanced with acidic tomatoes and a beefy flavor."

  • Tomato Orzo Soup

    overhead view of a bowl of 20-Minute Tomato Orzo Soup

    Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

    Soup season is officially here, and I love having a few containers of soup on rotation in my freezer. To stock up, I make at least double the recipe, portion it into two-serving containers, label it, and freeze it. This means that I don’t have to eat the same soup for five days, hoping that I get through those leftovers before they go bad. I like a hearty soup that feels like a full meal, and tomato-based soups feel more filling than a clear broth, plus I know I’ll at least get a serving of veggies into my meal.

  • Coconut Lime Chicken

    creamy coconut lime chicken in a pan at a table setting with a stack of plates, a bowl of minced cilantro, and a bowl of lime wedges

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    Associate Editorial Director Laurel Randolph says, "While coconut cream tends to be mild in flavor, I decided to lean into the lightly tropical notes with garlic, ginger, and lime. Everything cooks in one pan, from the chicken to the sauce to the crisp-tender green beans, and it’s ready in 30 minutes flat. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"

    Continue to 5 of 5 below

  • Corn Oysters

    Corn fritters arranged on a blue plate

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

    Growing up, we had breakfast for dinner at least once a week. Whether it was scrambled eggs and toast, pancakes or waffles, it was a day when my parents could ease up on meal planning and we could enjoy some of our favorite dishes as a family. Some nights we’d fry up potato pancakes or fritters and serve alongside our eggs as a means to use up any leftover vegetable scraps. With that in mind, I’ve been looking for a way to use up some frozen corn in my freezer, and this fits the bill!

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