21 Homemade Recipes You Can Realistically Cook For Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Updated on April 24, 2018 at 2:00 PM

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Even as someone who writes about food all day, I completely get that the struggle to cook at home is real. By the time I get home from a long day, I'm ready to put on sweatpants and satisfy my ravenous hunger immediately, which means I'm not about that elaborate-recipe life. I've definitely spent a fair chunk of change on overpriced salads for lunch, and as for the morning? I consider myself productive if I have enough time to set up my coffee maker and heat up Trader Joe's frozen oatmeal before rushing out the door. What I'm really saying is that cooking is hard. But it doesn't have to be.

Everyone needs a reset sometimes, and these recipes are here to help. In this list of 21 recipes — seven breakfasts, seven lunches, and seven dinners — you won't find bucket-list items like Gordon Ramsay's famous beef wellington; ain't nobody got time for that. What you will find are meal-prepped breakfasts, mason-jar lunches, and 20-minute dinners that barely require lifting a finger. Challenging yourself to cook at home more often doesn't have to be intimidating, and these recipes that you'll realistically have time to cook are proof.

Breakfast: Egg Muffins

An hour's worth of prep work on a Sunday means you'll have meal-prepped cheesy egg muffins for breakfast every day of the week. A muffin tin creates the perfect portions, and all you have to do is pop two of them in the microwave in the mornings.

Get the recipe: cheesy egg muffins

Breakfast: Smoothie Packs

Add everything you need for a smoothie (besides the liquid) in a freezable bag and then breakfast is a matter of tossing it all in the blender.

Get the recipe: DIY smoothie freezer packs

Breakfast: Microwaveable Peanut Butter Oatmeal

This peanut butter banana microwave oatmeal takes two minutes to make, and it legitimately tastes like cookies.

Get the recipe: microwaveable peanut butter oatmeal

Breakfast: Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

Skip the overpriced breakfast from the coffee shop and make a batch of these freezable breakfast sandwiches that will last for up to a month in the freezer.

Get the recipe: freezer breakfast sandwiches

Breakfast: Avocado Toast With a Fried Egg

I'll never give up avocado toast, and I'm OK with that. Toasted bread, smashed avocado, and a fried egg — what's not to love?

Get the recipe: avocado toast

Breakfast: Cheesy 2-Egg Mug Omelet

French chefs might roll their eyes at this microwave "omelet," but we're not trying to be French chefs, are we?

Get the recipe: cheesy microwaveable omelet

Breakfast: French Toast in a Mug

French toast might seem like a weekend-only treat, but this two-minute mug recipe will make you look forward to hopping out of bed during the week.

Get the recipe: french toast in a mug

Lunch: Slow-Cooker Beans and Quinoa

A big batch of slow-cooker beans and quinoa goes a long way, and a few simple garnishes like cheddar, scallions, and hot sauce take the flavor up a notch.

Get the recipe: slow-cooker beans and quinoa

Lunch: Guacamole Mason Jar Salad

Satisfy your lunchtime chips-and-guac cravings with this healthier guacamole mason jar salad.

Get the recipe: guacamole mason jar salad

Lunch: Microwaveable Chicken Noodle Soup

You don't have time to stand over the stove for an hour at lunch, but you do have time to make this superquick chicken noodle soup in the microwave.

Get the recipe: microwaveable chicken noodle soup

Lunch: Sesame Ginger Quinoa Salad

This sesame ginger quinoa salad only gets better with more time to marinate in the fridge, so it makes for fantastic leftovers for a few days of lunch.

Get the recipe: sesame ginger quinoa salad

Lunch: Turkey Feta Wrap

Not all sandwiches travel well, but this easy wrap with turkey, arugula, whole-grain mustard, and feta cheese won't get soggy during your commute.

Get the recipe: turkey feta wrap

Lunch: Steak Cobb Salad

Meal prep this filling steak cobb salad with hard-boiled eggs, and you'll look forward to lunch every single day.

Get the recipe: steak cobb salad

Lunch: Mason Jar Chicken Caesar Salad

Unlike other leafy greens, kale can stand up to dressing for hours without getting soggy, so you don't have to worry about digging into a sad salad.

Get the recipe: mason jar chicken caesar salad

Dinner: Parmesan Garlic Spaghetti

I personally make this five-ingredient parmesan garlic spaghetti more often than I'd like to admit, but sometimes you just need pasta.

Get the recipe: parmesan garlic spaghetti

Dinner: Sheet-Pan Chicken Fajitas

This one-pan chicken dinner doesn't take any longer than a standard baked chicken breast recipe, but it's infinitely more flavorful.

Get the recipe: sheet-pan chicken fajitas

Dinner: 1-Pan Salmon With Crispy Cabbage

As long as you have already-defrosted salmon in the fridge when you get home, you'll have this one-pan dinner baked in about 15 minutes.

Get the recipe: one-pan salmon with crispy cabbage

Dinner: Lemon-Thyme Baked Chicken

One of the first recipes that taught me how to "adult" is this simple lemon-thyme baked chicken. Pair it with whatever vegetables you have in the fridge or freezer for a complete dinner.

Get the recipe: lemon-thyme baked chicken

Dinner: Chicken Breast Freezer Bags

Ever heard someone describe a recipe as a "dump and done" dinner? This one definitely qualifies.

Get the recipe: chicken breast freezer bags

Dinner: Breakfast-For-Dinner Fried Rice

This breakfast fried rice recipe serves as one of those "clean out the fridge" types of dinners. Use instant brown rice, eggs, spinach, soy sauce, and ham to whip this up in a matter of minutes.

Get the recipe: breakfast fried rice from Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts For Busy Mornings by Katie Sullivan Morford

Dinner: 1-Pot Fettuccine Alfredo

This is the definition of a one-pot pasta recipe: the fettuccine actually cooks in the chicken broth and milk and you add the cheese at the end to form a delicious, creamy sauce.

Get the recipe: one-pot fettuccine alfredo