- 2 minutes ago
Too tired to cook after a busy school day? In this video, Nicole shares five lazy back-to-school dinners that are packed with flavor, easy to make, and perfect for hectic weeknights. From slow-cooker favorites to comforting casseroles, these simple recipes help you get a satisfying family dinner on the table with minimal effort.
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00:00Listen, back to school season is busy enough
00:02so dinner doesn't need to be.
00:03I've got five lazy dinners that practically cook themselves.
00:07Pulling out the slow cooker for my first dinner
00:09because this is the tool I use the most
00:12during this time of year.
00:13Starting with the chuck roast.
00:15This is something you can start in the morning
00:17and it's ready when you get home
00:18if you just do low and slow.
00:20If you don't have that much time
00:21or you want it to cook a little bit faster,
00:22you can cut your chuck roast into chunks
00:25because at the end of the day, we're gonna shred it.
00:27Just plop it in.
00:28Okay, I'm gonna go in with a little bit of onion.
00:31Then I'm going in with several garlic cloves.
00:33These will cook down and become sweet and like buttery.
00:36Also some grated ginger.
00:39They sell these in the freezer section.
00:40This makes your life a lot easier.
00:43They also have it in garlic,
00:44especially for busy weeknights.
00:46You just kind of plop some in.
00:48And then I'm going in with some shredded carrots,
00:50about half a bag, just to bulk up the veggie.
00:53Now, everything else that just gets dumped in
00:55is a pantry staple.
00:56And hopefully, I've taught you to stock up
00:59on your Asian condiments too.
01:01Because you use them more than you think.
01:03Going in with some brown sugar, soy sauce,
01:06sweet and salty.
01:07And that's kind of what the end product will be.
01:09And then I'm going in with some beef broth
01:11and some sesame oil.
01:12We have a lot of richness in there.
01:14Now I'm gonna cut through that a little bit
01:16with some vinegar.
01:17And if you don't have this,
01:17you could just use plain white vinegar.
01:19Now, just a pinch of crushed red pepper.
01:22This is not gonna make this spicy.
01:23It's just gonna balance it out.
01:25This is a very family-friendly meal.
01:27That's it.
01:27I'm gonna go high for like four to five hours,
01:31or you can do low for six to eight hours.
01:33See, now we can just go about our day.
01:36Okay, looks like how it did when we left it.
01:38Don't worry.
01:39Move those carrots over.
01:41You're just gonna kind of break it up.
01:43It's probably easier just to pull the roast out
01:45and shred it.
01:46That way, you can get rid of any of the fatty bits.
01:51Mm.
01:51You could stop here and just serve it over rice.
01:54We're gonna finish the whole meal in the slow cooker.
01:56So I'm gonna go back in with the beef.
01:58Then you're gonna take some ramen,
01:59and you're gonna discard the spice packet,
02:01and just nestle it in.
02:03You just wanna be sure it is submerged
02:04like under the liquid.
02:06And if you need to add a little more beef broth, you can.
02:08And then back on on high for just about 10 minutes.
02:12Meanwhile, find your green veggie.
02:14For me, it's a steamable bag of broccoli.
02:16I'm gonna kick.
02:17And it's just saucy enough.
02:19This is not soup.
02:20Okay, it's just beefy noodles.
02:23Perfect.
02:23Forgot about the broccoli.
02:25Forgot about my veggies.
02:26Sneak those in there to finish.
02:28I like a little green onion.
02:29I like a little kick because it is,
02:32it's not sweet, but it has, you know,
02:34a hint of sweetness in there.
02:35So I like to, you know me,
02:36I like to add a little spicy.
02:37A little sriracha and then some sesame seeds.
02:40Optional, but also beautiful.
02:42Pot roast, done differently.
02:45And lazily, but not one bit of flavor will be sacrificed.
02:52Mmm.
02:54It's so freaking good.
02:56It hits every taste bud in your mouth.
03:00Umami times a million.
03:02You wanna add your noodles at the last minute
03:04before you're ready,
03:04like right before you're ready to serve.
03:06Because they will get, you know, soft very fast.
03:08If you know you're gonna have a lot of leftovers,
03:10you might just wanna even cook your noodles separately
03:12and serve the pie roast right on top.
03:14Off to the races with about a 13 out of 10.
03:19Gonna be hard to beat, but let's try.
03:22Next up, meatloaf, but make it fun and make it faster.
03:25This is sheet pan cowboy meatloaf.
03:27Doesn't that sound good?
03:28So when we make it on a sheet pan instead of a loaf,
03:31it's going to cook in half the time.
03:32That's perfect for these busy nights.
03:34Plus, it can be assembled ahead of time.
03:37And when you get home, just pop it in the oven.
03:38I'm gonna do ground sirloin
03:39so it's not super fatty when it cooks.
03:42And then I'm just gonna keep the mixture simple.
03:44I don't feel like chopping up onions or anything.
03:46So, gonna go in with some onion powder and garlic powder.
03:50Of course, salt and pep.
03:51Gonna go with a little bit of barbecue sauce,
03:53couple of eggs, little splash of milk.
03:56Okay, I like to give it like a little head start
03:58and then I'll add my breadcrumbs in.
04:00Give it another mix and let those breadcrumbs
04:02absorb some of that moisture.
04:04Okay, so we've got a little smokiness in there
04:06with the barbecue sauce.
04:07That's when we start moving towards that cowboy theme.
04:09You should think about cowboys and their campfire.
04:12Gonna go in with a little bit of cheese
04:14into the meatloaf, because why not?
04:16Now, as a kid, it's like meatloaf
04:17never used to look that good.
04:19It was like that ketchup topping
04:20was always just like too sweet.
04:22But now, I love a meatloaf.
04:24So now, grab a pan.
04:26This is about a nine by 13 size.
04:27So the whole thing will fill it up.
04:30You can also do a bigger pan if that's what you have
04:31and then just shape it, you know, into a rectangle.
04:34Don't think I'll need this,
04:35but I'll give some little insurance.
04:37And then just press it down.
04:39And doing it like this would also make
04:41a perfect meatloaf sandwiches,
04:43because you can just cut your slice,
04:46put it right on a piece of bread.
04:48You do want it to, you know, really hold together
04:50like a meatloaf, not just like a burger.
04:53So really kind of pack it down.
04:55I like to kind of press the sides in.
04:57It's kind of what I do when I make it as a loaf.
05:00Ta-da.
05:00Wash my hands.
05:01I'm washing my hands, Linda.
05:04Washing my hands.
05:05Some more barbecue sauce on top.
05:07And this is instead of our normal ketchup glaze.
05:10If your family's up for spicier things,
05:12you can use whatever your favorite barbecue sauce is.
05:15I'm also using all the lazy things, okay?
05:17Bacon's that other smoky element.
05:19Some more cheese.
05:20And then I've got some onions.
05:23Ooh, sweet and salty, crunchy.
05:25We got all the perfect bites right there.
05:27Going 375 for about 30 minutes.
05:29I'm also, to keep things lazy and easy,
05:32doing just a bag salad.
05:33So one that's kind of like a coleslaw.
05:35I found this dill flavored,
05:37because it just goes with the barbecue thing.
05:40I love a bag salad.
05:41We always have this on here.
05:43Round out the meal with a veggie.
05:45Take a shortcut.
05:46Keep it lazy.
05:47Ooh, it looks good.
05:50Cheesy, browned, smoky.
05:52And it was ready in 30 minutes.
05:55Unlike the typical hour that it takes.
05:57Could just get you a little square of it.
06:00This looks, I might be making all my meatloafs
06:03on a shoot pan.
06:03Round out the meal and a little Texas toast.
06:07That's a good looking dinner right there.
06:10Making a meatloaf start to finish with sides
06:13in less than an hour.
06:15Come on.
06:16Can't beat that with a stick.
06:18It's really tender.
06:19The way it just, the fork cuts right through it.
06:24Mm.
06:25That's not your mama's meatloaf.
06:27The sweet and smoky from the barbecue sauce,
06:29with like the salt from the bacon
06:31and those crunchy onions on top.
06:33It's one of the better meatloafs I might have ever made.
06:35And I don't say that lightly.
06:37Oh, I kind of want to make the perfect bite.
06:40Mm-hmm.
06:42Mm.
06:44Mm.
06:45That bite couldn't be more perfect if it tried.
06:48This one might be the laziest one of the day.
06:50I'm making no peak coconut curry chicken.
06:53This is a set it and forget it.
06:55Sort of like the slow cooker.
06:57You dump, you go do something else,
06:59and you come back and eat.
07:00So you start with your rice.
07:01You just put it straight in.
07:03And because I'm being extra lazy today,
07:05we're not washing it.
07:06You gotta get the full fat coconut milk.
07:08It's just the way to go.
07:09When you get it, it's got like the thicker layer on top.
07:12So you wanna stir your coconut milk first,
07:14because I'm going to reserve a little bit for a sauce.
07:17It's like the watery parts at the bottom,
07:20thick part at the top.
07:21Pour out about a quarter cup,
07:23and then just save that for later.
07:25The rest goes right in.
07:26I'm also gonna go in with some water.
07:28And then red curry paste.
07:29This is a great thing to keep on hand.
07:30It's very inexpensive,
07:33and it gives a lot of flavor without being too spicy.
07:35So this is still a kid-friendly dish.
07:39I served it to my kids the other night.
07:41They loved it.
07:42No one said this is too spicy.
07:43Couple tablespoons of soy sauce.
07:45See, we're pulling out those pantry staples again.
07:47A little bit of rice vinegar.
07:49Again, if you don't have it,
07:50you could just use plain vinegar and some sesame oil.
07:53Also going in with ginger and then some salt and pepper.
07:56All right, then you just stir that up,
07:58and we're gonna place our chicken right on top.
07:59I've got a cup and a half of rice.
08:01Serves for me like five or six people.
08:04So you can also adjust that
08:05and just add a little more liquid if you use more.
08:07All right, then you just put your chicken right on top.
08:09I'm doing a bone-in skin on chicken thigh.
08:12You can do whatever kind of chicken you like.
08:15I just always have these.
08:16They're like $2 a pound.
08:18All right, then just,
08:19you gotta season the top of the chicken.
08:21So I'm just gonna do salt, pepper,
08:23and a little garlic powder here.
08:24Now I'm gonna cover it with foil to bake it
08:26for most of the way,
08:27and then I uncover it during the last 10 minutes
08:29so that chicken can get a little more browned and crispy.
08:32But you wanna cover it,
08:33otherwise the liquid will evaporate out
08:35before the rice is cooked,
08:37and you'll end up with crunchy rice.
08:39And you wanna cover it tightly so it doesn't escape.
08:42So you get double the flavor from that chicken as it cooks.
08:45The juices from the chicken drip into the rice.
08:49So it's not just like your rice is cooking in water.
08:51This is really the way I cook
08:53because I get the dinner going,
08:54and then I can do all my other chores around the house
08:57that I was so lucky to come home to after work.
09:00Let's make the little sauce so it's ready.
09:02I've got the rest of the coconut milk.
09:04I'm gonna go in with a little more of the curry paste.
09:06Splash of soy sauce.
09:08And then just to really brighten it up,
09:10a little bit of fresh lime juice.
09:11This is what makes it, trust me.
09:13Because when I developed the recipe the other night,
09:15I was like it's just missing a little something like it was
09:18like really flavorful, but I needed to brighten it up.
09:21Just a little squeeze of lime, did the trick.
09:23And don't buy bottled lime juice, okay?
09:25These limes are cheap.
09:28Flavor is superior.
09:29Just mix this up and then I'll pop it in the microwave
09:31for just about 30 seconds to a minute
09:32just to warm it through.
09:34And this will tie our dinner right together.
09:36Get a glass of wine, kick your feet up,
09:39or go do 10 loads of laundry like I'll do.
09:42So you don't peak for the first 45 minutes.
09:45Then you uncover, turn the broiler on for just,
09:48for just a couple minutes and brown it up.
09:51Got our sauce.
09:52We're just gonna kinda drizzle over.
09:55Lots of fresh cilantro.
09:56I mean, hopefully you like cilantro
09:57because this and that sauce tie it all together.
10:00It's gonna be hot.
10:02So you're gonna wanna let it cool off.
10:04I like some extra lime on here.
10:06This is another one where, you know,
10:08I mean, you could act like the cilantro
10:09as your green vegetable here,
10:10but I like to grab these little steam in the bag.
10:13Snow peas, this will make the perfect little side dish.
10:16Hot chicken and rice.
10:18Okay, my spoon over, just a little more sauce.
10:20It's one of those meals that looks fancy for a weeknight,
10:23but downright delicious.
10:25Also, if you've got your stocked pantry, less than 10 bucks.
10:28That's what I'm talking about.
10:32Mmm, that is not your typical boring chicken and rice.
10:36That little bright sauce at the end.
10:39This is just that perfect, simple meal,
10:41and it proves that we always over-complicate things
10:43because good food doesn't have to be fussy.
10:46This dinner is all about shortcut ingredients
10:49because when it comes to lazy dinners, they are essential.
10:52This is chicken, spinach, alfredo, crescent roll, casserole.
10:57Say that three times.
10:58Shortcut ingredients we are using.
11:01Pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
11:04I've taught you before to get your chickens, shred it,
11:08keep it in your freezer,
11:09and then you've got your ready-to-go chicken when you are.
11:12Crescent rolls, store-bought alfredo sauce,
11:16and pre-shredded cheeses.
11:18Come on now.
11:19And this is going to be one of those things
11:22that you're like, I don't even care that it was shortcut.
11:24It tastes so dang good.
11:26I'm just gonna take my rotisserie chicken,
11:28add it to a bowl, and then I'm adding spinach here.
11:31If you don't, or if your kids don't do spinach,
11:35you could always add some broccoli into the casserole
11:38or just serve it with another vegetable on the side.
11:41This is just a box of frozen spinach we've thawed and drained.
11:45But you know me, I like, if a green vegetable is in it,
11:48that is a complete meal in one pan.
11:50Gonna add in a little onion powder and garlic powder,
11:53and a little salt and pepper, just to flavor up all our layers.
11:56And then I'm going to add in a little grated parm into the inside.
12:01I'm gonna put that filling inside of our crescent rolls.
12:03So just unroll them and separate them into triangles.
12:06Fill up your crescent rolls and roll them up.
12:09It's okay if, like, it peaks out a little bit.
12:11It's all going to the same place.
12:13Just line them up in your casserole dish.
12:16They don't have to be perfect.
12:17You're just gonna kind of squeeze them in there.
12:19All right, for the sauce, take your alfredo.
12:21I'm also gonna add a little milk into the jar.
12:24Give it a little shake.
12:26Pour it in, just mix this together, and just pour it right over.
12:30All right, then finally, top it with shredded Italian blend cheese.
12:34You could also do just mozzarella.
12:36I mean, I don't.
12:38Now we just cook this until everything is browned and bubbly.
12:40It goes in at 350 degrees, probably about 40 minutes.
12:45Let's see.
12:45It takes no time to put together.
12:47Then you can be having your little happy hour or helping with homework while it cooks.
12:53Hot, brown, and delicious.
12:55The cheesy smell is so good.
12:59Clearly, we cannot take a bite of that.
13:01So at this point, you want to let it stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
13:05Freshen it up with some fresh parsley, and let's dig in.
13:09If you have any leftover sauce, you could spoon that over.
13:13A little more parsley.
13:14So I'm going to add a little more pepper.
13:16Chicken, spinach, alfredo, crescent roll, casserole.
13:19Longest recipe title ever.
13:21The way the cheese is kind of browned right there, you know that's going to be the best bite.
13:34So good.
13:35It's like you're having chicken alfredo, but with like a cheesy roll on the side,
13:41and you're putting it all together.
13:42The flavor just soaks into the crescent roll, and then it gets that cheesy crust.
13:46It's comfort food, slightly elevated.
13:48While this is so fitting for a busy weeknight, it's also special enough to serve company.
13:54I could eat this whole thing.
13:55My kids are going to love this.
13:57My final trick is another one pan dump and go, and it's perfect for your taco Tuesday.
14:02This is lazy chicken enchiladas.
14:05See, I'm doing this because I know they're not real enchiladas.
14:08You've probably seen a version of this before, but I kind of zhuzhed it up a little bit to make
14:13it more of a hearty full meal.
14:15So I'm going to kind of create some layers here, starting with some refried beans.
14:20Just to add this to a bowl because I'm going to stir it together with some cream cheese.
14:26If you've ever had Texas trash dip, kind of what I'm creating on the bottom.
14:30Then I'm going in with just a little bit of my cheese right here.
14:32And then this goes on the bottom of our dish.
14:36Casserole dish.
14:37Now we build.
14:39Spread it out.
14:40Then taquitos.
14:42I'm doing chicken taquitos.
14:43This is just such a good shortcut.
14:45This is very customizable based on what size casserole dish you're using,
14:49how many people you're trying to feed.
14:50We always have these.
14:51If you have any leftover, they make great after school snacks.
14:54Then enchilada sauce right over the top.
14:57As it cooks, the tortillas really absorb the sauce.
15:00You can get this big old jar at Trader Joe's, or you can do two of the smaller cans.
15:05All right, then you're going to top it with the rest of the cheese.
15:07Everything in here is cooked, so you can cook it uncovered just until it's browned and bubbly.
15:12Melty and bubbly, I should say.
15:14Now you could stop here, or you can give it in chorito vibes.
15:18I mean, we're just mixing all the foods.
15:20Then into the oven we go.
15:22375 till hot and bubbly.
15:24Probably take about 25 minutes.
15:27Oh yeah, perfect.
15:30You hear that?
15:31Hot and bubbly.
15:32It's the way we like it.
15:33We've got time, because you don't want to let this sit for about 10 minutes.
15:37That is just the right amount of time to make a marcolita.
15:42Now we're talking.
15:45It's just going to make it all taste better.
15:48Mmm.
15:49Okay, Nicole back to business.
15:52Some green onions.
15:53You can do salsa, you can do guacamole, avocados, whatever.
15:57I'm just going to dig right in.
15:58This smells so good.
16:01I like a little sour cream on top.
16:03I'm also going with a little cilantro, because I have some leftover.
16:07So easy.
16:08Sometimes easy.
16:09It's just the answer.
16:14Mmm.
16:16Excellent.
16:17There's nothing not to love here.
16:19The sweet corn tortillas with that chicken, it's subtly sweet.
16:23But there's so much punch of flavor from just the enchilada sauce.
16:26And this dish is super hearty.
16:28It's going to feed a lot of people.
16:29It's going to keep them full.
16:31And it took us all of about five minutes to prepare.
16:35That's my kind of lazy right there.
16:37The refried beans at the bottom, that did it for me.
16:41You'd think I'd be stuffed by now.
16:42And I am.
16:43When it's so good, you just can't stop eating.
16:46This dish tastes anything but lazy.
16:49I hope I've helped you out.
16:50You shouldn't have to worry about dinner, because you have enough on your plate during
16:54this time of year.
16:54You have five new lazy recipes that should help save your nights.
17:00Or a margarita will help.
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