Easy Weeknight Meals When You Do Not Own A Crockpot

Confession: I have never owned a crockpot.

Until about 3 weeks ago when we got an Instant Pot which is part pressure cooker and part crockpot.

Truthfully, crockpots and Instant Pots scare me. As a person who is militant about expiration dates, the idea of leaving food out to cook all day while I am at work does not sit well with me. Combined with a fear of house fires, a crockpot was just never in the cards as a piece of equipment I would need or use.

Now that we have a curious toddler who loves to “help” in the kitchen, and a second baby on the way, the time we spend in the kitchen sautéing, stirring, and flipping is just not there anymore. That was the driving force behind us getting our Instant Pot. While I am still new at using it, I am beginning to see the amazingness of having it especially when I can throw something in it and be given the gift of time to play with Zoey with most of my attention while it cooks.

In my pre Instant Pot days, and even now while I figure the thing out, I have managed to compile a repertoire of delicious and easy weeknight meals that we make often when we are short on time or low on ingredients. Many of these items have the same mentality of “set it and forget it” so you do not have to spend a ton of time near a hot stove or oven. Definitely give them a try if you do not own a crockpot or are waiting for your Instant Pot to arrive.

Taco Salad. One of Rob’s all time favorite meals. We just brown some ground turkey, add some taco seasoning, and chop most of the vegetables we have on hand (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce). Add some salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Grilled Chicken Salad. A regular during the summer months and very similar to taco salad. Grill some chicken (with or without it marinated), chop it over some vegetables and lettuce, add a bit of cheese and dressing.

Dinner Egg Bake. We love to clean out the fridge with this meal when we have eggs on hands. If we have time, we add some potatoes to the bottom of the bake.

Quinoa Lunch Bowl with Chicken. One of my favorite lunch meals, but can easily be bulked up for a dinner portion by adding a protein like chicken or shrimp.

One Pot Cheesy Vegetable Pasta. My love of pasta continues with this easy meal we make in our Le Creuset. You can literally add just about any vegetable to it to help clean out that fridge and increase your vegetable servings.

Mahi Mahi Tacos with Mango. Sensing a Mexican food inspired theme in our house? Grilled Mahi Mahi with taco seasoning, whole wheat tortilla wraps, some sliced mango, and whatever vegetables we have around (peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers).

Easy Chicken Bake. My old Au Pair taught me this one a few summers ago and I was kicking myself for how easy and simple it was. Put some chopped raw chicken and vegetables into a pan, toss it all with avocado oil and seasonings of your choice, and bake it at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until the chicken is done). Serve it with a side of rice or quinoa.

Lemon Salmon with Roasted Vegetables and Rice. Add butter, lemon slices, rosemary, and dill to the fish, chop some vegetables onto a pan, and bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until the fish is flaky, Have your rice cooking while the oven is going and you have a tasty meal that you do not have to pay much attention to.

Those are the quickest, non-crockpot meals we generally use around here besides our super lazy chips and salsa nights. We also occasionally get a pre-made meal from Costco that we can put in the oven for an hour and not have to think about, but we prefer those in the winter when having the oven on for that long does not sweat us out.

What is your favorite, quick meal when not using the crockpot?