Working remotely has many benefits, like flexibility and no commute. However, it can also pose some unique challenges around meal planning and preparation. When you’re working from home, it’s easy to rely on takeout or quickly assembled processed foods since you don’t have the structured lunch break that comes with being in an office.
But having a nourishing home cooked meal doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming, even for busy remote workers. The key is being strategic with recipes that come together quickly, as well as doing some meal prep and planning on weekends to make weeknights easier.
This collection of 5 quick and easy dinner recipes is perfect for remote workers who want to avoid the daily decision fatigue of figuring out what to eat. By keeping ingredients and steps simple, you can pull together a satisfying meal within 30 minutes to 1 hour from start to finish. No convoluted recipes or hard-to-find ingredients required! Whether you’re craving something hearty, fresh, or comforting, you’ll find recipe ideas in this roundup that will become regulars in your weeknight dinner rotation.
Chipotle Chicken Bowls
This easy chicken bowl is inspired by Chipotle’s burrito bowls. Loaded with spicy chicken, black beans, corn, and slaw, it’s a healthier version you can make at home in 30 minutes!
Ingredients:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 cups coleslaw mix
- 1 lime, juiced
- Tortilla chips, cilantro, salsa and other desired toppings
Instructions:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Divide chicken between 4 bowls. Top with black beans, corn, avocado, coleslaw and lime juice.
- Garnish with tortilla chips, cilantro or other desired toppings.
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
This quick and easy sheet pan chicken fajita recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Loaded with bell peppers, onions, chicken, and Mexican spices, it’s a one-pan dinner recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes. Serve with desired fajita toppings.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Arrange mixture on prepared baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
- Serve with desired fajita toppings like tortillas, salsa, guacamole, cheese, etc. Optional to squeeze a bit of lime as well! Enjoy!
Recipe #3 – Quick and Easy Skillet Chicken Fajitas
This chicken fajita recipe comes together in 30 minutes and uses simple pantry staples. It’s easy to customize with your favorite fajita veggies and toppings. The chicken cooks up quick in a cast iron skillet for easy fajita tacos any night of the week.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 small tortillas
- Toppings like salsa, cheese, avocado, lime wedges
Instructions:
- In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes until starting to brown.
- Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic. Season with chili powder and cumin. Continue cooking 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.
- Warm the tortillas according to package directions.
- Serve chicken fajita mixture with desired toppings in the tortillas. Enjoy!
Easy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
This simple chicken and broccoli casserole comes together in just 20 minutes. It’s a hearty, delicious meal that’s super easy to make on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup stuffing mix or breadcrumbs
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a greased baking dish, combine chicken, broccoli, cheese, soup, milk, stuffing mix, and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and topping is golden brown.
- Serve hot. Enjoy!
Cozy Chili and Cornbread Casserole
This hearty chili and cornbread casserole is the perfect one-dish meal on a cold winter night. It’s easy to prep and cook, making it a great weeknight dinner option for busy remote workers.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (15 ounce) can chili beans
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 1⁄2 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
- 1 packet chili seasoning mix
- 6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1⁄3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until beef is browned and onion is tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Add chili beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, and chili seasoning to skillet. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
- Transfer chili mixture to a greased 9×9 baking dish.
- In a bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Add egg, milk and vegetable oil to dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Spread cornbread batter evenly over chili.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until cornbread topping is golden brown.
- Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream or chopped green onions if desired.
Meal Planning Tips
Planning ahead is key for quick and easy weeknight dinners. Here are some tips for getting organized:
- Make a weekly meal plan. Decide on 3-5 recipes you want to cook that week and make a grocery list based on the ingredients needed. This makes shopping quicker and prevents buying extra items you don’t need.
- Do meal prep on the weekends. Chop veggies, cook grains like rice or quinoa, marinate proteins, etc. Having prepped ingredients makes throwing together meals on busy weeknights a breeze.
- Prep recipe components separately. For example, cook chicken breast for chicken tacos, ground turkey for lettuce wraps, hard boil eggs for egg salad. Having precooked proteins on hand makes assembling meals fast.
- Utilize leftovers. Cook once, eat twice. Make double batches of things like chili, soups, roasted veggies, and other recipes that freeze and reheat well.
- Stock up on frozen veggies. Keeping a variety of frozen veggies like peas, broccoli, green beans etc makes easy side dishes. Just steam in the microwave for a quick veggie fix.
- Always have essentials on hand. Keep your pantry stocked with grains, pastas, sauces, oils, spices/seasonings so you can improvise meals based on what’s available.
Grocery Shopping Hacks
Going grocery shopping while working from home or remotely can be a challenge. Follow these tips to maximize efficiency on your grocery trips:
- Make a list and stick to it. Plan out your meals and make your grocery list based on what you’ll need for recipes. Don’t deviate by picking up items not on your list.
- Shop alone. Shopping without kids or a partner allows you to get in and out of the store faster.
- Go at off-peak hours. Try to shop earlier in the morning or later in the evening to avoid crowds.
- Don’t shop hungry. No, seriously. Make sure to eat before shopping to avoid impulse purchases.
- Bring reusable bags. This saves time bagging items at checkout.
- Shop store perimeter first. Get produce, meat, dairy before venturing into aisles.
- Don’t overbuy perishables. Only buy what you know you’ll use before it goes bad.
- Look up and down. Check top and bottom shelves for items instead of just eye level.
- Use store apps. Many grocers have apps with digital coupons and shopping lists to expedite trips.
- Use self-checkout. This can be faster than waiting for a cashier.
- Ask for help finding items. Employees can point you to hard-to-find ingredients.
With some planning and efficiency hacks, your grocery runs don’t have to take up your whole work day! Get in, get out, and get back to work.
Kitchen Tools
Having the right tools on hand can make cooking quick dinners a breeze for people working from home. Here are some gadgets and appliances that help simplify meal prep and speed up cooking:
- Air fryer: An air fryer allows you to “fry” food without all the oil. It uses rapid air circulation to make breaded and crispy foods, like chicken tenders, fries, and fish sticks, with little to no oil needed. Air fryers cook fast, so they’re great for quick dinners.
- Instant Pot: This pressure cooker makes dishes in a fraction of the normal time. Use it to quickly cook rice, soup, stew, beans, chili, and more. Just throw in ingredients, set it, and come back when it beeps. You can prepare an entire meal with minimal hands-on time using an Instant Pot.
- Slow cooker: Pop ingredients in in the morning, and you’ll have a ready-to-eat dinner when you’re done with work. Slow cookers are ideal for braises, stews, soups, and chilies. They cook food low and slow so everything comes out tender and flavorful.
- Immersion blender: An immersion or stick blender lets you blend soups and sauces right in the cooking pot. No need to transfer hot liquids to a standing blender. Immersion blenders are compact, easy to clean, and speed up the process of pureeing ingredients.
- Knife sharpener: Using sharp knives when chopping and slicing makes prep work faster and safer. A knife sharpener allows you to easily sharpen knives at home before cooking for optimum efficiency and safety.
- Kitchen scissors: Keep a pair of kitchen scissors handy for quickly snipping herbs, cutting up chicken, opening packages, and more. Kitchen scissors allow for fast chopping without having to hand wash a cutting board and knife each time.
- Digital thermometer: A digital instant read thermometer eliminates any guesswork and allows you to quickly check temperatures of meats and other foods while cooking. This helps prevent over or undercooking so your dinner turns out perfectly.
With the right tools, you can make quick homemade meals in minutes, even after a long work-from-home day. Look for appliances and gadgets that simplify prep and cooking to maximize your efficiency in the kitchen.
Cooking and eating healthy, delicious meals at home during a busy work from home lifestyle can seem challenging, but it doesn’t have to be! With a bit of planning and preparation, you can enjoy quick and easy recipes like the ones shared above on a regular basis.
The recipes included in this post require just a handful of fresh ingredients that can be prepped ahead of time. They come together in 30 minutes or less, which is perfect for weeknights or days with back-to-back virtual meetings. While takeout or delivery is certainly convenient, nothing beats a home cooked meal you prepared yourself.
Aim to cook at home most nights of the week. On heavier work days when you’re crunched for time, rely on some of the quicker one-pot meals or 30 minute entrees. Meal prep part of your dinner on weekends to have ready-to-eat components on busier nights.
The key is having the right tools on hand in your kitchen and pantry. Stock up on versatile ingredients like eggs, fresh or frozen vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and seasonings. Invest in some time-saving appliances like a sheet pan, slow cooker or air fryer if you don’t already have them.
With a little creativity, you can enjoy home cooked dinners daily, even with a busy work from home schedule. The healthy, tasty recipes in this post will get you started. For even more easy dinner ideas, check out the blog or sign up for our weekly meal plan newsletter.
