People Are Sharing Their Favorite Cheap And Easy Quarantine Meals, And I'm Definitely Taking Notes

    It's been a year, 2020.

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Cooking fatigue is real, and many of us are feeling it right now. But luckily, Reddit users have been sharing the best lazy and cheap meals that have been getting them through quarantine. Here are several!

    1. Upgraded Instant Ramen

    Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

    "I start with a package of instant ramen and crack an egg into the soup while the noodles cook. I also add frozen veggies like corn, plus some garlic and ginger."

    —u/jpaxonreyes

    2. Egg Quesadillas

    An egg quesadilla with herbs on top, sliced into three triangles.
    Getty Images

    "I scramble a couple of eggs and cook them as I would cook an omelet, but I top them with a flour tortilla. Flip the tortilla, add some cheese, and top with another tortilla and flip once more. For a nice, crispy crust, brush the tortillas in olive oil. I like to dip my quesadillas in salsa, but spaghetti sauce works too."

    —u/Hi_new_here_

    3. Fried Rice

    A pan of fried rice
    Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

    "I make rice in the slow cooker and stir-fry it with whatever leftover veggies and meat I have in my kitchen."

    —u/shouldco

    4. Frozen Meatballs Over Instant Mashed Potatoes

    Meatballs in gravy over mashed potatoes.
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    "I start with frozen meatballs and premade (or store-bought) gravy. I cook the meatballs in the gravy for about 25 minutes. At the same time, I heat up some instant mashed potatoes or rice. Then I serve everything in one bowl, and it basically tastes like Salisbury steak."

    —u/tatsuedoa

    5. Naan Pizza

    Naan pizza with arugula and prosciutto
    Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

    "I start with one round of frozen or fresh naan; then I add a spoonful of tomato sauce and a handful of cheese. I pop it into the toaster oven for about five minutes, and it's ready to eat."

    —u/Artsy215

    6. Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

    Three tortillas filled with shredded chicken, avocado, cheese, and cilantro.
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    "Put chicken breasts, taco seasoning, and some salsa in the slow cooker. Four hours later, you've got shredded salsa chicken, perfect for making tacos."

    —u/atouchofrazzledazzle

    7. Pasta Carbonara

    Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

    "This meal comes together in about 10 minutes. Boil some pasta, beat eggs, add cream, fry up some bacon, grate cheese, and toss it all together."

    —u/mreowimakat

    8. Loaded Baked Potato

    A baked potato stuffed with cheese, bacon, and chives.
    Bhofack2 / Getty Images

    "I bake a potato (or even just microwave it for 10 minutes), slice it down the middle, and stuff it with butter, cheese, onions, sour cream, herbs, or whatever else I have on hand, like shredded sandwich meat."

    —u/Fragraham

    9. Easy Peanut Noodles

    Someone eating peanut noodles with chopsticks.
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    "Start with noodles like cooked instant ramen boiled without the seasoning packet. Toss the noodles in peanut butter, sriracha, hoisin, and soy sauce. Measure with your heart. Add in any veggies you want. If you have roasted peanuts, toss those in as well."

    —u/FishtopherGoblin

    10. Sausage and Rice Skillet

    A sausage and pepper skillet.
    Getty Images

    "You can keep all the ingredients in your freezer so you're always prepared. Brown the sausage in a skillet, add the peppers and onions, then add cooked rice and broth. Let it simmer for 20 minutes, then season with spices."

    —u/sjoesucks

    11. Wonton Soup With Frozen Dumplings

    A bowl of boiled wonton soup with scallions.
    Getty Images

    "I buy frozen dumplings to keep on hand. Then, when I'm hungry, I either panfry them or boil them with my favorite veggies in broth for soup."

    —u/OldLadyTurtle

    12. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

    A sliced grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of creamy tomato soup.
    Getty Images

    "I keep the Pacific-brand soup on hand and pretty much always have cheese and a loaf of bread. Panera charges $15 for what costs me $3 and 10 minutes to make at home!"

    —u/trailerparkdropout

    13. Egg in a Hole

    An egg baked in a slice of toast with two pieces of bacon on the side.
    Getty Images

    "Cut a circle into Texas toast (or any kind of bread). Toss the bread into a pan and crack an egg into the whole. Flip once and garnish with cheese or hot sauce."

    —u/BatCaveSwag-12

    14. Easy Chilaquiles

    Scrambled eggs on tortilla chips with shredded cheese and pico de gallo.
    Getty Images

    "I cut a corn tortilla into pieces and throw them into a pan with a little vegetable oil. Once the tortilla chips are crispy, I add eggs that I beat with a little cream. Scramble the eggs and season with salt, pepper, and a couple of dashes of sriracha sauce. If I have salsa or shredded cheese, I add that, too."

    —u/imjemmaD

    15. Nachos

    A plate of nachos topped with shredded chicken, melted cheese, herbs, sour cream, and pickled jalapeños.
    Getty Images

    "I always have tortilla chips in my pantry. I top them with whatever meat is in my fridge (browned in a skillet and seasoned), avocado, sour cream, cheese, tomato, lettuce, or whatever else I have at home."

    —u/kat_ale

    16. Tuna Melt

    A homemade tuna melt with cheese on multigrain bread.
    Getty Images

    "Tuna melts were once my go-to college meal. I take tuna straight out of the can, add some lemon, pepper, and whatever cheese I have handy. Grill it on bread and you've got a cheap, quick dinner."

    —u/thelasttimelady

    17. California Roll Bowl

    A California roll bowl of rice topped with cucumber, avocado, seaweed, imitation crab, and sesame seeds.
    Getty Images

    "I make rice in the rice cooker and top it with cold ingredients like avocado, shredded imitation crab (or canned tuna), cucumber, and radish. Top it with a little rice vinegar, mayo, and sriracha. It's a faux poke bowl in minutes."

    —u/nanaimo

    18. Frito Pie

    A bowl of Frito pie
    Thecrimsonmonkey / Getty Images

    "All you need are Fritos, canned chili, shredded cheese, and some toppings like onion, salsa, sour cream, or jalapeños. It's so low effort, yet so good."

    —u/laughatbridget

    19. Tortilla Pizza

    A tortilla pizza topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and kale.
    Karl Tapales / Getty Images

    "Take tortillas and pasta sauce from the cupboard. Add shredded cheese and leftovers from the fridge. Toast at 450 degrees until the edges of the tortilla brown and the cheese starts bubbling."

    —u/flux_monkey

    20. Everything but the Kitchen Sink Frittata

    Travellinglight / Getty Images

    "Beat some eggs and mix them with bacon or ham, onions, chopped mushrooms, spinach, eggs, milk, or anything else in your fridge. Pour the egg mixture into a buttered muffin pan. Season with salt and pepper and pop it in the oven."

    —u/Onceabanana

    21. Pasta Bake

    Cheesy baked pasta with herbs.
    Getty Images

    "It's just three ingredients: pasta, sauce, and cheese. Bake it in the oven for 20 minutes and it yields a few days' worth of delicious meals. If you have the energy to slice an eggplant or zucchini, you can throw that in, too."

    —u/probsbeok

    22. Tuna Pasta

    Hannah Loewentheil / BuzzFeed

    "Open a can of tuna fish and mix it with cooked pasta. Drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil, capers, and red pepper flakes."

    —u/tod315

    Do you have an easy quarantine meal you've been making on repeat? Tell us about it in the comment section below.