Cold rice fries instead of steaming, which is why leftovers make the best version.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Family · One pot
Dinner ideas
Sorted by the question you're really asking at 6pm: how long, how cheap, how healthy, and who's eating. Or skip the scrolling and spin for one.
The spice mix is pantry-only, so you never need a seasoning packet.
Under 30 min · Family · Cheap
The fastest dinner in this collection that still feels like a real meal.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Vegetarian · One pot
Cold rice fries instead of steaming, which is why leftovers make the best version.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Family · One pot
The spice mix is pantry-only, so you never need a seasoning packet.
Under 30 min · Family · Cheap
Browning the tomato paste for a minute gives a long-simmered taste in twenty.
Family · Cheap
Potatoes go in first because they need longer than broccoli.
Sheet pan · Healthy · Family
Eggs poached in spiced tomato: a pantry dinner that looks like brunch.
Vegetarian · Healthy · One pot · Cheap
Red lentils need no soaking and melt into a thick sauce in twenty minutes.
Vegetarian · Healthy · Cheap · One pot
Cold rice fries instead of steaming, which is why leftovers make the best version.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Family · One pot
The spice mix is pantry-only, so you never need a seasoning packet.
Under 30 min · Family · Cheap
Browning the tomato paste for a minute gives a long-simmered taste in twenty.
Family · Cheap
The fastest dinner in this collection that still feels like a real meal.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Vegetarian · One pot
Eggs poached in spiced tomato: a pantry dinner that looks like brunch.
Vegetarian · Healthy · One pot · Cheap
Eight eggs and a pound of potatoes make four filling portions.
Vegetarian · Cheap · One pot
Cold rice fries instead of steaming, which is why leftovers make the best version.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Family · One pot
The rice cooks in the chicken drippings, so there is only one pan to wash.
One pot · Family · Cheap
The fastest dinner in this collection that still feels like a real meal.
Under 30 min · Cheap · Vegetarian · One pot
Potatoes go in first because they need longer than broccoli.
Sheet pan · Healthy · Family
Beans get a five-minute head start so both finish together.
Sheet pan · Healthy · Under 30 min
One pan, no prep beyond chopping.
Sheet pan · Family · Cheap
Questions people ask
What should I make for dinner tonight?
Start with what you already have: tick it on the pantry finder and cook the top match. If the fridge is bare, pick a pantry-only dinner like egg fried rice, chickpea curry or peanut noodles.
What are easy dinner ideas for beginners?
Tacos, egg fried rice, black bean quesadillas and sheet-pan chicken and vegetables. Each has short steps, forgiving timings and few pans.
What is the cheapest dinner to make?
Dinners built on rice, dried pasta, canned beans, lentils, eggs and potatoes. Red lentil curry and pantry minestrone each feed four or six from a few dollars of ingredients at typical US prices.