Home Crock Pot Recipes 50+ Easy Recipes That Take 30 Minutes or Less By Abigail MatsumotoJune 3, 2021 Search more like this slow-cookerhow-tokid-friendlyall-naturalbakingcomfort-foodcrowd-pleaserkitchen-handbooklunch-boxmeal-ideaspicky-eatersrecipesaladpasta Read next Crock Pot Recipes The Best Organic Clothes for Babies & Toddlers Crock Pot Recipes 45 Pumpkin Carving Designs That’ll Wow the Neighborhood Crock Pot Recipes Target’s Best Holiday Deals Start Sooner Than You Think Crock Pot Recipes This Larger Than Life Mister Rogers Monument is Exactly What the World Needs Crock Pot Recipes Want a Free Donut on Halloween? Here’s How to Get One from Krispy Kreme When it comes to trying to be creative in the kitchen these days, it’s always smart to have quick and easy dinner recipes up your sleeve. That’s why we’ve collected 50 dynamite dishes that take very little prep work and guarantee to satisfy the whole fam. Even better? Some of these quick meal ideas call for the slow cooker! Scroll down to see them all. Save this entire list on Pinterest. photo: View from Great Island Easy Whitefish with Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Basil This simple summer recipe only takes 15 minutes! Throw together cherry tomatoes, a whitefish, basil and a few other pantry staples, and you're good to go! Get the recipe here. photo: Chelsea's Messy Apron Ground Beef Stroganoff Beef stroganoff is a classic pasta dish, and this ground beef version from Chelsea's Messy Apron comes together quickly. It's a meal that even picky eaters can get behind. Get the recipe here. photo: Sara Groblechner via Unsplash Tomato Basil Pasta You can't go wrong with fresh tomatoes and basil! This pasta is a crowd-pleaser, and you can always add veggies or chicken. Click here for the recipe. photo: Stock the Crock Crock Pot Chicken from Heaven It's right there in the title: this chicken is a little bit of heaven. It's also convenient, delicious and can be adapted for Paleo diets! Grab the recipe by clicking here. photo: Allison Sutcliffe Classic Fondue Hooray for this fondue hack! Simply heat Trader Jacques’ La Fondue (made with three savory kinds of cheese) in the microwave for about five minutes. Et voilà! Learn more here. photo: Garlic My Soul Grilled Cheese with Apple & Jam Give your classic grilled cheese a major upgrade with two ingredients you probably have on hand: apples and jam! Get the tasty recipe here. photo: Jennifer Causey Perfect Banana Mini Muffins For a delish breakfast or snack on the quick, whip up a batch of these minis for your minis. They're the perfect banana-y treat for any day of the week! Score the recipe (courtesy of Siri Daly) here. photo: Sara Olsher Carnitas Salad Psst! If you toss together pre-cooked carnitas, cheese, avocado, salsa, cilantro salad dressing, sour cream and a bag of romaine lettuce, you'll get a delicious dinner. Learn more here. photo: Whitney via Flickr Crock Pot Sloppy Joes For a fuss-free dinner, bookmark this recipe from Dragonfly Home Recipes! All you need to do is brown the meat and have your trusty crock pot on hand. Check out the recipe here. photo: jules via Flickr Tuna Pasta Salad This pasta salad is simple, quick, and made with just a few ingredients! It's perfect for hot days or whenever you need an ultra-quick meal. Find the Weelicious recipe here. photo: Allison Sutcliffe Veggie-ful Mandarin Orange Chicken This frozen TJ's meal is a guaranteed kid-pleaser and the best part is that it's easy to sneak in some veggies, too. (Think broccoli, peas and green peppers.) Learn more here. photo: The Bearded Hiker Instant Pot Chili Love your Instant Pot? You'll love this recipe from The Bearded Hiker! Just sauté your beef, add veggies, beans, and spices and the pressure cooker will do the rest. Click here for the recipe. photo: Sara Olsher Pulled Pork Tacos This adds up: Make Trader Joe’s Pulled Pork in the microwave in three minutes, get a super-tasty taco base. Then just add your favorite toppings and salsa! Learn more here. photo: Super Healthy Kids Rainbow Wrap Your kiddos will love this radiant wrap-up from Super Healthy Kids, which is chock-full of red, orange, green, purple and a dollop of cheese. Get the recipe here. photo: Mama Gourmand Taco Hot Dogs Turn dinner into a tailgate with these genius dogs from Mama Gourmand. It's a tasty twist on chili dogs and the perfect weeknight meal. Snag the recipe for yourself here. photo: Allison Sutcliffe Individual Pizza Pies Who knew that Trader Joe’s frozen naan bread makes a fab pizza crust? Let everyone pile on their fave toppings and give it a quick bake and dinner is served. Learn more here. photo: Pinch of Yum Butternut Squash Black Bean Wrap Got a grill or panini press? Take a cue from Pinch of Yum and use it for this pocket of sweet butternut squash, warm black beans, and gooey cheese. For the recipe, click here. photo: Sara Olsher Kid-friendly Curry It's easy to get a taste of Thai with this Trader Joe's hack that uses coconut cream TJ's Thai Red Curry Sauce, pre-cooked all-natural chicken breast and three-minute rice. Don't forget the veggies! Learn more here. photo: Kim's Cravings Hawaiian Barbecue Pizza With BBQ sauce, pineapple and rotisserie chicken, this pizza from Kim's Cravings couldn't be simpler. Get the kids in on the cooking to make dinnertime extra fun! Click here for the recipe. photo: Anna Doogan Island Soyaki Rice Bowl with Meatballs Throw together a tropical-inspired rice bowl with Trader Joe's party-size frozen mini meatballs, Island Soyaki marinade, grilled pineapple chunks and just a few other ingredients. Dinner is served! Learn more here. photo: I Wash You Dry Thai Chicken Pasta Salad This pasta salad from I Wash You Dry calls for ramen noodles and rotisserie chicken—extra easy!—and sports crisp veggies and a flavorful sauce. Get the recipe here. photo: Sara Olsher Next Level Ravioli Trader Joe’s has a great selection of ravioli, and it's easy to change up the usual marinara sauce. Instead, opt for things like spinach, peas and Boursin cheese! Get inspired here. photo: Jennifer Martine Sweetie Pie Quesadilla Sweet potatoes plus melted cheese? You'll love this quesadilla from Best Lunch Box Ever. It can be made ahead of time, and you can always throw in extra veggies! Make your own with this recipe. photo: Apron Strings One-Pot Tomato Basil Pasta This awesome pasta dish isn't too fancy, sports kid-friendly ingredients, and is sure to be a new dinner fave. Bonus: it only gets one pot dirty! Get the how-to here. photo: Allison Sutcliffe Butternut Squash Soup Trader Joe's butternut squash soup is tasty on its own—but you can make it even better with easy additions like cranberries, goat cheese and more! Get inspired with these ideas. photo: plasticrevolver via Flickr Pigs in a Blanket Everyone's fave party app also makes a great dinner-in-a-pinch! And with just two ingredients and four steps, kids can help whip these up! Make your own with these instructions. photo: my_amii via Flickr Fettuccine Alfredo Creamy fettuccine Alfredo that's healthy, too? The secret to this recipe is sneaking spinach into the sauce and adding pre-cooked chicken. Get the recipe here. photo: Anna Doogan Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers Want a delicious veggie-centric dinner ASAP? How about stuffed peppers with quinoa and feta? Yep, it's as good as it sounds, and a healthy too! Get inspired to make your own here. photo: My Little Gourmet Grilled Cheese Rollups Think outside the grilled cheese! These rollups have the classic taste kids love, with a just a bit of a twist. And they only take 10 minutes to make! Find out how here. photo: Anna Doogan Pesto Pasta with Shrimp Garlicky pesto + shrimp + your fave pasta? It's a match made in easy dinner heaven. For added mmm, throw in fresh basil, tomato and Parmesan! Learn more here. photo: Lunchbox Bunch Eggless Salad Hey, vegans! This tofu treat from Lunchbox Bunch is the genius is great cold and can be made ahead of time, too! Get the recipe here. photo: Hello Spoonful Honey Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken This chicken recipe from Hello Spoonful is a keeper! It only has a few ingredients, so you can get this into the crock pot in the morning in less than ten minutes! Get the recipe here. photo: Allison Sutcliffe Warm "Winter" Salad Sure, this is billed as a winter salad, but it's so tasty (and healthy!) we don't see any reason you can't enjoy the warm vinaigrette dressing, edamame and beets all year 'round. For more on this recipe, click here. Brie Apple Cinnamon Quesadillas For a sweet and savory treat, grab brie and apples! We've laid out the steps for you and the kiddos—it'll be your new fave quesadilla! Make your own with this recipe. Gong Bao Chicken This recipe (courtesy of Everyday Secret Restaurant Recipes by Leah Schapira and Victoria Dwek) is uber flavorful but oh-so-easy. There are only a few steps! Get the recipe here. photo: Savory Tooth Salmon with Chili-Lime Sauce Three cheers for the Instant Pot, which cooks up this salmon from Savory Tooth in just five minutes. Plus, there's a tangy sauce, rice, and a good dose of veggies. Find the recipe here. photo: Herb on Herbs Orzo Pasta Salad With a simple mix of orzo pasta, mozzarella, grape tomatoes and fresh basil, you’ve got a pasta salad that's perfect for picnics and lunchboxes! Get the how-to here. photo: Allison Sutcliffe Squash Rice Bowl Love Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning? That the star of this rice bowl, along with squash, broccoli, and precooked chicken. Learn how to make yours here. photo: The Weary Chef Cheese Stuffed Meatballs Try these creative meatballs (from Andi of The Weary Chef) as a quick lunch or pop ’em in a pot of pasta sauce. You can even use string cheese for the tasty middle! Check out the recipe here. photo: Anna Doogan Steak Tacos You can have Taco Tuesday any day of the week with TJ's prepped carne asada. Don't forget the avocado, cheese, sour cream and salsa! Learn more here. photo: Ambs Loves Food Korean Beef Bowl Thanks to Ambs Loves Food, you can fulfill your Korean food cravings in 15-20 mins. And you probably have the ingredient list in your pantry! Click here for the recipe. photo: Anna Doogan Scallop Rolls Channel a seaside vacation with an easy weeknight meal! All you need to do is saute Trader Joe's scallops with butter and seasonings, add sandwich fixings and enjoy! Learn more here. photo: Catherine McCord from Weelicious Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf Bites These meatloaf bites from our friend Catherine McCord of Weelicious are petite versions of your fave comfort food. And you can bet they're perfect for kid taste buds! Find the recipe here. photo: Anna Doogan BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Coleslaw With a few shortcuts, you can serve up BBQ pork sandwiches PDQ! The key is pre-made shredded pork and a quick coleslaw mix. Learn more here. photo: Amazing Almonds via Flickr Crispy Parmesan Crusted Fish Want to introduce the kiddos to delish fish? Try this mild white fish covered in a crunchy parmesan crust. The ingredients are simple, and the flavors are excellent! Get the recipe here. photo: Anna Doogan Chicken Pasta Salad For an easy weeknight meal, this salad is good served warm or cold. The other magic ingredients include salsa, black beans, chopped chicken and creamy dressing. Learn more here. Kiddie Cobb Salad A kid-friendly salad? Hear us out. This quick recipe from Mom’s Kitchen Handbook features delicious add-ons like avocado, smoked turkey and egg. Add it to your menu with this recipe. photo: Sara Olsher Easy Vegetarian Soft Tacos Head's up! These tacos can be thrown together in less than five minutes. It starts with tortillas and refried beans and ends with toppings like salsa, cheese, guac, and greens. Learn more here. photo: Patsy via Flickr Tricolor Pasta Salad Why's this recipe, adapted from Melissa d’Arabian, such a winner? The multi-colored noodles don't hurt—neither do the healthy veggies. Get the recipe here. photo: alanagkelly via Flickr Crock Pot Chicken Teriyaki Fact: Kids love teriyaki. Another fact? This recipe from Our Little Acre uses the slow cooker and is super simple to make. Snag the recipe by clicking here. photo: Baking & Creating with Avril Slow Cooker Chicken Parm We bet you can throw all three (yes, three) ingredients for this simple recipe in the crock pot during one commercial break. Then set it and forget it until it's time to dig in. Get the recipe here. —Abigail Matsumoto Featured Image: Engin Akyurt via Unsplash RELATED STORIES: 15 New Crock Pot Recipes You Have to Try 30 Days Worth of Quick & Easy Meals 5 Easy Recipes for Every School Night This Week 6 Dinnertime Egg Recipes You Should Try Tonight
