5 Lazy Girl Dinners to Make After Work

A piece of caprese toast is held over a plate with a glass of red wine in the background with the title of the blog above it.

Coming home after work exhausted at the end of the day means sometimes you can’t even fathom the ability to turn on the stove. However, we have ways to work around that to make some simple and easy meals. Here are five of my lazy girl dinners that are actually satisfying!

1. Apple Peanut Butter Oatmeal

A black bowl with apples, oatmeal, and peanut butter sits on a tray in front of the window for this lazy girl dinner. Beside the bowl is a large mason glass filled with juice and ice, and a book called The Silence, by Daisy Pearce.

Yup. For lazy girl dinners we’re starting with breakfast!

Okay, so two of these typically qualify as breakfast food. But I am a firm believer that breakfast foods can be eaten at any time of day, as long as its satisfying and easy to make!

For this meal you need:

Half an apple, diced
However much microwavable oatmeal you want
About two tablespoons of peanut butter
Cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice

Throw it all together and enjoy!

2. Tomato Pesto Pasta

A lazy girl dinner consisting of fettucine pasta with pesto, tomatoes, and grated cheese sits on a black plate with a grilled chicken breast topped with lemon slices. A glass of homemade limoncello spritzer sits on the counter next to it with a lemon slice on the rim.

Don’t let this one fool you!

Sometimes lazy girl dinners mean prepping ahead, even if it’s not your traditional meal prep. Some fresh pasta planned in advance goes a long way. I make a giant batch of it and keep it in the freezer. And when I don’t, I buy fresh pasta from the refrigerated section at the grocery store such as this one from Wegmans. When your meal is simple and lack luster it can make the difference in having a meal actually feel satisfying! But if you don’t have fresh, boxed pasta will always do.

I also typically use pesto from the jar, so using a block of parmigiano reggiano freshly grated on top helps balance the freshness and makes the meal feel more up to par.

For this meal you need:

Pasta (fresh/frozen/dried)
Pesto
Cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
Grated cheese of your choice
Salt and pepper to taste

Salt your water and make the pasta according to package directions, toss it with the tomatoes, pesto, and saved pasta water. Grate your cheese on top, season as you like and enjoy!

3. Caprese Toast

A woman is holding a slice of toast with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil topped with Italian seasoning and a balsamic glaze drizzle as a lazy girl dinner. A glass of red wine sits on the counter in the background.

We make lazy girl dinners look fancy.

This simple toast is probably the easiest yet most fresh of the lazy girl dinners on this list, and its going to look great on your Instagram story. Trust me.

Here’s how I make it:

Toast a piece of Italian bread and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
Place mozzarella slices, tomato slices, and basil on top.
Season with salt, pepper, and any others you want. I use Italian seasoning as well.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze (this is what really brings it all together. Lasts forever too)

That’s it! Enjoy!

4. Peanut Butter Banana Toast

Two pieces of toast with peanut butter, sliced bananas, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sit atop a blue plate with pink and yellow flowers.

Yes, more breakfast. Yes, another toast.

Believe me, toast is the ultimate satisfying lazy girl meal and we’ll be using that to our advantage.

This one is pretty simple too:

Toast any bread you want. I like a hearty 12 grain for this.
Top with peanut butter and sliced bananas
Sprinkle on some cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice to take it to the next level!

Honestly the cinnamon looks great for the aesthetic, but it’s also just that little extra bit that makes this super simple meal be that much more satiating.

5. Tzatziki Bruschetta Chicken Pita

Okay, I’ll be honest, this isn’t one of the fanciest looking lazy girl dinners.

But the picture doesn’t do it justice! You can use leftover chicken, or rotisserie chicken from the store, tzatziki sauce premade, bruschetta from the deli, and some toasted pita bread. Throw it all together season, and fold it up! Tastes great with minimal effort!

Everyone has their lazy girl dinners.

Let us know your favorite things to make too!