No time to cook? Easy 15-minute meals to the rescue! Wake up your tastebuds and impress your family with these delicious, quick, and easy meals ready in just 15 minutes. Wowza!

Pasta with tomatoes and basil from Shelf Cooking.

Life can get so hectic, especially when there are kids involved. Trying to juggle everyone's schedule and get a healthy and affordable home-cooked meal on the table can be hard! Trust us, we understand. The struggle is SO real.

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These 15-minute meals are so quick and easy, you'll be sitting down to dinner as a family before they can even ask what you're making! Now that's impressive. 😉 We'll even give you our best tips and tricks to cut even more time off these lightning-fast meals. Let's get to it!

HOW TO SAVE ON COOK TIME

Hands chopping veggies on a cutting board from Shelf Cooking.

Meal prep, meal prep, meal prep! Prepping whole meals, or even just a few ingredients ahead of time can save precious minutes on those busy weeknights. Not sure how to do it? We have an entire post dedicated to helping with weekly meal prep the easy way that you need to check out!

Here are some of our best tips to help you cut down on time and make 15-minute meals actually possible!

  • Pre-Cook Meat – Do you have a quick recipe that calls for ground beef? Cook that beef up ahead of time and ka-blamo! You just cut 10 minutes off your cook time.
  • Use Leftovers – Save the leftover salsa chicken from taco Tuesday and toss it in a quesadilla for a 15-minute meal Friday!
  • Batch Cook Rice – Planning rice bowls this week? Cook your rice and meat ahead of time so all you have to do is toss it all together and reheat!
  • Pre-Roast Veggies – Roasting veggies is delicious, but it can take forever! Roast those babies ahead of time and pop them in the oven for a few to reheat.
  • Make Tortillas – Homemade tortillas are so easy, so cheap, and so tasty. You'll never go back to store-bought once you try them! Make them at the beginning of the week so they'll be ready to eat in a flash any time you need. Use them for tacos, quesadillas, and so many other meals!

Well, there you have it! Utilize these tips and you'll have an entire arsenal of 15-minute meals at your fingertips. Go ahead, pat yourself on the back! 😉

15-MINUTE MEALS YOU NEED TO TRY

Drop the phone and put down the takeout menu… Do it! Try one of these 15-minute meals instead!

  • Fish Tacos – These Baja fish tacos are so quick and taste incredible!
  • Chicken Taquitos – Perfect for prepping ahead of time! Make a batch of chicken taquitos the weekend before and pop them in the oven for fiesta flavors 15 minutes later.
  • Steak Quesadillas – These steak quesadillas can be ready in just a few minutes, especially when the meat is precooked!
  • Spaghetti – Cook the noodles and top with pre-made spaghetti sauce or a jar of marinara. While the noodles are on the stove, cook mushrooms or reheat leftover ground beef to toss in the sauce!
  • BBQ Chicken Wrap – In just 10 minutes, this BBQ chicken wrap will be ready to be devoured… and trust us, it will be!
  • Caprese Pasta – This easy Caprese pasta from Savory Nothings looks so fancy, they'll never know how easy and fast it was!
  • French Bread Pizza – This satisfying French bread pizza can be made using whatever you have laying around. Plus, it only cooks for 10 minutes!
  • Chicken Alfredo – With this 5-minute Alfredo sauce and some precooked chicken, you can have a delectable chicken Alfredo dish on the table in less than 15 minutes!

These 15-minute meals will be a hit for the fam! Don't forget to grab our awesome family conversation starters to get the communication flowing.

MORE QUICK DINNER IDEAS

Platter of nachos from Shelf Cooking.

These quick dinner ideas are perfect for any night of the week. Whether you're getting home late from soccer practice or you just let time slip away, these fun meal ideas will be ready in the blink of an eye!

  • Nachos – Make a platter on a baking sheet! Better yet, get the kids involved and let them build their own.
  • Veggie Noodle Stir Fry – Stir fry your favorite veggies, toss with cooked ramen and your favorite sauce for a quick and nutritious meal!
  • Taco Night – An easy, yet favorite go-to dinner! Did we mention easy??
  • Bagel Pizza – DIY giant bagel bites? Uh, yes! Simply toss on pizza toppings and bake until bubbly and brown. You can also use English muffins or even regular toast!
  • Charcuterie Board – Add all your family favorites for a fun weeknight meal!
  • Hot Subs – Pre-make sub sandwiches with your favorite meat, cheese, and condiment. Wrap in foil and warm in the oven for a super-fast, ready-to-eat meal!
  • Rice Bowls – These rice bowls are the perfect meal to throw together in a pinch!
  • Blender Soup – With zero cook time, some of the blender soups in this post can be ready in just a few minutes. And yes, they are hot!

Pretty easy, huh? Don't ever let dinner time stress you out again!

WHY WE LOVE 15-MINUTE MEALS

As crazy as schedules can be, it's so important to take time to sit down and have dinner as a family. Not only does it save money by discouraging expensive take-out meals, but it's also such an important family bonding opportunity. These 15-minute meals will help you throw a quick dinner on the table any night of the week so you never miss out on that quality time together!

What does your family do for dinner on a busy week night? Tell us your go-to solutions in the comments below!

Nachos on a platter from Shelf Cooking.

Looking for more great recipes and kitchen hacks? Check these out!

Alright, see ya in 15 for dinner! 😉