23 Dump Dinners That Require Zero (Or Very Little) Upfront Prep (2024)

Salsa verde + chicken breasts are all you need to make this. Top with optional avocado, tortilla strips, and your favorite hot sauce.

Recipe: Easiest Crock Pot Chicken Verde

Sloppy Joes: Vegetarian edition! Serve it on toasted hamburger buns or whatever sturdy bread you have around.

Recipe: Lentil Sloppy Joes

Just chicken + butter + hot sauce + broth. Totally fool-proof — and works in hoagies, pitas, or over rice or greens.

Recipe: Buttery Buffalo Chicken

This might look fussy, but most of the ingredients — black beans, tomatoes, corn — are canned, making this a legit drop-and-go dinner.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

The trick here is salting your eggplant slices first — which will draw out excess water and prevent a soggy final dish.

Recipe: Eggplant Lasagna

This shortcut recipe uses a seasoning packet to jumpstart the flavor — but you can also make your own quick DIY mix with pantry spices. To make it into a full meal, microwave some instant rice and frozen veggies.

Recipe: Shortcut Sesame Chicken

Start with a rotisserie chicken here for ease. If you don't have frozen egg noodles, just cook regular dry egg noodles in a separate pot and add it to the slow cooked dish when it's done.

Recipe: Chicken and Noodles

For a no-fuss Taco Tuesday, whip up this soup and top it with all your favorite taco fillings like avocado, shredded cheese, or sour cream.

Recipe: No-Chopping Chicken Taco Soup

Feel free to combine the ingredients in a Ziploc bag ahead of time and cook it on low heat for six hours on the day of.

Recipe: African Peanut Stew

Sometimes, the best part about recipes is that they make you consider ingredient combinations you'd never have thought of before. Take this recipe, which combines stuffing mix and cream of chicken soup for the perfect savory meal.

Recipe: Easiest Chicken and Stuffing

Vegetarian recipes are especially slow cooker-friendly because they don't require any defrosting or pan searing ahead of time.

Recipe: Red Lentil Curry

You'll have to brown the beef before placing it in the slow cooker, but I promise it'll give the whole dish a level of savory and caramelized flavor you wouldn't get otherwise.

Recipe: Beef and Potato Au Gratin

Prep involves cutting up a sweet potato, a bell pepper, and an onion but the result will be totally worth this effort. Plus, this is the perfect protein-packed recipe to make in bulk and eat for lunch throughout the week.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

This goes well with a bowl of pasta, but you can also swap it for whatever other base you have, like rice, quinoa, or even a tortilla wrap.

Recipe: Lemon Italian Chicken With Capers

While traditional risotto involves constant stirring and watching over a pot, this recipe comes together with just about 15 minutes of prep.

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto

Minimal prep here —just chopping an onion + red pepper — and the beer adds a subtle earthy flavor. (It also gives you an excuse to drink another while you're waiting for it to cook!)

Recipe: Beer-Braised Chicken

We're all turning to comfort foods now more than ever before. This dish is especially fitting, since its vegetarian and vegan-friendly.

Recipe: Split Pea Soup

Who says you can't have soup during the warmer months? This recipe goes perfectly with that sourdough bread everyone's been baking.

Recipe: Tuscan White Bean Soup

The secret ingredient here is balsamic vinegar, which tenderizes the beef and adds even more flavor.

Recipe: Balsamic Roast