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    Home » Recipes » 8 Easy Self-Isolation Meal Ideas

    March 15, 2020

    8 Easy Self-Isolation Meal Ideas

    Leave a comment

    Mar 15, 2020

    (updated Sep 26, 2021)

    by Lori Murphy

    No matter your reasons are for staying home, you still have to eat. I have assembled a list of 8 easy meal ideas that make isolation a little less confining and a little more comforting. These recipes will become your every day go-to's.

    white bowl of chili with bowls of cheese, chopped green onions on a gray gingham background.
    Completely Steak Chili

    Each recipe is made with ingredients you likely have in your pantry or freezer. While some do require meat, some are strictly from the pantry.

    And I've included ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and of course, a sweet treat. Because when things get tough, a little sweetness is required.

    Breakfast | Perfect Poached Eggs

    avocado toast with a poached egg and sriracha on top with salt and an egg in the background
    How to Poach an Egg

    Staying in is a great time to learn a new skill. Learning how to poach an egg opens the door to topping everything from toast, salads or pizza with yolky goodness.

    Lunch | Crispy Baked Burritos

    close up of two burritos stacked on top of each other with pickled jalapenos on top all on a white plate and some cilantro
    Crispy Beef Burritos

    A little prep ahead of time offers a quick meal solution especially when you have several different people in the house with different schedules and tastes. Crispy Baked Beef Burritos can be thrown together assembly-line style, pulled out of the freezer and baked in 15 minutes or less. Easy!

    Healthy side | Farro and Orange Salad

    a black bowl with farro and orange salad with two wooden spoons on a black and khaki striped background
    Farro and Orange Salad

    Just because you're stuck inside doesn't mean healthy has to be sacrificed. Farro and Orange Salad is a fresh, crispy side dish or lunch solution. Excellent topped with Foolproof Chicken for a complete main meal.

    Quick Dinner | Stovetop Veggie Sandwich

    two halves of veggie sandwich facing forward one angled on top of the other on a slate board
    Stovetop Veggie Sandwich

    Rally all your close-to-expiration produce for this healthy and tasty sandwich. Stovetop Veggie Sandwich takes your fav veggies and brightens them with balsamic and lemon. Dinner is on the table in ten!

    Pasta's BFF | Homemade Tomato Sauce with a kick

    Homemade Tomato Sauce with a kick on top of fusilli pasta in white bowl on a khaki napkin
    Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Homemade spaghetti sauce is as easy as opening a can of whole tomatoes or picking them from your garden if that's your jam. This sauce is amazing on both pasta and pizza. And Tomato Sauce with Butter is another pasta sauce that is our family favorite.

    Easy Homemade Salad Dressing

    balsamic salad dressing in Weck jar with green bottle and green napkin
    How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing

    Here is the ultimate guide to making your own salad dressing. Use pantry staples and leave the bottles at the store for someone else who doesn't have your mad salad skills. Your salads have never been so happy.

    Slow-cooked Dinner | Completely steak chili

    pot of chili in a red dutch oven with a wooden spoon resting on the pot and the lid nearby on a gray and white checked runner.
    Completely Steak Chili

    Challenging times call for a big bowl of comfort. Completely Steak Chili does just that. A no-bean chili, this dish starts with budget-friendly chuck roast simmered in spicy heat.

    Sweets | Triple Chocolate Brownies

    three stacked triple chocolate brownies on a dark background sprinkled with powdered sugar
    Triple Chocolate Brownies

    Sometimes only sugar will do. And these Triple Chocolate Brownies will more than serve. You'll even have enough to share with a neighbor.

    There are plenty more easy meal ideas where these came from! Check out my whole lineup or send me a note and I'll help you come up with something from your pantry.

    Hang in there!

    Cooking Tips30 Minute Meals

    More Cooking Tips & How Tos

    • Al Dente Homemade Pasta Recipe [with the Kitchenaid Pasta Attachment]
    • How to Tell If Your San Marzano Tomatoes are Real?
    • How to Cut Chicken Breast
    • How to Care for Cast Iron

    Disclosure: Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and/or affiliate for other brands which means I earn some coffee money from qualifying purchases that in no way affects the price you pay

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    Josie + Nina was named in honor of my two Italian grandmothers who made putting good food on the table look easy every day. Through this site, I hope to help you do the same thing but with a fresh, modern perspective, lots of Midwestern hospitality, and flexibility for where you are in your life. To me, it's always the more the merrier.

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