When daylight saving time hits and the sun is gone by 5 p.m., it’s totally normal to lose your will to cook. But good news: you don’t need a ton of motivation to still eat well. With a simple approach and a few smart shortcuts, you can enjoy cozy, comforting meals even on your lowest-energy days.
Here’s how to keep mealtime easy when the winter blues kick in:
- Lean on one-pan or one-pot wonders: Fewer dishes means less cleanup (and fewer reasons to order takeout).
- Use those leftovers: Turn last night’s chicken or veggies into rice bowls, soups or stir-fries. Add in a new sauce or garnish, and you’ve got a whole new meal.
- Rely on your kitchen gadgets: Slow cookers, pressure cookers and microwaves are your culinary co-pilots. As you’ll see in the recipes below, they can handle most of the work on days when your motivation is MIA.
- Comfort is king: Warm, filling meals like soups, rice bowls and casseroles are just the thing to lift your mood and help you recharge after a long day.
- Stay stocked: Have pantry and fridge staples like canned beans, frozen veggies, and your favorite sauces on deck so you can throw together a meal without planning ahead. Minute Rice Cups come in clutch for a quick meal or an easy side—they’re perfectly portioned, come in plenty of exciting flavors and take just one minute in the microwave. For bigger batches, Minute Instant Rice has your back for easy family meals, casseroles, slow cooker recipes and more.
When the season has you craving something easy and satisfying, simple meals made with Minute rice are the perfect solution—fast, hearty and guaranteed to bring a little warmth back to your evenings.
Whether you need a quick breakfast to put some motivation into your day, or a family dinner when you’re out of ideas, fear not—we have simple recipes for all meals of the day to help get you through these cold winter months.
Easy Breakfasts for Dark Mornings
The sun may not be up anymore when your morning alarm goes off, but there are plenty of breakfast recipes that are simple enough to make even with your eyes half-closed—and fast enough so that you can spend a little extra time in bed.
If sweeter breakfasts are more your thing, start your day with a hearty Breakfast Medley bowl. It’s packed with filling Minute Organic Red and White Quinoa to give it a chewy texture and nutty flavor, then sweetened with brown sugar, dried fruit and vanilla soy milk. It’s as quick as heating the quinoa cup and mixing in the other ingredients, so you can make it while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew.
This Banana Peanut Butter Bowl is a great way to turn staple ingredients like bananas, honey and peanut butter into a fast and delicious breakfast. Combined with a Minute Brown Rice Cup, ready in just one minute in the microwave, you can whip up a simple but tasty rice bowl to fuel your morning.
If savory breakfast is more your thing, then this Spicy Ham and Eggs bowl is your new go-to. With cheese, ham and Sriracha hot sauce mixed into a Minute White Rice Cup, it’s an effortless way to kick your scrambled eggs up a notch. Or, scramble your eggs with a Minute Hot Honey Chicken Seasoned Rice Cup to start your morning with the perfect amount of sweet heat. To make this super simple Breakfast Hot Honey Chicken Bowl, recipe creator Ashley Sampson tops scrambled eggs and rice with air-fried chicken, yum yum sauce and green onion for a savory breakfast with a touch of sweetness.
No Stress Lunches
Packing lunch for work or eating at home? Either way, your midday meal doesn’t have to be complicated—especially when short days and cold weather are sapping all your energy.
This Chipotle Chicken Rice Bowl is a well-rounded lunch that comes together in no time. Make it once, and eat it all week: over the weekend, oven-roast a big batch of sweet potatoes and sautee a few servings of kale, and you’ll be able to put this flavorful rice bowl together in a pinch throughout the week for easy, satisfying lunches.
Using leftovers is a great way to whip up a solid lunch when you have zero motivation. This Spicy Potato Bowl gives new life to leftover breakfast potatoes, combining them with tomato sauce, smoked hot paprika, garlic aioli and a zesty Minute Spanish Rice Cup to add plenty of flavor to your lunch. Or, if you have leftover beef or cooked veggies, use them in this Teriyaki Beef Bowl for a classic combination of beef, Minute Jasmine Rice, steamed broccoli and roasted red peppers all topped with teriyaki sauce.
Salads make for an easy quick lunch when your energy levels are low, and luckily there are plenty of winter salads that will still give you that cozy and comforting feeling you need in the chillier weather. Check out these quick and easy winter rice salads for ideas, like this Super Crunch Grain Salad made with Minute Brown Rice & Quinoa and just a handful of ingredients.
Soup is a comfort food all-star for the colder days ahead, and we have plenty of simple soup recipes so you can enjoy a comforting bowl for lunch without too much effort. Turn a basic can of tomato soup into a truly tasty lunch with this Spicy Tomato Pesto Soup Mix It Up Rice Bowl. Combine the tomato soup with shredded chicken, pesto sauce and a Minute Jalapeño Rice Cup for the perfect hint of spice that’ll warm you up and help you face the rest of the day.
Another great way to tackle lunch is to prep meals ahead of time for the week. Give yourself some extra time to sleep in by making this Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Stew ahead of time and freezing it for your lunches throughout the week. The best part? Your trusty slow cooker does most of the work for you—simply combine all the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it work its magic. Add in prepared Minute Instant White Rice once everything is cooked, and you’re ready to dig in!
Fast Dinners for Zero Motivation Nights
When it’s dark before dinner and your brain’s checked out, the last thing you probably want to do is spend a ton of time in the kitchen. When you’re missing the will to cook after a long, chilly day, lean on these quick dinners to come to your rescue.
One skillet and 20 minutes is all you need for this Easy Red Beans and Rice recipe. Pantry staples like canned tomatoes, kidney beans and Minute Instant White Rice combine with flavorful Cajun seasoning, chili powder and andouille sausage for an easy weeknight win.
Flavored Minute Rice Cups are a great way to add some bold flavors to your basic dinner routine—no extra effort or ingredients needed. Recipe creator Natalie Camila uses a Minute Chicken & Herb Seasoned Rice Cup to add in an extra layer of hearty, flavorful goodness to the simple roasted chicken and mushrooms in this Chicken & Mushroom Bowl.
Craving a specific dish that’s just too complicated to make after a long day? Try making a deconstructed version—you’ll get the same flavors without all the effort! When you’re in the mood for sushi but don’t want to create your own rolls from scratch, try this super easy Deconstructed Veggie Sushi Bowl from recipe creator Ashley Sampson using Minute Sticky Rice Cups and your favorite sushi ingredients and sauces.
Pressure cookers are your key to preparing delicious dinners with minimal effort—after a little prep, just add in the ingredients and let the pressure cooker do its thing. For some classic cold weather comfort food, try this Beef Stew with Rice in your pressure cooker. Just brown the beef, saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes, and then toss it all into your pressure cooker to let it handle the rest.
Slow cookers are another kitchen hero, and with Minute rice, there’s no shortage of simple slow cooker meals that blend convenience with plenty of flavor. After browning chicken for this Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore, simply add it into your slow cooker along with mushrooms, onions, peppers, garlic and crushed tomatoes. Leave the gadget to do the rest and enjoy this meal atop Minute Instant White Rice. For something a little more unexpected but still just as comforting, try this vibrant Slow Cooker African Peanut Stew with creamy peanut butter, tender sweet potatoes, and lots of fragrant spices.
Beat the Winter Blues with Easy Meals
When it’s dark and cold outside, the easiest meal is the best meal. Keep things simple—focus on easy, comfort-heavy meals, use those leftovers, let your gadgets do the work, and lean on convenient ingredients like Minute rice. With just a few shortcuts, you can enjoy fast, filling meals that bring a little warmth back to your evenings.
