Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Whether we spend our days testing recipes or chasing deadlines, we all have those nights when cooking from scratch isn’t in the cards. You know the ones—when the fridge looks uninspiring, your energy’s fading fast, and even chopping an onion feels ambitious. That’s when the “almost homemade” meals come out—the clever shortcuts and pantry staples that make dinner feel doable again: cozy, quick, and genuinely good, even for our food-centric editors.

Rotisserie chicken pot pie, pumpkin mac and cheese, and other cozy favorites—here’s what we’re making when real cooking takes the night off.

Sausage and Sauerkraut

“When I’m in a pinch I fall back on my German/Austrian roots: store-bought kraut simmered with sausages like weisswurst, bratwurst, and anything else that’s appropriate. I’ll usually try to spruce the kraut up a bit, tossing a few juniper berries in from my spice cabinet, sautéing it briefly in some duck fat I keep in my fridge, maybe hitting it with a splash of kirsch. It’s easy as long as you have the ingredients—including some good mustard on the side.” —Daniel Gritzer, editorial director

Tomato Rice

“When I need something comforting but can’t muster the energy for ‘real’ cooking, I make tomato rice. It’s just white rice simmered in tomato sauce thinned with a bit of water—sometimes homemade from my stash of garden-fresh sauce I freeze every summer, but more often from a jar (we’re a Rao’s household). I’ll toss in a bay leaf if I’m feeling fancy and, if I’m really leaning into comfort, crack in an egg or two at the end and stir until it thickens and turns creamy. It’s technically homemade, but in spirit, it’s the laziest, coziest comfort food I know.” —Leah Colins, senior culinary editor

Lazy Chicken Pot Pie

“Pot pie is a favorite in my house, but making it from scratch requires hours to prep the dough, cook the filling, assemble, and bake before dinner. I make a weeknight version by using pre-rolled pie crusts, rotisserie chicken, and a frozen veggie mix. All I have to do is make a few cups of roux gravy using whatever stock (or boullion) I have on hand, add my meat and vegetables, put it all into a pie tin, and bake until golden brown. I keep a backup pack of frozen pie dough in the freezer for whenever we need a midweek comfort meal.” —Ashlee Redger, writer

Short-Cut Meatballs and Red Sauce

“This is not original at all, but it’s a quick and easy dinner that hits all the spots on a weeknight. I warm up a jar of my favorite marinara from Carbone’s, then take some good local Italian spicy links, remove the casings, and roll the filling into balls. Plop they go into the sauce for an incredibly fast, easy meatballs and red sauce dinner. “ –Grace Kelly, senior editor

Gussied-Up Instant Noodles

“One of my favorite almost-homemade meals is store-bought noodles (I like A-Sha and Momofuku brands) with whatever toppings I have on hand or can whip together quickly: sesame seeds, cubed tofu, a fried egg, leftover roasted vegetables or veggies quickly steamed in the microwave, edamame cooked along with the noodles, etc., etc. It’s a meal that comes together in five minutes and beats the pants off the instant ramen of my youth. “ —Megan O. Steintrager, associate editorial director

Jarred Curry Sauce

“After years in restaurant kitchens and a career spent developing recipes, there are still days when I just can’t be bothered to cook from scratch, and I don’t want to cave to takeout either. That’s when a good jar of curry sauce (Maya Kaimal’s Kashmiri sauce is one of my faves) or a can of curry paste (I like Maesri brand) comes in handy. I simmer whatever bits of fish or meat I can dig out of the freezer in the sauce—or, if I’m using paste, I loosen it with some coconut milk or stock first—and serve it over rice. It’s not entirely homemade, but it’s cozy, quick, and exactly what I need.” —Laila Ibrahim, associate food editor

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

“We always have a few boxes of quick-cooking macaroni and cheese in the pantry (you know, the kind with fluorescent orange powdered cheese). When I’m strapped for time or just feeling lazy, I make a couple of those and add a heaping spoonful of pumpkin purée along with the butter, cheese, and milk. It’s so creamy and gives the meal a grown-up twist!” —Rochelle Bilow, editor

Frozen Pizza

“On chaotic weeknights, I’m not afraid to reach for a frozen pizza—especially since there are so many good options to choose from nowadays! While it’s baking, I’ll whip up a nice Caesar salad and pull out a bunch of olives, pickles, and cured meats from our fridge so each member of my family can top their slice as desired. We almost always have a frozen pizza from Roberta’s or Di Fara’s in our freezer—it’s like our ‘break glass in case of emergency’ option.” —Genevieve Yam, senior editor