Another day, another meal to stress over. Sound about right? I know what you mean — especially with my kids circling me, asking what’s for dinner, and my brain just as equally shutting off at 5:30.

Before I actually start crying, here are 17 dinners for summer that do not require any thinking, grilling, or crying — so you can prepare them and have dinner just as your kids are starting to cry for real.

1) One-Pan Lemon Garlic Chicken with Green Beans

Prep this one way, and don’t worry about babysitting at all: The oven will do all that work at high heat while you use that time to relax for eight minutes before kids come sliding on the floor asking about the chicken thighs and green beans.

Everything looks amazing. I even made it at 6:10, and somehow, all three kids managed to eat without starting an argument about the green bean portions. That alone earns it a permanent spot in my rotation.

Sheet-Pan Salmon with Cherry Tomatoes and Couscous

One pan for the salmon and cherry tomatoes, and for the couscous, all you get to do is pour boiling water and pop on the lid — and yes, that’s it.

Soccer practice was running late on that day I first made this, and I still had dinner done before 6:00. Nobody noticed the rush, and the tomatoes turned super soft and basically made a fancy sauce around the fish, but that literally took no fancy effort from you.

Cold Sesame Noodles with Shredded Rotisserie Chicken

This is a no oven, no stove needed dish: double the rotisserie chicken, for the creamy sesame sauce, and cold noodles.

This dish was my savior this past Tuesday, when I had no motivation to cook. The sauce takes about 2 minutes to prepare. The rest is just mixing and throwing everything together. My children even ate it at the counter directly from the bowl I used to mix everything, so that was one less dish to clean.

Tomato-Mozzarella Panzanella with Basil and Leftover Bread

This is the recipe: Old bread, squishy mozzarella, soft tomatoes, and some basil. Preparation is as simple as it sounds. All you have to do is cut the bread into small cubes and add them to a skillet for 4 minutes to toast. From there, everything gets thrown into a bowl.

For panzanella, the trick is to let the mixture rest for 10 minutes. During this time, the bread will soak up all the yummy tomato juices and dressing you added, and it will go from a mix of random ingredients to a delicious meal. Once, I made this at 5:45, and no one knew I hadn’t made anything.

5-Minute Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocados

Cooking? No thank you. You literally do not have to. All that is required is to open a tin of tuna, mix it with some things you probably grabbed from your refrigerator, and scoop avocado halves with the mixture. That will be done long before your kids stop arguing about screen time.

This one is the easiest by far. It is nice and light for those warm and sticky nights; it will also fill everyone up so there won’t be kids coming back for extra helpings at 8 PM. That, in my opinion, is a win.

Caprese Grilled Cheese (Pan, Not Grill) with Balsamic Drizzle

When it comes to the kids, they won’t eat a salad, but they will eat whatever cheese has melted off the plate. The balsamic drizzle does sound fancy, but if you want to impress, it takes literally 4 seconds.

The stove only takes 10 minutes to do all this. The kids are quiet while they eat, your house stays cool, and you get 3 wins.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry over Instant Rice

All you need is one skillet and twenty minutes of your time. You probably even already have canned chickpeas from the grocery store sitting in the back of your pantry. This recipe is so easy and requires very little effort.

The coconut milk adds a delightful creaminess to the dish without making it too heavy, and the store-bought curry powder takes care of all the seasoning, so you don’t even have to think about it.

My children ate this without complaints, and I will admit that I did hide the cilantro. I have no regrets.

Smashed Potato and Kale Frittata

I think eggs for dinner is a great dinner idea. This frittata is also stove and oven friendly. It’s mostly a hands off dinner after you pour in the eggs. Throw in any cheese you have as well.

My kids called this \”egg pizza\” and they started eating it from the pan at 6:05. Love the energy.

Greek Yogurt Tzatziki Bowls with Roasted Veggie Falafel

When you have one kid who eats everything and one who only eats beige things as well as a kid who is in an olive phase, build-your-own bowls work best. Everyone assembles their own, and dinners become peaceful.

While the falafel is baking, it is the perfect time to make tzatziki. It takes under 35 minutes and just feels more impressive than the actual effort you need to put in.

Cold Soba Noodle Bowl with Cucumber, Carrot, and Peanut Sauce

This one also doesn’t need an oven and is, in fact, probably my favorite for super hot nights. Soba noodles take seven minutes to cook, then rinse and mix with everything. The peanut sauce is ready by the time the noodles are done.

It was cool and filling and the kids ate it. A win in my books!

Quick Shrimp Scampi with Angel Hair Pasta

Angel hair pasta cooks in three minutes. Shrimp cook in about four. The garlic butter sauce happens in the same pan. This is the fastest hot dinner on this entire list.

It’s also like you made an effort, which is just some kind of wizardry on a Tuesday night when you really, really didn’t. Frozen shrimp are great here. Nobody has to know.

BBQ Chicken Quesadillas Using Rotisserie Meat

Rotisserie chickens, BBQ sauce and cheese in a tortilla is a great combination.

While the skillet heats, shred the chicken. If you do this quickly, no one will have time to ask for something else. If you want to make this a real meal, you can serve it with salsa and sour cream. I would say both options are valid.

One-Bowl Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Burrata

I’m going to say it again. Store-bought pesto is not cheating.

Combine the cooked pasta with the pesto, halved cherry tomatoes, and a whole burrata on top. At the table, let people tear into it. You only need one pot and one bowl, dinner in twenty minutes. The burrata makes it look like you’ve planned this for a while. You didn’t and that’s ok.

Mango Black Bean Salad with Tortilla Chips

It can be done in 5 minutes and requires no cooking. This is so easy, you could do this while helping someone find their left shoe.

Sweet mango, hearty black beans, and a little lime and cumin mixed with however many tortilla chips you want to add. My kids started eating this while I was still washing the cutting board. That is high praise considering this is the same group that once declared corn “too yellow.”

Sausage and Pepper Skillet with Crusty Bread

This is the one that makes the house smell like dinner in the best possible way. The sausage goes into a hot pan, and then the peppers and onions are added to everything while it begins to caramelize.

All you need is a torn, crusty bread to scoop up the pan juices.

Vietnamese-Style Rice Paper Rolls with Hoisin-Peanut Dip

Everyone can take part in assembling their own spring roll from the food you set up on the table (kids will feel empowered). You can avoid having to do extra work in the kitchen just like every other meal. Everyone will enjoy this interactive meal.

A lot of flavor comes from the dipping sauce. In just 2 minutes, you can whip up a quick and easy hoisin, peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime vinaigrette that will take your rolls from blah to WOW.

Sheet-Pan Tofu with Broccoli and Sweet Chili Glaze

I made this for the first time, and my kids were convinced we ordered takeout. Those last few minutes of roasting make the sweet chili glaze sticky and caramelized. The tofu has a nice crunch to it, and the edges are nice and crispy, which is key to achieving the right texture.

Simple. Clean. 30 minutes. One pan. 30 minutes. Vegetarian.