These 15 Dump Dinners Practically Cook Themselves

We all love a good steak. Or a lamp chop. Or a fancy coq au vin. But unfortunately, the average human doesn’t have time to make these types of meals on a weeknight (or, like, ever).

Instead, we tend towards the dump-it-and-forget-it type of meal. Dump dinners are any meal that you can literally toss a bunch of ingredients into a casserole, stock pot, or slow cooker and call it dinner—AKA the easiest, least time-consuming way to prepare a meal.

Though it may not sound appealing by name, once you make a dump dinner, you’ll never want to go back. Besides saving you time and likely money, there’s a bunch of delicious recipes to boot. Lucky for you, we scoured the internet for you to find some of the best ones.

Give these dump dinners a try for your next easy weeknight meal:

  1. Lemon chicken with herbs

    This fresh and zesty chicken recipe is perfect for anyone who loves the lemony brightness of chicken Francese or chicken piccata. It’s light, flavorful, and best of all, totally effortless.

  2. Spaghetti squash and meatballs

    Not only is this a healthier twist on your favorite Italian classic, but it also takes you much less time.

  3. Pork chops

    Yep, even pork chops can be a dump dinner. These are smothered in homemade caramelized onion and apple cider gravy and slow-cooked until the meat falls off the bone.

  4. Pizza

    Yes, there is such a thing as dump deep-dish. No, we’re not joking. And yes, it’s easy and delicious.

  5. Beef stew

    A hearty combination of meat, carrots, potatoes and celery, this stew is perfect for a chilly Tuesday. Or Wednesday, or Thursday.

  6. Lasagna

    A comfort meal favorite, filled with noodle, sauce and cheese goodness, but made quicker and easier than ever. Oh, and dare we even say more delicious than ever.

  7. BBQ ribs

    Who doesn’t love a good fall-off-the-bone baby back rib? It’s even better when the slow cooker does all the work for you.

  8. Chicken and dumplings

    Slow cookers and comfort food go together like, well, chicken and dumplings! Juicy chicken is cooked to fall-apart perfection in the crockpot filled with hearty veggies, rich gravy, and shortcut dumplings.

  9. Ham and bean soup

    It sounds like an odd combo at first, but trust us—this soup is as tasty as it is simple to make.

  10. Shrimp stir fry

    This one requires a little prep time in advance, but it’ll be worth it on a day you don’t want to cook. Just dump shrimp and veggies in a skillet and consider dinner done.

  11. Chicken marsala

    Marsala. The traditional Italian-American dish is a perfect blend of light and savory, filled with mushrooms, Marsala wine, pancetta or prosciutto, and, of course, chicken. The only difference? Dump dump dump, easy easy easy.

  12. Mississippi roast

    You’ll just have to sear the roast a tiny bit, but then dump it in the crock pot with butter and seasonings. It tastes like you were slaving away over it all day.

  13. Quinoa tacos

    Made with just quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, corn and a few other ingredients, these tacos are meatless, delicious and made easy in the slow cooker.

  14. Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs

    Cheese. Inside of meatballs. In a crockpot. Enough said.

  15. Pineapple chicken

    Take your dinner on a tropical vacation with this Hawaiian-inspired chicken that includes a tangy brown sugar and honey glaze. Plump pineapple chunks and bell peppers caramelize together for a sweet-and-sour taste you’ll want to devour.

Yum! Which dump dinner are you going to try first?