Snacking Dinners: An Update

In my post from August 13, 2025, I shared a little culinary confession: my husband and I often prefer snacking on “heavy apps” instead of our usual meat-and-potatoes dinner. Sometimes, making a full meal just feels like too much, too much food and too much effort. So, I whip up what I affectionately call a do dad dinner, using leftovers from the fridge or I prepare a heavy app. Technically, I’m still cooking, but somehow it feels lighter, easier, and far more fun.

This style of meal prep has seemingly become very popular. When hosting a mahjong group or a wine gathering, heavy apps are always the main event. Even beach days and girls’ weekends in the mountains follow suit—heavy apps reign supreme. I’m lucky to be surrounded by friends who are such inventive cooks. These get-togethers often blossom into full-blown gastronomic feasts.

While surfing the web (as one does), I stumbled across a post from Stacker titled “50 Snack Recipes So Tasty They Might Replace Dinner.” I loved so many of the recipes, I thought I would share them with you. Here is the link Stackers 50 snack recipes.

I would love to know if you share my love for preparing heavy apps. If you do, please share some of your favorites

Who Needs Meat and Potatoes for Dinner?

 

I am a grazer, and as I get older, I find myself leaning into that even more. With working part time and all my, social engagements, I often don't have the patience to cook a whole dinner. But who am I kidding, even when I was working full-time and chauffeuring my daughter to her many activities, I still had evenings where I just didn't feel like making the tradition traditional “meat and potatoes” dinner, so I didn’t.

Instead, I’d whip up what my family lovingly called a “do dad dinner”—a meal cobbled together from repurposed leftovers or ingredients on hand, meant to be less stuffy and more spontaneous. It wasn’t about shortcuts; it was about creativity and flexibility. (or so I tell myself)

The secret with meals like these is being thoughtful. It’s easy to turn “low effort” into “high calorie” if you’re not paying attention. But when you stock your pantry with purpose, do dad dinners can be healthy, satisfying, and scalable—perfect whether you're feeding just yourself or your family.

These days, I always keep the essentials on hand: canned beans, good tuna, lentil pasta, rice, orzo. They’re like culinary puzzle pieces—ready to snap together into something nourishing. I also keep flour tortillas in the fridge for wrapping up leftover veggies or chicken. A little cheese, a quick sauté, and dinner is done.

Recently, while wandering through the cookbook aisle at my local library, I spotted Snacking Dinners by Georgia Freedman—so I checked it out. Her idea of “snacking dinners” isn’t quite the same as mine, but she offers some great ideas for what I’d call true snacks. One dish that caught my eye—and that I’d happily consider a satisfying dinner—was her white bean and salami toast. Simple, quick to put together, hearty, and just the kind of thing that is satisfying without being fussy.

These are the ingredients I always keep on hand—ready to be elevate my do dad ingredients and help me transform them into something satisfying. They are my building blocks for spontaneous, low-effort meals that still feel thoughtful.

🥫 Shelf Staples

• Canned beans (white, black, chickpeas—whatever suits your mood)

• Good-quality tuna 

• Lentil or chickpea pasta

• Orzo, rice, or quinoa

🧊 Fridge Friends

• Flour tortillas (for wraps, quesadillas, or impromptu flatbreads)

• Eggs (the ultimate do dad dinner hero)

• Cheese odds and ends (grated, crumbled, or sliced)

• Leftover roasted veggies or cooked proteins

• Yogurt or sour cream for sauces and dressings

🌿 Flavor Lifters

• Fresh herbs or scallions

• Lemon juice or vinegar

• Garlic and ginger (fresh or paste)

🍽️ Quick Combos

• White beans + tuna + lemon + herbs = Mediterranean mash-up

• Orzo + roasted veggies + feta = warm salad or cold bowl

• Tortilla + scrambled eggs + salsa = breakfast-for-dinner wrap

So, tell me—what’s your version of a do dad dinner? What pantry staples or snacky combinations do you reach for when dinner needs to be quick, comforting, and just a little bit clever?