Portable dinners you can eat from the couch, coffee table, bean bag, or wherever you’ve landed for the night.
Don't Lose This Recipe!
Enter your email and I'll send it to you!
I’ve confessed this before, and I know it’s controversial, but I don’t like to eat dinner at a dinner table. Dinner tables can feel stiff and confining, and sometimes I just want to kick off my shoes, cross my legs, and settle in ~ for me, that’s mindful eating at its best.
Here are some of my favorite meals that don’t require sitting up straight.
Dinner Bowls You Can Eat in a Bean Bag Chair
Ginger Scallion Chicken Meatball Bowls
Everything’s in one bowl, nothing needs cutting, and there’s no plate balancing act required. A wide, shallow shape is the most stable choice for these no-table dinner bowls.
Lap-Friendly Pasta
Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese
Fork, bowl, done. These are the pastas that make dinner feel complete without requiring a proper place setting. Use larger bowls and don’t fill them too full, so there’s room to twirl without making a mess.
Handhelds
Steak Taco Crunch Wraps
Plate-optional handhelds are ideal for casual nights with friends because they’re simple to portion and pass around. Wrap larger sandwiches in greaseproof paper and slice them in half to make them easier to eat.
TV Tray Chili
Crock Pot Frito Pie
Chili is binge-night food in its natural habitat: one bowl, one spoon, plenty of toppings, and no reason to leave the couch. Make it ahead, set out the extras, and let everyone build their own.
Couch Noodles
Chinese Burning Noodles
Cozy Asian-inspired noodle bowls made for balancing on a bolster. A deep bowl and a fork make these savory noodles easy to manage with your feet up.
Two-Handed Soups
Lemony Tuscan Tortellini Soup
Soup on the couch? Why not? Just set your bowl on a plate with a folded cloth napkin underneath to keep it steady. Slurp slurp!
