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There’s so much to do during the week, spending hours in the kitchen to cook dinner every day might not be the most thrilling idea. Luckily, there are plenty of easy weeknight dinners you can make that require little to no effort and are ready in no time. This way, you can enjoy spending time with your family in the evenings and no one will be starving either!
Don’t be tempted to think giving up all that extra time preparing meals will be sacrificing flavor too, that’s certainly not the case. Instead, the easy weeknight dinnersI’m sharing today are clever recipes that cook really fast or use the oven or the instant pot (and other kitchen tools) which will basically do all the cooking for you.
Moreover, making a meal the whole family loves doesn’t have to seem like an impossible task. The easy weeknight dinners featured below are absolutely delicious and full of flavor so they will surely be a hit and likely become family favorites. And there’s plenty to choose from: casseroles, chicken recipes, sheet pan dinners, meat-free meals, one-pot dinners and other quick and easy recipes perfect for a busy weeknight will come to your rescue whenever you want to have a relaxing evening with your family!
20 Easy Weeknight Dinners
- Easy Tater Tot Casserole Weeknight Dinner from thirtyhandmadedays.com
This lightened up tater tot casserole is both delicious and nutritious, plus the kids will be begging for more!
- Healthy Kung Pao Chicken from fitfoodiefinds.com
20 minutes and 8 wholesome ingredients are all you need to make this protein-packed and paleo-friendly dinner everyone will be raving about.
- How To Make A Walking Taco Bowl from wholesomeyum.com
Unlike what the name might suggest, a walking taco doesn’t have its own set of legs, but it is made in a cup, bowl, or a bag so you can eat it while walking around. This healthy version is the perfect choice for a busy weeknight and even better if you have restless kids!
- Easy, Hearty Rigatoni With Italian Sausage Family Dinner Recipe from urbanblisslife.com
Pasta is always a great choice for quick and easy weeknight dinners. This quick pasta recipe is a true comfort meal for cold days and made with simple ingredients so fussy eaters won’t have anything against it.
- Easy Vegetable Lasagna Recipe from inspiredtaste.net
For those days when you’re trying to skip the meat, try this easy vegetable lasagna that’s even better the next day so a great make-ahead option.
- Skillet Shrimp Fajitas Easy Dinner Recipe from number-2-pencil.com
I love skillet meals since they’re so convenient to make when you’re short on time and these shrimp fajitas are a healthy option that doesn’t compromise on flavor.
- Bacon Spinach Chicken Alfredo Casserole from eatwell101.com
It’s hard to imagine this rich and creamy recipe is gluten-free and low carb but it is. I promise!
- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Mushrooms from jocooks.com
These delicious creamy garlic parmesan mushrooms are super versatile: you can serve them with some pasta for a meat-free option, or toss them over a steak. It’s also a great recipe to impress guests when you’re short on time.
- Southwestern Sweet Potato And Ground Beef Skillet from eazypeazymealz.com
This simple skillet meal is made with delicious ground beef but also lots of veggies for a nutritious meal the whole family will love!
- Chicken Chow Mein from dinneratthezoo.com
For those times when you’re feeling like getting some take out but you’d rather eat a homemade meal keep in mind this recipe. It will be a crowd-pleaser!
- Sheet Pan Brown Sugar Pork Chops from seasonalcravings.com
Pork chops are versatile and cook fast, so they’re a great addition to a sheet pan dinner. On top of that, the cleanup is minimal, since everything is made in one pan.
- Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet Recipe from primaverakitchen.com
Sweet potato fans will devour this meal in no time as this recipe is one of those comfort foods that are impossible to pass up.
- Rosemary Citrus One Pan Baked Salmon from cottercrunch.com
Oven baked recipes are great for busy weeknights as they do most of the cooking and this baked salmon and asparagus recipe is a complete dinner you can make with very little effort.
- Classic Easy Stromboli Recipe from thefoodcharlatan.com
You can use store-bought or premade pizza dough for this delicious stromboli recipe which is basically a rolled up pizza. This also means you can customize the ingredients the same as you would for any classic pizza!
- Sausage And Peppers Foil Packets from damndelicious.net
These sausage and peppers foil packets are not only quick to make, but you can also prep them ahead which is awesome for those nights when you get home late.
- Quick And Easy Pizza Sliders Recipe from sugarandsoul.co
A decadent meal can also be effortless and these mouthwatering pizza sliders are proof as they’re ready in less than 30 minutes!
- One Pot Spaghetti With Meat Saucefrom skinnytaste.com
Everything cooks at the same time with this super easy recipe that will surely become a family favorite.
- Instant Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken from apinchofhealthy.com
We often use store-bought rotisserie chicken in our easy weeknight dinners. But can you really make a rotisserie chicken at home? Yes you can! If you own an Instant Pot you must try this amazing chicken recipe that only requires 5 minutes of your time to prep it.
- Garlic Shrimp With Quinoa from wellplated.com
If you’ve been wondering about ways to eat quinoa more often here’s a flavorful recipe that’s also healthy and on the table in 30 minutes!
- Simple Vegan Jambalaya from simpleveganblog.com
This vegan jambalaya is packed with plant-based protein and a great choice for meatless Mondays or any other time when you feel like eating something tasty that’s also meat-free.
And a BONUS Easy Weeknight Dinner…
Mexican Impossible Pie from NoshingWithTheNolands.com
We wanted to add this extra recipe because it really is one of the simplest easy weeknight dinners… you just layer the ingredients into a pie plate and then pour a blended mixture on top, and out of the oven comes this amazing pie. Everything falls into place. The cheese floats to the top for a crispy upper crust and the Bisquick falls to the bottom for a tender bottom crust.
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