One of the hardest, most challenging parts of making dinner every night isn’t the actual slicing, dicing, and cooking part, it’s the “deciding what to make” part. And when you take into account how many different palates you need to please, it only makes things more complicated. Add in after school activities and family plans and you’ve got a real challenge on your hands.

I know how hard it can be to juggle time constraints, preferences, and nutritional needs, but between working family obligations, and home admin tasks, I also need anything I’m making for dinner to be quick and easy. There’s no time for Michelin-quality dinners around here.

From veg-friendly options to meaty mains, kid-pleasing meals and everything in between, this roundup of easy dinner recipes has you covered, no matter your schedule or your skills in the kitchen.

 

What I’m Looking For In Easy Weeknight Dinners The Entire Family Will Enjoy (and Eat)

When I’m working a plan for dinners for the week, there are a few things I’m looking for.

• Healthy and nutritious: I want to make sure that there are at least some healthy components of the meal, even if that means adding a side of sliced raw veggies or a quick salad.
• Easy to make: I also want to make sure that it can be made relatively quickly without destroying my entire kitchen in the process.

Evenings are busy enough, and the last thing I want to do spend the whole evening scrubbing pots and pans. I’m looking for ease, whether that comes from a quick Instant Pot recipe, something I can throw in a slow cooker to simmer all day, or just a quick and easy meal that’s sure to turn out delicious.

 

Some of My Favorite Easy Dinner Recipes

When I’m looking for quick weeknight dinners, I’m looking for something healthy (or at least healthy-ish), delicious, and easy to adapt to a variety of tastes and preferences. These will be some of the best dinners any night of the week.

 

Loaded Veggie Nachos by Cookie + Kate

You can’t go wrong with nachos for dinner. It’s a crowd-pleasing simple meal that hits the spot every single time. This version is packed with veggies (and meat-free, though you could certainly add it if you’d like a heartier dinner) and topped with all of your favorite toppings. Start with a base of chips and pile on pinto beans or black beans, veggies (including jalapeños for the perfect amount of heat—leave them off if your kids are really little or don’t like spicy foods), and cheese. Pop them in the oven, and then top them off with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, or whatever else you love. Don’t forget the sour cream, green onions, and avocado sauce.

Nacho night will become a regular addition to your dinner rotation in no time!

 

Boursin Chicken by Salt & Lavender

There are so many easy chicken recipes out there, but this one is so good, you guys. Savory roasted chicken doused in a creamy sauce (made simple thanks to the Boursin cheese shortcut. Genius!), this dish is great with mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice. Or whatever your kids prefer.

 

Burger Bowls with House Sauce and Ranch Fries by Pinch of Yum

Burger bowls are a family favorite for a reason. This recipe uses a different technique for cooking the meat for more delicious results. Assemble your bowl with your favorite burger toppings, drizzle it with the sauce, and serve with fries on the side. It doesn’t get much better than that.

 

Sticky Apricot Chicken with Roasted Broccoli by How Sweet Eats

This delicious dinner packs lots of flavor in one small package. The chicken gets tossed in a sticky sweet sauce and served up with broccoli on the side. Add a little bit of steamed rice and you’ve got a simple meal everyone will love.

 

Ground Turkey Tacos by Salt & Lavender

Who doesn’t love tacos? They’re the best thing to make on nights you need a low-lift meal because they’re super easy to customize for even picky eaters. This recipe calls for ground turkey, but you could easily sub in ground beef or ground chicken if you’d prefer. Ground the meat, add the taco seasoning, and serve them up with your favorite toppings for an easy meal at the end of the day.

 

Easy Fried Rice by Love & Lemons

If you have leftover rice in your fridge, it doesn’t get easier than making fried rice for a busy weeknight dinner. Crisp it up in a pan and add scrambled eggs, veggies and aromatics like peas, carrots, green onions, garlic, and ginger, and toss it all with savory soy sauce, nutty sesame oil, and tangy rice vinegar. It’s a great alternative to ordering takeout, a good way to use up your leftovers, and a meal that your whole family will actually look forward to eating.

 

Pizza Beans by Smitten Kitchen

A veggie-loaded dinner with all of your favorite pizza flavors and plenty of melty cheese on top? What’s not to like? These beans are braised in crushed tomatoes and veggie broth along with carrots, celery, onion, and a little bit of kale. Topped with cheese and baked until the cheese bubbles, these beans are nutritious and delicious. Serve with crusty bread and a side salad if you’d like.

 

Lemon Chicken Soup by How Sweet Eats

This isn’t your average chicken noodle soup. Bright and lemony, super nourishing, and totally delicious, this chicken soup recipe is a surefire winner. Make a big batch and eat the leftovers later in the week or ladle some into storage containers and pop in the freezer for a “couldn’t be easier” meal on another busy night.

 

Pesto Pasta by Cookie + Kate

Pesto is really easy to make at home. You just need a high-speed blender or food processor to get the consistency right. Easy ingredients like pine nuts, garlic, salt, parmesan cheese, olive oil, a little lemon, and fresh basil mean it’s a great back-pocket meal. No more buying subpar pesto at the grocery store. You’ll be able to quickly whip this up all summer long.

 

Broccoli Cheddar Soup by Love & Lemons

Broccoli soup might not seem like the most natural choice for family-friendly dinners, but broccoli cheddar soup is just so easy to love. It’s rich and creamy, cheesy, and SO good. Plus, it does have some veggies snuck in there for a little extra nutrition. Make a batch for dinner tonight and have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. That’s two meals sorted.

 

Corn, Bacon, and Parmesan Pasta by Smitten Kitchen

This summery pasta is tossed with crispy bacon and fresh sweet corn and topped off with fresh herbs like basil and chives. It’s one of those easy meals that’s just as at home on your family dinner table as it will be at your next dinner party.

 

Sesame Chicken by Salt & Lavender

You just can’t beat crispy chicken tossed with a sticky, savory sauce made from pantry staples and garnished with sesame seeds and green onions. Instead of ordering takeout, try this new family favorite. Serve it with white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, rice noodles, or all on its own for a quick and tasty meal. Add steamed or roasted veggies, a quick cucumber salad, or raw veggies for a complete meal.

 

Quesadillas by Love & Lemons

There’s no tried-and-true easy recipe quite like quesadillas, but this version packs in beans and veggies for a heartier, more filling take on a classic. I love that everyone eating can pick and choose what we want in our quesadilla. Use shredded rotisserie chicken to add a little meat! Give it a smoky flavor with the addition of green chiles or chipotle in adobo! The options are endless! Everyone’s sure to end up happy—with minimal effort.

 

No-Boil Baked Penne with Meatballs by Pinch of Yum

No-boil baked pasta is the best hack for a quick and easy meal. This tasty pasta recipe mixes together meatballs, whole wheat penne, a garlicky tomato and butter sauce, spinach, and parmesan cheese. It’s a well-rounded, wholesome meal that you can throw together in minutes. All hail one-pot meals!

 

Exceptional Grilled Chicken by Smitten Kitchen

Grilled chicken is a super simple meal to make on busy weeknights, but it can also be a little bit boring. No so with this recipe. This grilled chicken does require a bit of up-front work. You’ll need to brine it for at least 1 hour, (but you can let it hang out in the brine for up to 6 hours) but then it gets grilled and tossed in an easy vinaigrette for a flavorful, simple dinner. Serve with veggies, rice, pasta salad, or potatoes for a summery dinner you’ll want to make over and over again. Try it with different vinaigrettes!)

 

Spaghetti Squash Parmesan by How Sweet Eats

Spaghetti squash boats are so easy because you build the dish right in your squash halves. Save yourself some time and prep the squash in advance and then everything will come together quickly. This dish is cheesy, hearty, and filling. Plus, it can be made even easier by using your favorite pasta sauce (it doesn’t have to be homemade). Add Italian sausage, chicken, lentils, or whatever else you’d like or go simple and plain with a good marinara. You really can’t go wrong!

 

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese by Pinch of Yum

There’s something supremely comforting about a bowl of mac and cheese. This Instant Pot version means it’s on your table in no time. Add an easy protein and some veggies for a balanced meal on a busy night.

 

These easy dinner recipes will come through for you even on the busiest nights. From twists on old classics to cozy meals that are soon to become new favorites, these quick weeknight meals will help you get a dinner on the table that everyone will actually enjoy eating.