Weeknights can be hectic with work, school, errands and all the other demands of daily life. The last thing you want to do after a long day is spend hours in the kitchen cooking an elaborate meal. But you still want to put a tasty, nutritious dinner on the table for yourself or your family.
Don't resort to unhealthy fast food or takeout! With a little planning and some quick, easy recipes in your toolkit, you can get dinner on the table fast without a lot of time or effort. Here are 30 simple weeknight dinner ideas that are ready in 30 minutes or less
One-Pot Meals
One-pot meals are perfect for busy weeknights because they minimize cleanup and maximize flavor.
1. One-Pot Pasta
Ingredients: Pasta, canned tomatoes, garlic, onions, spinach, and Parmesan cheese.
Instructions: In a large pot, sauté garlic and onions until soft. Add canned tomatoes, water, and pasta. Cook until pasta is tender, then stir in spinach until wilted. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.
2. Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients: Chicken breasts, rice, chicken broth, mixed vegetables, and seasonings.
Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
3. Beef and Vegetable Stew
Ingredients: FBeef stew meat, potatoes, carrots, onions, beef broth, and spices.
Instructions: In a large pot, brown the beef. Add the vegetables, beef broth, and spices. Simmer until the beef is tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
4. One-Pot Mexican Quinoa
Ingredients: Quinoa, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and taco seasoning.
Instructions: In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
5. One-Pot Lemon Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients: Shrimp, pasta, garlic, lemon, chicken broth, and spinach.
Instructions: Cook garlic in a large pot until fragrant. Add chicken broth and pasta. When pasta is almost done, add shrimp and spinach. Cook until shrimp is pink and pasta is tender. Stir in lemon juice before serving.
Sheet Pan Dinners
Sheet pan dinners are easy to prepare and require minimal cleanup.
6. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients: Chicken breasts, bell peppers, onions, fajita seasoning, and tortillas.
Instructions: Slice chicken and vegetables. Toss with fajita seasoning and spread on a baking sheet. Roast at 400°F for 20 minutes. Serve with tortillas.
7. Roasted Sausage and Vegetables
Ingredients: Sausages, potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts, olive oil, and herbs.
Instructions: Slice the sausages and vegetables. Toss with olive oil and herbs, then spread on a baking sheet. Roast at 425°F for 25-30 minutes.
8. Baked Salmon with Asparagus
Ingredients: Salmon fillets, asparagus, olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper.
Instructions: Place salmon and asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes.
9. Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil
Ingredients: Shrimp, baby potatoes, corn, sausage, Old Bay seasoning, and butter.
Instructions: Toss all ingredients with melted butter and Old Bay seasoning. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
10. Sheet Pan Steak and Potatoes
Ingredients: Steak, baby potatoes, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Instructions: oss potatoes with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 425°F for 20 minutes. Add steak to the sheet and cook until desired doneness.
Quick Stir-Fries
Stir-fries are quick, versatile, and can be made with whatever vegetables and proteins you have on hand.
11. Chicken Stir-Fry with Broccoli
Ingredients: Chicken breast, broccoli, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Instructions: Cook chicken in a hot pan until browned. Add garlic, ginger, and broccoli. Stir in soy sauce and cook until broccoli is tender.
12. Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry
Ingredients: Shrimp, mixed vegetables, soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil.
Instructions: Cook shrimp in a hot pan until pink. Add garlic and mixed vegetables. Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil, and cook until vegetables are tender.
13. Beef and Snow Peas Stir-Fry
Ingredients: Beef strips, snow peas, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Instructions: Cook beef in a hot pan until browned. Add garlic, ginger, and snow peas. Stir in soy sauce and cook until snow peas are tender.
14. Tofu Stir-Fry with Mixed Veggies
Ingredients: Tofu, mixed vegetables, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.
Instructions: Cook tofu until golden brown. Add garlic, ginger, and vegetables. Stir in soy sauce and cook until vegetables are tender.
15. Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry
Ingredients: Pork, bell peppers, pineapple, sweet and sour sauce, and garlic.
Instructions: Cook pork until browned. Add garlic, bell peppers, and pineapple. Stir in sweet and sour sauce and cook until vegetables are tender.
Simple Pastas
Pasta dishes are always a hit and can be prepared quickly with minimal ingredients.
16. Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
Ingredients: Spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and parsley.
Instructions: Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. In a pan, sauté garlic in olive oil until golden. Add red pepper flakes, then toss in the cooked spaghetti and parsley. Serve immediately.
17. Pesto Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients: Pasta, pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.
Instructions: Cook pasta according to package instructions. Toss with pesto sauce and halved cherry tomatoes. Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.
18. Creamy Alfredo Penne
Ingredients: Penne pasta, heavy cream, butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
Instructions: Cook penne according to package instructions. In a pan, melt butter and sauté garlic. Add heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, stirring until thickened. Toss with cooked penne and garnish with parsley.
19. Lemon Butter Garlic Pasta
Ingredients: Linguine, butter, garlic, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese.
Instructions: Cook linguine according to package instructions. In a pan, melt butter and sauté garlic. Add lemon juice and cooked linguine. Toss to coat and top with Parmesan cheese.
20. Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Ingredients: Jumbo pasta shells, spinach, ricotta cheese, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
Instructions: Cook jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions. Mix spinach and ricotta cheese, then stuff into shells. Place shells in a baking dish, cover with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.
Easy Skillet Dinners
Skillet dinners are perfect for quick and flavorful meals with easy cleanup.
21. Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients: Ground beef, lasagna noodles, marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Instructions: Brown ground beef in a skillet. Break lasagna noodles into pieces and add to the skillet with marinara sauce. Simmer until noodles are tender, then dollop with ricotta cheese and top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until cheese is melted.
22. Turkey Taco Skillet
Ingredients: Ground turkey, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, and cheese.
Instructions: Brown ground turkey in a skillet. Add black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Simmer until heated through, then top with cheese and cover until melted.
23. Lemon Garlic Chicken Skillet
Ingredients: Chicken breasts, garlic, lemon, chicken broth, and spinach.
Instructions: Season chicken with salt and pepper, then brown in a skillet. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in chicken broth and lemon juice, then simmer until chicken is cooked through. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
24. Sausage and Potato Skillet
Ingredients: Sausage, potatoes, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and herbs.
Instructions: Brown sausage in a skillet. Add diced potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook until potatoes are tender and vegetables are browned. Season with herbs.
25. Beef and Rice Skillet
Ingredients: Ground beef, rice, beef broth, diced tomatoes, and cheese.
Instructions: Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add rice, beef broth, and diced tomatoes. Simmer until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Top with cheese and cover until melted.
Quick Casseroles
Casseroles are convenient, hearty meals that can be assembled quickly and left to bake.
26. Tuna Noodle Casserole
Ingredients: Egg noodles, canned tuna, peas, cream of mushroom soup, and breadcrumbs.
Instructions: Cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Mix with canned tuna, peas, and cream of mushroom soup. Transfer to a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs, and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.
27. Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Ingredients: Cooked chicken, broccoli, rice, cheddar cheese, and cream of chicken soup.
Instructions: Mix cooked chicken, broccoli, rice, cheddar cheese, and cream of chicken soup. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
28. Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients: Ground beef, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, and beef broth.
Instructions: Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add mixed vegetables and beef broth. Transfer to a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
29. Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients: Ground beef, corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, black beans, and cheese.
Instructions: Layer corn tortillas, cooked ground beef, enchilada sauce, black beans, and cheese in a baking dish. Repeat layers and bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes.
30. Baked Ziti
Ingredients: Ziti pasta, marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Instructions: Cook ziti pasta according to package instructions. Mix with marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. Transfer to a baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.
Having a collection of quick and easy dinner recipes is essential for busy moms who want to save time and ensure their family enjoys nutritious meals.
By incorporating these 30 recipes into your meal planning routine, you can simplify meal prep and reduce stress.
Start using these recipes today and see how they transform your family's mealtime.
Ready to simplify your meal planning? Check out our FREE meal planner to get started today.
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