30 Easy Family Dinner Recipes We Make All the Time

Stephanie W. said:  Saute bite-sized chicken breast and chopped broccoli in a simple stir-fry sauce. Spoon onto a bed of rice and your easy weeknight dinner is served! To make this an even simpler recipe, we use microwaveable rice and frozen broccoli. From Gimme Some Oven

Amanda Banta said:  These bean burritos are right up my alley because they are easy to cook, healthy and a meatless recipe I can serve my entire family. All five ingredients go into the skillet, creating a warm, creamy masterpiece. Serve over rice or wrap up in tortillas and top with slices of avocado, fresh diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, and whatever toppings you like. Use the mild Rotel if you want to reduce the spicy factor for young kids. From Heather Likes Food

Kelly R. said:  I love making blended soups for my family, because they're easy and can discreetly contain a lot of healthful ingredients. This vegan butternut squash soup is delicious, and requires almost no effort. The squash goes into the oven whole (no squash cutting kitchen accidents!) and once roasted is pureed in the blender with coconut milk and a few other simple ingredients. From Mom's Kitchen Handbook

christadiserio said:  This baked ziti recipe is a must-try. There's very little prep involved and the dish can be thrown into the oven while you help the kids with homework. Instead of cooking chicken breasts, you can also buy a rotisserie chicken, which shreds nicely, too. Pair this with a side salad and you've got yourself a tasty & healthy (more importantly: easy) meal! From Gimme Some Oven

Kelly R. said:  Zucchini noodles and traditional spaghetti noodles are combined with store bought pesto and lemon, for a more nutritious but still kid-friendly twist on pasta pesto. The zucchini cooks with the heat of the freshly-drained pasta, so the messy pots and pans (and the effort) are kept to a minimum. It's one of my favorite easy family dinner ideas for summer! From Mom's Kitchen Handbook

Kristy Pepping said:  What I like about this recipe is it is not only fast, but portable. I am always in the car running from one activity to the next and sometimes we are eating in the car. These are made in mini muffin tins so easy to eat on the go or for school lunch. From Rachael Ray

christadiserio said:  I cannot even begin to describe how scrumptious this dish is. This buttery, garlicky, lemony shrimp is, first of all, incredibly easy to make and second of all, delicious - oops, did I already say that? This shrimp can be served on top of pasta, with a side of rice or couscous. It tastes great with anything - even on its own. From Gimme Some Oven

Kristy Pepping said:  I love easy family dinner recipes where you can cook an entire meal all together! My kids really like lemon chicken so this recipe incorporates lots of tasty lemon slices. It also includes potatoes and green beans for the perfectly balanced dinner. I have also made this with baby carrots which worked just as well. If you have a larger family, you can easily add another piece of chicken or two. From Cooking Light

christadiserio said:  This four-ingredient pesto chicken is a perfect easy weeknight dinner. The flavors of the pesto combined with the mozzarella cheese are pretty incredible. Different sides include pasta, cauliflower rice, or quinoa. For a time saver, use 1.5 lbs of chicken strips to save yourself some cutting time. From Kalyn's Kitchen

Kelly R. said:  The flavor of this dish is deceptively complex, even though it just calls for a handful of simple ingredients. It's one of my go-to easy family dinner recipes! The Italian sausage (use a chicken or turkey variety if you prefer) makes it delicious, and makes even the leafy greens kid-approved. From Real Simple

Kristy Pepping said:  This soup is a huge hit for the entire family! It is super easy to make. I will add my family hates mushrooms and kale so this recipe can easily be modified. We added stewed tomatoes and zucchini instead. From Damn Delicious

christadiserio said:  This recipe is a healthier version of the delicious Hamburger Helper you ate as a kid. It uses minimal and everyday ingredients, which is great especially when you're looking for easy family dinner ideas you can throw together after a long day. If you feel like going a step further in making this recipe even healthier, you can always substitute ground turkey for the beef. From The Defined Dish

Gina I. said:  You know those nights where you're running from one activity to the next, but you still want to feed the kids a healthy meal they'll actually eat...this is the recipe for those nights! I love that I can keep most of these ingredients on hand and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes! The sweet onion is a nice compliment to the chicken sausage, and it all comes together for a hearty and satisfying meal. From Fork Knife Swoon

Katie G. said:  These mini meatloaves are not only adorable, they're healthy too! Using ground turkey instead of beef and oats instead of white bread, you'll be saving on calories and fat. Plus the kids will love the cute muffin-shaped size. Serve some for an easy family dinner and freeze the rest for a weeknight meal or lunch. From Food Network

Gina I. said:  It's hard to say when my love for quiche started, but it has been a go-to weeknight dinner for a few years now, and my kids still devour it every time. I love that it only takes a few minutes of prep, and within the hour I can serve a complete meal in a single dish. We use this recipe as a base, but feel free to get creative. Throw in some ham if you'd like, swap out the mozzarella for cheddar or swiss...you can't go wrong! From Allrecipes

Kristy Pepping said:  We have a few picky eaters, but everyone can agree on this easy family dinner idea! It's a good recipe for sneaking veggies - I hide spinach in the sauce! Basically, it is rice and chicken with avocado, lime and cilantro. It says white rice, but really you can use a different variety and it still turns out great. From Creme de la Crumb

Stephanie W. said:  Trader Joe's has many easy family dinner recipes but this is my favorite one so far! This layered casserole is super flavorful and easy to make, especially if you use their recommended Pork Carnitas which is already cooked (easily substituted for ground beef if that sounds better to you!). Just layer corn tortilla strips, enchilada sauce, cheese and the meat mixture and bake. Your kids will love this yummy Mexican dish! From Trader Joe's

Kristy Pepping said:  My kids love spaghetti and this 5-ingredient carbonara dish is super easy to throw together. One of my go-to easy family dinner ideas when I'm wondering what should I make! For an even healthier version, use turkey bacon and whole wheat pasta. From Damn Delicious

Kristy Pepping said:  This fried "rice" is a healthy and fast family dinner idea! Instead of rice, this recipe uses cauliflower which will get your kids the evening serving of veggies they need. Plus, picky kids won't even know this is cauliflower since it is so small! From EatingWell

Amanda Banta said:  This easy family dinner recipe proves that making a beautiful pot of chili doesn't have to be an all-day affair. In addition to being easy and quick, it's also loaded with good stuff. The black beans are a great source of protein and using a mix of red, green and yellow peppers will add beautiful colors to the pot. I use ground turkey instead of beef and toss in extra veggies for a lighter version. The soup still will taste amazing if you skip the jalapeno, which I do since my kids don't like spicy foods yet. From Food Network

christadiserio said:  It's not always easy to get the kids to eat fish but this pineapple teriyaki salmon is a hit. I do recommend marinating the fish for as long as possible (preferably overnight), as this really helps it absorb the flavors of the pineapple and teriyaki. Serve with rice and green beans or asparagus. From Mix & Match Mama

Katie G. said:  It was during quarantine of 2020 that I discovered this recipe which has now become a family favorite. The combination of ramen, chicken and broccoli in a sweet Asian sauce is a winner with everyone. The leftovers (if there are any) are great as leftovers. From Inquiring Chef

Jaclyn Keifer said:  I’ve tried various recipes and this is everyone’s favorite in our home. I don’t add the spicy things and I use less sugar than this recipe calls for. Enjoy! From The Chunky Chef

Sarah Calamita said:  This is a super easy recipe to make and you probably have everything on hand! Sometimes we add chicken, but usually can eat alone and it is very filling! From Two Peas & Their Pod

Jaclyn Keifer said:  I love this because I can easily double or triple it and freeze the filling for another meal. It’s not hard to make but it saves steps for next time! These Chicken Flautas are filled with chicken, salsa, and cheese and baked in the oven until crispy. Your whole family will love this easy, delicious recipe. From Favorite Family Recipes

Beth Wood said:  My kiddos love fajitas and sheet pan dinners make it so easy! If I'm super crunched for time, I'll skip the seasoning in the recipe and use a store bought fajita mix instead. We have this at least twice a month! From Damn Delicious

Lisa R said:  This one pan meal is quick, easy to prepare, avoids a lot of common allergens and fits in with a lot of different adult diets (paleo, whole 30). It is also delicious and gets my kids to eat asparagus. From Unbound Wellness

Jaclyn Keifer said:  I love this because it’s so easy and the kids can help AND it makes breakfast dinner appear more planned and special. From Winstead Wandering

Kelly R. said:  These shrimp tacos are 100% delicious and quickly became one of the go-to easy family dinner recipes in our house. Mini tortillas (we use flour) are laid out on a sheet pan and topped with cheese and a shrimp mixture. Bake until crispy, then fold each one in half to make tacos! There's room to get creative here with other fillings like chicken, beans, beef, or whatever your family enjoys. From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Tracy Snyder Molina said:  These turkey cutlets are a quick easy dinner that I turn to all the time. The flavors are reminiscent of a holiday turkey dinner without all the work and something different than all the typical chicken and ground beef recipes. I usually pair this with wild rice and peas or asparagus to make a delicious and healthy dinner in very little time. From MyRecipes