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Need some quick and easy meals? Here are 50 Easy Dinner Ideas the whole family will love! Quick and simple to make with very little hands-on time, these are full of delicious flavor!
Most of these Easy Dinner Recipes can be made in under 30 minutes (or otherwise have very little hands-on time before going into the oven to bake) allowing you more time to get everything done on busy weeknights.
Whether it’s a sheet pan dinner, a one-pan meal or a hearty soup, that can double as lunch the next day you’ll find inspiration here. And guess what? Your kids will love them too! Kid-friendly, these super-fast dinners are just the ticket when things get busy.
easy Dinners Ideas
Italian Baked Beans
A simple recipe for Italian Baked Beans, made with cannellini beans, kale, and your favorite homemade (or store-bought) Marinara sauce-just 10 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven until golden and bubbling. A delicious vegetarian main!
Creamy Polenta with mushrooms!
Creamy Polenta with Wild Mushrooms, Garlic and Sage. A simple EASY dinner that can be made in under 30 minutes.
Vegan Bulgogi Bowls
A Korean recipe for Vegan Jackfruit Bulgogi and the most flavorful sauce. Create a vegan Bulgogi Bowl with rice, veggies and kimchi!
Butternut squash Risotto
Cozy up with a comforting bowl of Butternut Risotto with Leeks and Spinach made with very little fuss, in your Instant Pot pressure cooker. Vegan-adaptable and Gluten-free.
Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e Pepe is a fast, flavorful four-ingredient pasta recipe that can be topped with your favorite seasonal veggie (or protein!). We love it loaded up with broccoli (cooked right in the pasta water!). An easy dinner idea that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Kimchi Noodles!
Here’s a super tasty recipe for Veggie Kimchi Noodles, stir-fried with lots of healthy veggies you probably have on hand. Keep it vegan or add an egg, chicken or shrimp! Crispy tofu is also a delicious option here! A fast and easy dinner recipe!
Farmers Market Veggie Quesadillas
Farmers Market Veggie Quesadillas with black beans and farmer’s market veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, sweet potato, greens, and melty cheese (optional) seasoned with Mexican spices. Vegan-adaptable and Gluten-free adaptable!
Farmers Market Fried Rice
Leftover rice is turned into a healthy dinner in no time flat! Made healthy with seasonal veggies and edamame! A highly adaptable recipe that can be made vegan, vegetarian or add chicken or shrimp- perfect for busy weeknight meals.
Broccoli Tofu Stir fry
This flavorful Broccoli Stir fry can be kept vegan with Tofu (or substitute shrimp, chicken or beef). A fast and easy dinner idea that can be on the table in under 30 minutes. Healthy and nourishing!
Singapore Noodles!
This easy dinner idea is one of our favorites. Stir-fried rice noodles with curry, tofu and vegetables—a Chinese take-out menu classic – easy recipe, vegetarian and full of authentic flavor!
Indian Fried Rice
Full of healthy veggies and can be made in under 30 minutes. Vegetarian, Gluten-free and Vegan adaptable, it is a fast and easy weeknight meal- great for using up leftover rice and veggies in the fridge.
Easy one-Pan Dinners
Baked Gnocchi with Kale
Baked Gnocchi with tomato sauce, kale, Italian sausage and melty mozzarella cheese – a delicious, easy one-pan meal that can be made in 30 minutes.
Enchilada Casserole with 5-Minute Enchilada Sauce
Healthy veggies layered with tortillas, cheese and slathered with our 5-minute enchilada sauce (or use store-bought). Add ground meat or chicken. Only 25 minutes of “hands-on time” before it goes into the oven to bake!
Baked Ziti with Spinach, Mushrooms and Ricotta
This can be made in one pan and requires no pre-boiling of pasta. 15 minutes of hands-on time before baking! Perfect for weeknight dinners! Vegan-adaptable!
Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff
Instant Pot Mushroom Stroganoff – a simple, easy vegetarian weeknight dinner that is creamy, hearty and full of delicious depth and flavor! Vegan Adaptable!
Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash and Kale
This No-Boil, Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Kale, Sage and Pecans can be made in one pan, with 30 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven. A cozy vegetarian dinner, perfect for fall.
EASY Baked Tacos!
Kid-approved, these are for those of you who have hungry mouths to feed and need to get something on the table ASAP. Not only are they simple and quick to put together, but they are also really adaptable. Keep them vegetarian and affordable by using organic refried beans as the protein, or if so inclined, add left-over rotisserie chicken, or browned, seasoned ground beef. But I will say that even my meat-loving husband loves these, prefers them, with the refried beans!
Fast and Easy Soups and Stews!
Broccoli Pesto Soup
This Creamy Broccoli Soup with Pesto is deeply nourishing, full of flavor, and made with simple ingredients in under 35 minutes. Gluten-free & Vegan-adaptable!
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
Loaded up with healthy veggies- just 20 minutes of pressure cooking time and dinner is done! A fast and easy dinner idea the whole family will love! You can also make this on the stove-top!
Homemade Tomato Soup
Simple Homemade Tomato Soup made with fresh or canned tomatoes, made in under 30 minutes. Creamy, easy and Vegan-adaptable, a delicious and nourishing dinner idea perfect for busy nights!
15-MINUTE THAI CURRY NOODLES (KHAO SOI)
Make this flavorful Northern Thai Stew in just 15 minutes with tofu and veggies, or sub chicken or shrimp. Flavorful, yet not too spicy – kids love this recipe too! Super easy and satisfying! Vegan adaptable and GF! A fast and healthy Weeknight Dinner!
Mexican Noodle Soup
One of my all-time favorite soups- very adaptable! Make it with chicken or keep it vegan with chickpeas ( my favorite! ). Easy and quick to make, full of flavor… this is a weeknight dinner the whole family will love this. I promise!
Make life simple, Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Full of healthy veggies and vegan and gluten-free adaptable! Cooks on your stovetop or in an instant pot! A healthy, vegan weeknight dinner the whole family will love!
15-Minute Wonton Soup
Loaded up with your favorite wontons and lots of healthy greens – this fast and easy dinner recipe is something the whole family will love. Keep wontons in the freezer for dinner “emergencies” – then you always have something on hand!
Quick and Easy Fish and Seafood Recipes
Quick and Easy Salmon Cakes Recipe
A simple pantry recipe made with canned salmon, that can be whipped up in 20 minutes, perfect for midweek meals! Serve with a side of Crunchy Asian Slaw!
Simple Baked Cod
A simple meal with Tomatoes, Basil, Garlic Lemon- a fast and easy weeknight dinner that is healthy and delicious!
Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw
Our “go-to” healthy weeknight dinner that be made in 30 minutes flat. These can be grilled or roasted and feel free to sub tofu for a vegan option!
The easiest Chicken Dinners!
Chicken Fajitas!
Burmese Chicken (or Tofu) and Veggies
A fast and full-flavored, Burmese-style stir-fry that can be made in 20 minutes flat! Vegan and Gluten-free adaptable, this tasty weeknight dinner is low in carbs.
Instant Pot Peanut Chicken
This can be made in a pressure cooker or on the stovetop! A simple, delicious one-pot meal that can be made in 25 minutes! Paleo and GF adaptable, this delicious weeknight dinner can be prepped ahead, or cooked ahead for the busy work week!
The BEST Pad Thai Recipe!
This adaptable Pad Thai can be made with tofu, chicken or shrimp. No hard-to-find ingredients, this recipe is stripped down to the basics. Once you have the ingredients gathered, this tasty weeknight dinner cooks in under 15 minutes!
Clean Out Your Fridge Tandoori Bake.
Make this with chicken, fish or tofu (or some of each for mixed households) and load it up with healthy veggies. Just 15-20 minutes of hands-on time. So easy and full of soul-satisfying Indian flavors, this weeknight dinner is perfect for all.
Hope you enjoy these Healthy Easy Dinner ideas…please leave your favorites in the comments below!
xoxo
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50 Easy Dinner Ideas Everyone Will Love!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: easy dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
50 EASY Dinner Ideas! Fast to make with simple ingredients, enjoy these delicious meals- perfect for busy weeknights: Enchilada Casserole.
Ingredients
- 12-ounce bottle of enchilada sauce (or make my 5-minute enchilada sauce)
- 12 x 6-inch corn or flour tortillas
- 2–3 cups grated Mexican-style cheese (or try a vegan cheese)
- 4-ounce can green chilies, (optional)
Garnish: chopped cilantro, diced avocado, sour cream, hot sauce
Casserole Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 an onion, diced ( see notes)
- 4 cloves garlic, rough chopped (see notes)
- 1 large yam or sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (optional, or sub 1 large bell pepper, or zucchini)
- 12– 16 ounce bag frozen corn (regular or fire-roasted ) – or sub fresh corn.
- 15-ounce can black beans, drained( like Trader Joe’s Cuban Style Black Beans) Or substitute with 2 cups cooked chicken, browned seasoned ground turkey, or beef.
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Make the filling: Saute onion, garlic and sweet potatoes in the olive oil over medium heat, until tender, about 10-12 minutes, covering ½ way through, allowing potatoes to steam and get tender. Add corn and black beans, cumin, chili powder and salt and saute until warmed through.
- Assemble: In a greased 9 x13 inch baking dish, spread out ½ cup of enchilada sauce, to lightly coat the bottom. Spread out 4 tortillas on top of the sauce. Spread out ½ of the filling over the tortillas. Scatter half of the canned green chilies (if using), and 1 cup of the grated cheese. Drizzle with a ½ cup enchilada sauce. Top with 4 more tortillas, add the remaining filling, green chilies, 1 cup cheese and top with 4 more tortillas. Lather the top with the remaining enchilada sauce and any additional cheese if you like a cheesy top.
- BAKE Cover tightly with foil(use parchment to prevent foil from touching the casserole) and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake 10 more minutes.
- Garnish with diced avocado, cilantro and sour cream. The sour cream really adds a nice creaminess.
Notes
If really short on time, you can sub granulated onion and/or garlic powder for the fresh onion and garlic. Add about a teaspoon each to the veggie filling.
In winter, I love adding the diced sweet potato for extra richness, but in the warmer months I’ll opt for zucchini and/or bell pepper. Feel free to load the filling up with seasonal veggies- tasting and adjusting salt and seasoning accordingly. Or add a protein like cooked ground meat or chicken.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: -Vegetarian with Sweet Potato
- Calories: 436
- Sugar: 5.6 g
- Sodium: 1396.4 mg
- Fat: 20.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.1 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 16.2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
Keywords: easy dinner ideas, healthy dinner ideas, quick and easy dinners, healthy dinner recipes, easy dinner recipes, dinner recipes,
Your vegan recipes are so yummy and full of healthy goodness. I made your cabbage soup again, yum. Thank-you. I suffer with collagenous colitis and this soup is so soothing for my gut. Your celery soup is also. You are a blessing,
So happy to hear you found some soothing recipes. Be well!
My kids are always hungry when they come home from school. They always say they don’t like my organic/vegan food. Once I found these recipes they haven’t made another mean comment about the food. I love these recipes they are quick and easy. There is absolutely nothing that i can complain about.
★★★★★
Thanks so much!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing article.
Very informative post you share.
Be assure you are my #1 recipe site. I love the way you cook! and have loved every recipe I try!!!! Thank you! I especially loved the black lentil wrapes!
Thanks so much Gina!
Wonderful!! Feeds the soul also! Thanks my friend! Peace,Love and sharing wonderful food. ❤️✌️
★★★★★
Thanks so much Judy! Appreciate this!
I have to let you know that I just made this and it is delicious – I don’t cook too well and this recipe has given me more confidence to try more – thank you Sylvia
I have discovered “Feasting at Home” and i love love love your recipes… Totally hooked and so are my ocean swimming “Golden Girls” group…we live in the Midwest of Australia. We love cooking light,fresh and easy meals, so your recipes are perfect for us… thank you.
Awe… Thanks Julie and golden girls!
Now my favorite go to recipe site! Love so many of the offering here. Thanks for all you do in making this happen.
★★★★★
Thanks so much Cheryl-glad you are here!
These all look so amazing! Do you have a cookbook option? I would love to have all these beautiful recipes in a book!
Thanks for making my life so much easier. Some of my favorites are the Thai curry Noodles, Photon Soup and my kids love the Baked tacos with refried beans! So fast and easy.
★★★★★
Such a great selection of dinner recipes- so excited to try these.
★★★★★
What a collection ! Thank you so much !
Hi Sylvia,
The enchilada pie was a great success with my husband and son! They said it was the best Mexican meal they ever had. I was SO pleased. You are right, the enchilada sauce is so easy to make. I mixed black beans that I seasoned myself with about a cup of rotisserie chicken. I did not find fire roasted frozen corn so I just used regular organic frozen corn. Thank you so much for your amazing recipe. 5 stars for sure! From a happy family.
Thanks Caroline, Appreciate the comment and feedback and so happy it worked out and your family liked it!
That minestrone soup and the turmeric broth soups look amazing! It’s raining today so I just might have to get my instant pot out and try!
Awww… thanks Ashley!! Appreciate it!
Wow inspiring, thank you!
WoW! Love these recipes. Can’t wait to try them all.
Needed a quick pasta dish on the spur of the moment, I had a jar of artichoke hearts and some mushrooms that needed using up so I tried the “creamy artichoke pasta”. It was very quick very tasty and vegan to boot! It would be lovely with some calamata or dry cured olives. It’s a great go to when I need to add another dish to a larger meal or when I need something f a s t! Great recipe, thanks. Oh a note, my blender is not that great, it came out a bit chunky and it was fine!
Thanks for sharing Sophie, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I love the sauce when it’s blended really really smooth, but good to know it turned out ok, regardless!
I can’t stop making the pho-ton soup! I’ve done it twice this week already… soon I’ll be moving far, far away from a Trader Joe’s ? … do you have a recipe for home-made mini wontons?
Not yet Dana but that is a great idea!
(5 years later…) Costco has some great frozen mini-wontons!
★★★★★
Thanks Suzanne!
LOVE quick dinner recipes for weeknights. Thanks for the lovely list!
Thanks Karen! Yes I hope it helps get through this busy season!