A list of easy family dinner ideas meant to provide some weeknight inspiration when 5 pm hunger hits!
While it might seem like I’m always creating new recipes, the truth is I pretty much cook the same thing every week. Or have the same rotation of meals. I just adjust what goes in the slow cooker, pan, or pot based off of what I have on hand, and what I know my little ducklings are willing to try. I’m a huge fan of getting the family involved in choosing what’s for dinner with my themed dinner ideas, but when your kids are 4 and under, they’ll likely choose pizza night again and again if there anything like my toddlers.
In an effort to keep dinnertime easy and delicious for all of us, I’ve started keeping a running list of go-to family dinner ideas beyond the themed dinner a. so I have control over SOMETHING during the day and so b. when I sit and stare at my fridge and think, “shoot, what are we having for dinner?,” I have a prompt to get the wheels turning. Currently, this list is in a folder on my computer, but I’m thinking I should just start making the list available in my pantry.
So here you have it. 25+ family dinner ideas straight from my kitchen. While I know the list seems a little vague, again it’s meant to prompt you into thinking, “oh yeah, I have this new sheet pan recipe I want to try!” Or perhaps you’ll think, “YES we haven’t had tacos in forever! The kids will love them tonight.” I’ve also hyperlinked to a few of these dinner ideas I have on the blog because even I forget what I’ve shared in the past! And if you can’t find a recipe on the blog, then good old Google will be your recipe search friend.
Mexican
Chicken or Ground Beef Quesadillas
Veggie Tostadas
Italian
Pasta or Veggie Noodles with Sauce
Pita or English Muffin Pizzas
Baked or Grilled Chicken Parmesan
Asian
Teriyaki Chicken
Orange Chicken Stir-Fry
Beyond Boring Chicken Breasts
Chicken Sausage Skillet Dinner
Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts
Soups On
Chicken Noodle Soup
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Sandwiches
Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
Slow Cooker
Skillet
EXTRAS
5 Easy Recipes Using a Rotisserie Chicken
10 Ways to Use Leftover Grilled Chicken
10 Dinners to Make with Jarred Tomato Sauce
So how can you make this work for your family? I say whether you have a folder on your phone, your planner, or heck, a piece of computer paper you can tape to the inside of your pantry, start a list of your family’s favorite and build from there! So that way when dinnertime hits, or it’s time to meal plan, you’re one step ahead. Bon appetite!
Thanks, Katie, for this post! For some reason lately I just don’t know what to make. Maybe it’s the time of year. But this gives me a great variety to choose from!