I love easy recipes that don’t involve a lot of preparation or ingredients, especially when it comes to weeknight dinners. By the end of the day, I usually just want to throw something together, but I don’t want to eat veggie burgers and tuna sandwiches every single night of the week. I also don’t want to attempt some complicated recipe that involves me stressing out about instructions, running to the grocery store to buy missing ingredients, or waiting hours and hours to finally eat. I guess I want something in the middle.
With that said, here are six easy weeknight dinners that come together with minimal effort and always turn out well!
I’ve written about this recipe for Soy-Glazed Fish a number of times on CNC. It’s really the best. It’s so easy to make, takes very little time to cook, tastes delicious, and provides healthy protein and omega-3′s. Love it!
Sausage, Spinach, and Provolone Pizza
If you use a pre-made pizza crust for this meal, it comes together start to finish in no time at all. The recipe calls for nutritious spinach as well as satisfying ground sausage, so it’s an all-around great meal—and it tastes, oh, so delicious!
Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Arugula and Feta
This was one of those recipes that you just throw together, but it turns out much better than expected. All you need to do is boil some whole wheat pasta, chop up a tomato, and mix all of the ingredients together. Easy peasy!
Dry Rub Steak with Avocado Salsa
This delicious meal was inspired by a recipe from Everyday Paleo. You’re suppose to let the steak sit for 30 minutes in the dry rub before you cook it, but I cut the time down to 10 minutes, and the steak still turned out amazingly. The avocado salsa was the highlight of the meal for me. I actually went back for a second serving of it all by itself.
This “lasagna” recipe is super quick and easy to make. It’d even be a fun recipe to make with kids! The recipe calls for refrigerated cheese ravioli (frozen works too), which allows you to skip the time-consuming process of boiling lasagna noodles and mixing the cheese filling. All you need to do is layer, bake, and serve!
And a new one to add to the list…
Roasted Chicken with Olives & Prunes
The prep time for this meal is so minimal. You put a whole chicken in a baking dish and sprinkle it with salt, mix the other ingredients together in a large bowl, and then pour it around the chicken. That’s it. The cook time took about an hour, but once the chicken was in the oven, I didn’t need to do anything until the timer went off. And, most importantly, it turned out so well. The flavors were outstanding!
Dinner
I added the roasted chicken, olives, and prunes to a big salad and used some of the “sauce” from the pan as dressing. So good!
After dinner, I enjoyed two Lindt truffles for dessert.
Nutty About Yogurt Contest
Remember that Maple Scone recipe that I blogged about a couple of weeks ago? Well, you can find the recipe here.
My scone recipe is also part of a contest hosted by Peanut Butter & Co. and Stonyfield Farm called “Nutty About Yogurt.” Five other bloggers and I were asked to submit a recipe using Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter and Stonyfield organic yogurt. My creation was a Mighty Maple Yogurt Peanut Butter Scone, and I’d love for you to vote for it! Your vote enters you into a sweepstakes where 5 random winners will receive a prize pack containing products from both Peanut Butter & Co. and Stonyfield. If you’re one of the first 20,000 people to vote, you’ll also receive a $1.00-Off coupon from both companies!
Question of the Day
What’s your favorite easy weeknight dinner?
{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
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Favorite easy week night dinner is getting some good quality pasta, red sauce, and adding a lot of sauteed veggies! I also add in some chicken. To make it even easier we buy a rotisserie chicken and peel it up and throw it in there
Thanks for these new ideas! I’ll definitely be trying that lasanga and the pizza
@Sneakers2Sandals: Rotisserie chickens can be a lifesaver some nights.
WOW, these dinners look awesome!! My favorite go-to easy dinner is sauteed spinach and garlic over pasta or Mexican Meatloaf. YUMMY!
@Ashley @ Coffee Cake and Cardio: http://www.coffeecakeandcardio.com/2011/09/13/mexican-turkey-meatloaf/
Mexican is my go-to quick meal!
Isn’t it amazing how good soy is on any type of fish? I love it on salmon with ginger or lime and some chili flakes.. delish! My favourite weeknight dinner is probably a stir fry of loads of veggies and fish, shrimp, or chicken. Super quick!
All of those look amazing. I would have to say my easiest weeknight meal is a stir-fry. This way I can use all my leftover veggies!
Haha well I live alone, so I’m good with a microwaved sweet potato and some salad. Although I do love to make savory oats with beans and steamed kale or other veggies!
The first thing I do when I look at a recipe is look at the ingredient list. If it’s long I don’t even bother. 10 or less is good! These recipes look great!
My favorite weeknight dinner is a pile of arugula, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers topped with leftover meat from whatever roast we made over the weekend. By the time I’m done working and working out, I am READY to eat. I love not having to fuss too much over a meal. I’ll eat a salad nightly if I can top it with meat!
Voted! And can we talk about how delicious all of those recipes look?! YUM!
Loved this! I’m still too scared to tackle a whole chicken. I just go to the grocery store and pick up a rotisserie one – can’t beat it’s ease and simplicity!
I’m juuuust getting to the breaking point with the easiest of easy meals like Turkey burgers/soup/a quick sandwich. My next step will be to up my game to making things with over 3 ingredients, like these ones!
Though I still don’t think I’ll give up my beloved simple sweet potato dinners…
I love to make dinners the night before because we are after office gym goers. NOT morning people. Haha. So when we get back home we are starved. I like any crockpot or casserole dish that I can add a bunch of vegetables to. Last night we had baked mac’n’ cheese with spinach & broccoli.
I tend to eat soup and sandwiches for a quick meal – tuna and hummus, grilled cheese and avocado or turkey bacon BLTs.
These all look really good!
My go to is either a piece of salmon (I cook a bunch and freeze em), spinach, and a sweet potato or half a squash topped with brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and raisins OR spaghetti squash with parmesan cheese and whatever veggies or meats I have kicking around. Mmmmm squash!
Thanks for posting these recipes. I can’t wait to try the fish and the pasta salad
When I’m really exhausted after work and don’t have a quick enough meal, I often revert to eggs + veggies of some sort, like steamed broccoli or sweet potato. I’m usually pretty good about planning a meal that will come together in less than 20 minutes or making the dish beforehand and just reheating it when I get home.
Love these recipes!
My quick go to is usually some sort of casserole. I’ll combine whatever meat, veggies & cheese I have on hand, then bake away!
Homemade pizza and spaghetti squash lasagna are my go-to meals on weeknights! Or just chicken stir fry!
I default to grains and beans when I’m in a rush. Usually quinoa and black beans with tex-mex fixings like onion, cayenne, garlic, jalapeno, etc. Sometimes we eat it straight up, but we usually put it over lettuce for a taco salad or in a wrap for a burrito. Sometimes brown rice and cannellini beans with some sauteed kale or spinach and lots of garlic. I usually cook a couple of big batches of grains early in the week (2 c of quinoa or brown rice in the rice cooker with some veggie broth will last us through a few lunches and/or dinners during the week).
I have made the last minute lasagna before but haven’t made it in ages – need to try it again.
I like Savory oatmeal as a last minute and quick dinner – I usually have most of the ingredients on hand!
I make a chicken tagine with cous cous, olives and apricots. It also includes cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, and lemon. Have you experimented much with Moroccan food? I think if you like the prune recipe, you’d love it. It also calls for cut chicken, so it’s quicker cooking.
I love the sound of the olives and chicken roast. I roast a whole chicken about every other week to have on hand but I’m always doing the same thing to it, and while its tasty its not very creative. I’m defientely going to give somehting like this a try soon.
All my dinners have to be easy because there is no other way in our house. Time is of the essence! These meals all look great.
Fave easy weeknight dinner = cookies!
No, kidding.
Big salads with peanut sauce baked tofu or planned leftovers that I have hanging out in the freezer or fridge that I made ahead save me lots of stress on weeknights from trying to come up with something at the last second.
Great ideas!
I love throwing together a good stir-fry with either a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or chicken sausages (current fave is spinach and garlic flavored). It’s super fast, healthy, and delicious. Win!
Buying a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store and pairing it with a big salad with roasted veggies.
I’ve been wanting to do a soy glazed salmon for years. We eat a lot of salmon and it sounds good. However! I CANNOT broil anything. It’s always a failure.
Any tips?
I like keeping frozen fish in the freezer for quick and healthy dinners!
I like doing Talapia in the pan with some spices and then popping the whole pan in the oven to finish up. Serving it with a little mix of tomatoes, onion, and avocado our wholly guacamole makes it super….maybe some brown rice or baked sweet potato fries makes this a great and HEALTHY meal that is simple & fast! I also like doing a quick “veggie burrito” – pick whatever veggies you like and do them in the pan with some spices and light soy sauce – I do throw in chicken to give it some protein – put in a ww tortilla and away you go!
My favorite is ground turkey breast, browned, and mixed with a favorite pasta sauce and whole grain spaghetti. Add salad from a bag as your side and you’re done!
I am totally making that pizza tonight!!
For one though..:)
My favorite go to meal is probably anything with Quinoa. I like to add chicken, or turkey meat, with brussels sprouts. There are so many things that you can do with it.
Have a great day!
Fav weeknight dinners : veggie pizza, chicken enchiladas, and turkey burgers!! YUMM
This is just what I needed! I want to cook more but I just don’t have the time and always end up with simple, unexciting meals! Thanks! I am gonna make the soy glazed fish tonight.
these are great. never would’ve thought of the ravioli idea. my go to weeknight dinner: a frittata! SO easy. sauteed veggies (or anything you want really – turkey bacon, cheese, sausage) all in one pan, finished off in the oven, and done!
I love to slice up a package of chicken sausage and brown the rounds in a skillet, then serve with brown rice and whatever green veg i have on hand. There are so many flavors of chicken sausage out there now that it doesn’t get old!
Mmm! Anything quick and easy is definitely my thing lol
I voted
I love easy dinners that don’t involve defrosting veggie burgers. My favorites are making foil packs where you simply throw together some chicken or fish and veggies in the oven and then unwrap and eat. The best part is the even easier clean up!
Love the fish recipe since I took some out for today and had no idea what to do with it.
My go to quick meal is stirfry. Just buy the frozen vegetable mixes, add rice and any sauce. If I’m feeling extra ambitious I add chicken or tofu.
Omlettes do the trick every time for me!
the pasta salad and lasagna look so good. Great recipes and ideas.
Did you know that there are Peanut Butter Lindt truffles?? I had no idea until this past Christmas when I got a bag in my stocking. They’re so yummy! But then again, all of their chocolates are
I just voted for your scones yesterday! I hope you win
I would love more easy weeknight dinner recipes. I’m pescaterian and my hubby is a total carnivore. So I end up either making a fish dish or a half veg and half meat lasagna. Can you recommend any other recipes that can be both vegetarian and carnivore? I was told last night that he’s over the fish dinners for a while. Ha!
I am SO bookmarking this post – thank you so much!
These are some great ideas! I love having breakfast for dinner. It’s quick, easy and delicious
I love buying a rotisserie chicken and using it in a thousand different ways throughout the week—over salads, in a quesadilla, in pasta, etc. Can’t go wrong!
My go-to easy weeknight dinner items are omelets and frittatas, couscous salads, frozen veggies, and roated chickpeas!
My favorite easy weeknight dinner was used last night – black bean, sweet potato burritos. I usually will bake a few sweet potatoes on Sunday to have for the week so it takes no time to put the burritos together. Super yummy and fast!
I love posts like this!! I am totally going to try that chicken and have been meaning to make your soy glazed fish for ages!! A few months ago I wrote up a post of my favorite weeknight dinners, here is the link for anyone who is interested!
http://gourmetorgohome.com/2011/08/22/weeknight-dinners-summer-2011/
I love the rubbed steak with avocado idea! I’ve never really thought of adding avocado to my steak, but I love both so why not?!
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