12 Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas- Perfect for Weeknights!

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Our last roundup of 10 Easy Dinners for Busy Weeknights was so well received, we’ve added another to keep our crazy busy weeknight meals simple and quick! These next 12 meals are perfect for rushed evenings- they are easy to assemble and don’t use a million ingredients, which means dinner is on your table fast and cleanup is even faster! After a long, hectic day it’s important to have some “go to” dinners the family loves and you can whip up in no time. These new ideas should definitely fit the bill!

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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas – These look Yummmmmmm! Super easy because it’s a few veggies and chicken sliced and cooked on a sheet pan. Make your own fajita seasoning, or save even more time by using a fajita seasoning packet.

TipBuzz

Easy One Pan Chicken Marsala – Now that my hubby is a Pinterest fan, he found this recipe and has requested it, so this is officially on the list! This recipe is prepped in 10 minutes and on the table 25 minutes later. Perfect for a busy night! (Update: This was a.maz.ing! So good!)

Cafe Delites

This Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp is ready in 15 minutes! Add quick cooking pasta or rice for a more filling meal.

With Peanut Butter on Top

This cozy Skillet Meatloaf with Pan Gravy looks amazing and is ready in 25 minutes! No more waiting an hour or more for the meatloaf to cook. Serve over refrigerated mashed potatoes and dinner is served. Check out the full recipe for pictures that look delish!

Coco and Ash

Another easy sheet pan meal- this time chicken with potatoes and green beans. This looks fantastic, and it only takes 10 minutes to prep! I absolutely love those potatoes- they get so nice and crispy on the bottoms. Mmmm Mmmm Good!Little Spice Jar

This one pot Cheesy Taco Pasta Bake is sure to be a hit with kids & husbands alike! Topped with whatever you’d like, this is a dinner everyone will love. Double the recipe and the adults can pack this for lunches at work. 

Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Next up: an easy twist on pasta night! This cheesy tortellini bake is completed with garlic bread and an easy salad for another dinner in less than 30 minutes! Here is our post on 8 Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipes– can’t have pasta without garlic bread!

Girl Dishes

This sheet pan sausage and peppers is super easy! Make double for sandwiches later in the week and you have two dinners in the time it takes to cook one! I love getting two meals out of one recipe. It makes life so much easier. 

How Sweet Eats

Using pre-made meatballs (yours prepared in advance and frozen or store bought) makes this Meatball Parmesan Bake a great meal for a busy night! This would be great doubled…over pasta one night and on sandwich rolls another night! I love getting two dinners out of one cooking session.

Cake Whiz

I love slow cooker meals for the simple fact that you don’t have to think about dinner once you leave the house in the morning! This Asian Sesame Chicken looks delicious over rice (boil in the bag rice is ready in 10 minutes and perfect every time) and a side of frozen Asian veggies. This is quicker-than-takeout Chinese. Almost forgot- this recipe has FOUR ingredients. Yay!

Together as Family

The Busy Budgeter (love her!!) shows us how to make these yummy Tex Mex Crispy Chicken Wraps that are ready in 15 minutes! Make extra and your lunch for tomorrow is ready to go. I love sandwiches ad wraps for dinner. It doesn’t always have to be a huge production!

The Busy Budgeter

No one will believe this Garlic & Herb Pork Tenderloin is prepped in 10 minutes and roasted in 35! With potatoes and carrots, this is a complete meal in 45 minutes total.

The Seasoned Mom

How awesome do these dinners look? You now have 12 dinner ideas to carry you through the next two weeks! 

LOOKS LIKE HAPPY’S FAVORITE TIPS, TRICKS AND KITCHENWARE:

• Tip: Shop sales, and base your recipes around what’s on sale. If you find a *really* good buy and the product can be frozen or has a long shelf life, now is the time to stock up!
• Short on storage space? Think about adding a storage bench to your décor. My kids sat on a goldmine of snacks for *years* before they realized their bench at the dining table was storage. Just be sure to choose one with a seat that can be wiped off or with a darker, busy pattern to hide kid stains.
• Meal prep (see our “Meal Prep Like a Pro” series below) to save yourself tons of time and stress during the week.
• Consider investing in a slow cooker that is programmable, has a time, and switches to “warm” once your dish is cooked. I have this one and I love it!
• If you don’t have a nice sheet pan, these are fantastic. They are very well made and don’t “buckle” in the heat of the oven. They are super easy to clean (and dishwasher friendly!!) too. We use them all the time- they are great for making no-mess bacon!
• Make dinners you can double.
  • Freeze one for another week.
  • Package leftovers for work lunches.

Ready for more quick dinner ideas? Then you won’t want to miss these roundups!
12 Marvelously Melty Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
12 Ways Taco Tuesday Just Got 12 Times Tastier

These posts are loaded with recipes that are quick to put together, easy to make and SO GOOD! Dinner is served!

Meal Prep Like a Pro With These 10 Yummy Recipes
Meal Prep Like a Pro- Part Two: 10 Awesome Recipes to Try This Month 
Meal Prep Like a Pro: Part Three- The Lunch List
10 Easy Dinners for Busy Weeknights
8 Quick & Easy Chicken Dinners for Busy Nights
Super Easy Dinners For Super Busy Weeknights

Want more? Our Dinners – Quick & Easy board on Pinterest is full of awesome meal prep recipes from hundreds of blogs- check it out!

Happy cooking,
Allison

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